Mary MacElveen:

Making fun of Al Gore’s “lockbox” was only partly a cheap shot at his wooden delivery and stubborn clinging to the phrase. The real reason to make fun of him was that the concept itself is pure nonsense. It is simply impossible for the government to create a retirement fund by locking away dollars that the government itself issued. The money would be, in effect, destroyed now and re-printed upon the retirement of the baby boomers. Burning the money now doesn’t prevent inflation to the moon later. And the idea doesn’t work even without the problem posed by demographics (i.e. if the proportion of retired to working population remains constant). In that case you’ll just be destroying money and reprinting it immediately, which is ... welfare. Simple wealth redistribution from young to old. Which is all social security has ever been, anyway.

The point is that the “lockbox” is a stupid idea, and it wasn’t even original; most people think of the S.S. system in those terms, as an account that stores up money for your retirement. Al Gore was just parroting the same ignorant view, which amounts to:

1) that there is a “box” which stores your S.S. “contributions”,
2) that the threat to that “box” consists of politicians stealing from it for some other purpose, and
3) that your retirement can be saved by preventing (2) or, in other words, by putting a political “lock” on the S.S. “box”.

None of that sounds too “intelligent” to me. Never mind the open question of whether a legislative “lock” strong enough to keep out future politicians is practical. Never mind the fact that storing cash in a box is a lousy way to save for retirement anyway. The real problem with the “lockbox”, and indeed, with all of social security, is that THE BOX WILL ALWAYS BE EMPTY, for fundamental reasons.

Finally, what evidence do you have that Bush is “looking to tear [social security] apart”? Would it were so! I, however, expect he will abandon his promises of serious S.S. reform.

—Eiki Martinson

not “believing” in global climate change is like not believing in tooth decay.

Al Gore is neither nutty, bizarre, separated from reality, a fanatic, detached from common sense, willing to sacrifice the US Economy and he sure as hell isn’t out of The Goddamn Unabomber’s Manifesto. He doesn’t possess the imagination for any of these things. These quotes are simply more canned, sensational Political rhetoric i.e., the same standard, fraudulent, exaggerated shit aimed at the public as usual in Politics. Joe Conanson is spreading his hero-worship frosting on Ol’ Al Gore’s ass way too thick too. The truth about Gore is far more prosaic: He’s another below average Politician from a powerful, wealthy family with a stick in the mud persona, a borrowed environmental “vision” no talent with communicating it and thus even less probability in effecting it; indeed if that’s what he actually wants to do. Even if he got his way, which I guarantee you he will not, it’d be another case of “promise much, deliver little” and hence the breaking many environmental hearts. This media blitz on the Goddamn planet melting away may give him some bounce in the polls, but then he’ll fall back flatter than a plate of piss. No more no less. Conason shouldn’t be naive enough, nor pliant enough to think the DNC is going to risk running him against a cunning wag like John McCain. He’d annihilate him in even a formatted debate. I mean, Jesus Christ, Bush even made him look like a fool, what’s that tell you? If 9-11 castrated the American Hard Left, and I think it did. They’ll have run Kerry again. This time he’ll fight off the swift boat attacks and go in by a less than narrow margin. Enter a kinder gentler war policy-occupation in the Middle East. Worse, by then, The Iranians will have launch capabilities for their devices and continue the same aggravated bombast against their Israeli, neighbors. Kerry will be convinced to order an attack on them. It’ll be something like Clinton’s bombing of Belgrade. Joe Conason can remember I told him so. Then he can buy me a good Cuban cigar…I’ve never had one before.

As I was reading Joe Conason’s article “Nasty Foes Now Owe Apology to Gore” I am reminded of a quote by Al Gore: “Most people in politics draw energy from backslapping and shaking hands and all that. I draw energy from discussing ideas.”  These ideas of his have all but been ignored by everyone from the government, to the media, and the public at large.  He was basically laughed at for being intelligent in the 2000 presidential campaign as if intelligence was a deficit.  Now look at what that has gotten us?  We have lived and are continuing to live a national nightmare for the past six years even without the environment front and center in Mr. Conason’s article.  I am far from laughing as I remember point by point how Al Gore was right in that campaign, in fact I am livid.  All made fun of his “lock box” in regards to Social Security and I am left to wonder how they feel now since Bush looks to tear it apart.  When Al Gore spoke out angrily against the Iraq War: Just how many Bush voters who now have turned against this war wished they had voted for Mr. Gore?  While the media touted Al Gore as being “wooden” and Bush as being the “likeable” candidate, seeing Bush’s latest polling numbers: Just how many see Bush as being likable?  In that campaign, Al Gore did speak the truth and as we all know now, Bush has lied on so many occasions.  It is about time that America stand up for the truth and I do hope and pray that Al Gore does run in the 2008 campaign and goes on to win it.

Sincerely,
Mary MacElveen

I voted for Gore half-heartedly in 2000. I would vote for him whole-heartedly in 2008.

I agree with what Anon says above about Gore being a lousy politician. He made some lousy decisions, and unfortunately, his wooden and somewhat pedantic style is off-putting to the masses who choose candidates based on simplistic sound bites and image. That’s a lot to overcome, but he already won once.

So could Gore win again or is he tainted by 2000? I read something recently that made me think maybe he could. I don’t remember where I read it, but someone made the point that Gore can bridge the gap between the DLC and liberal wings of the party. The DLC types were already on board with Gore in 2000, and Gore’s unstinting criticism of Bush since then has won over the liberals who could not fully embrace him before. So many he could win.

Al Gore would still make a great president. I hope he runs. It would be refreshing to have a president that could talk and not embarass our country all the time.

Too bad Al’s such a lousy politician.  He’d have been a GREAT president but,  picking Loserman for his runningmate & avoiding Clinton’s record in 2000 was dumber than dumb.

He’s an otherwise brilliant guy and I believe he’d win it all if only he’d shoot from the hip with a nothing-to-lose attitude.  He should continue to call the liars “liars” and speak for the people without regard to the corporate masters.  He already won the presidency once.  Without d’oh-d’oh Joe and with a purely populist message, he’d be a shoe-in.

With a little luck, he’d get so many votes that it’d be obvious TO EVERYONE that the other guy won because the vote count was rigged and the true winner would be inaugurated for a change.

It is highly doubtful that any apology will be tendered to Gore. The degree of ignorance in this Administration is only surpased by arrogance. Isn’t it funny that those two characteristics are so often kin. Worse yet, even if Bush & Co were to fully realize the real threat of climate change, they would not have the character and decency to address it on behalf of the American people, but would continue to reward big oil and leave the mess to the next Administration. Their repeated betrayal of the people of this Nation is a reflex habit they are not capable of breaking.