Gore's comments in the New Yorker

[cjromero]

Even though I am a Republican and a Bush supporter, I took offense at Cheney's recent comments concerning the likelihood of another terrorist attack should the country decide to elect John Kerry. The comments went over the line.

However, in the interests of equal time, here are some recent quotes from Al Gore from an article in this month's New Yorker magazine.

Gore, in the newest issue of The New Yorker, says, "The real distinction of this presidency is that, at the core, [Bush] is a very weak man. ... His weakness is a moral weakness. I think he is a bully, and like all bullies, he's a coward when confronted with a force that he's fearful of [such as] ... wealthy interest groups."

In addition, Gore says that President Bush's faith is, "the American version of the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia, in Kashmir, in [many] religions around the world."


These comments are outrageous and over the top, particularly the comments about Bush's faith. I can't believe that Gore and a number of other Democrats continue to make negative comments about Bush's religious beliefs.

[Cyrus]

Gore, in the newest issue of The New Yorker, says, "The real distinction of this presidency is that, at the core, [Bush] is a very weak man. ... His weakness is a moral weakness. I think he is a bully, and like all bullies, he's a coward when confronted with a force that he's fearful of [such as] ... wealthy interest groups."

Well. I would say Al got a very interesting explanation about some of the President's personality traits. Would fit right in with the silver-spoon-fed profile too. Why are you complaining? Men with inferiority complexes can be very cerative as well. (Just wait for the debates.)

"Gore says that President Bush's [Christian] faith is, "the American version of the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia, in Kashmir, in [many] religions around the world."

Bulls eye for Gore! If the bully/coward comment was a speculation, this one is a slam dunk fact. What's there to dispute? (Ever seen a John Ashcroft press conference? Or read reports about Ashcroft's prayers? They'll be out on DVD soon, packaged with some Stephen King stuff.)

[Matty]

[ QUOTE ]
Bulls eye for Gore! If the bully/coward comment was a speculation, this one is a slam dunk fact. What's there to dispute? (Ever seen a John Ashcroft press conference? Or read reports about Ashcroft's prayers? They'll be out on DVD soon, packaged with some Stephen King stuff.)

[/ QUOTE ]I agree. The first quote was stupid but the second was spot on.

[Chris Alger]

These sentiments are not just Gore's but those of millions of informed Americans and others all over the world (Bush is like "a child running around with a grenade with the pin pulled out" according to a former conservative cabinet member). IMO, they're well-grounded and bear emphasizing. Cheney's statements, OTOH, are blackmail: "vote for me or you'll be killed," barely a notch above "vote for me or I'll kill you."

But more to the point, if Gore believes the descriptions apt, why shouldn't he say them? Where's the rule that says you can't describe the President as weak, mean and cowardly?

You're endorsing the idea of the President as Pharoah, a divinity about whom expressions of contempt are blasphemy. We can disagree and even criticize, but we must do so carefully, in qualified and polite language, preferably toward the floor as we lie prostrate before His magnificence. If you think I'm joking look at some of the "arguments" offered against Bush's critics in the spate of right-wing tracts in the chain bookstores. They're dominated by quotes of outrage against Bush left hanging and unexamined. Right-wing righters get away with this because they know their readers believe that any forceful criticism of Bush or "our country" amounts to mendacity, case closed.

[Utah]

Bulls eye for Gore! If the bully/coward comment was a speculation, this one is a slam dunk fact. What's there to dispute?

I would hate to upset you in case you didnt know - but the U.S. was attacked a few years ago and a tremendous number of people died.

I am sorry if you hadnt heard that yet as I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

[GWB]

Four years from now we will hear of similar quotes from John Kerry, and we will say "Boy, I'm glad we didn't elect that guy."

[tolbiny]

"Boy, I'm glad we didn't elect that guy."

Funny, i thought exactly the same thing when half a million more americans voted for gore the first time around.

[Chris Alger]

[ QUOTE ]
I would hate to upset you in case you didnt know - but the U.S. was attacked a few years ago and a tremendous number of people died.

[/ QUOTE ]
So what would a bully and a coward do about that? He'd attack a country that couldn't defend against a U.S. takeover, whose central government was so weak it had ceded control over half the country, who had no weapons of mass destruction and who had no collaborative relationship with al Qaeda. He'd lie to terrify the public into supporting it and he'd kill three times as many civilians than perished on 9/11/01.

That's what a bully and a coward would do, and that's what George W. Bush did.

[jokerswild]

Hi welcher,
9/11 sure did happen while chicken hawk Bush did nothing to stop it. He had only been warned a month before in a brief entitled "Bin Laden determined to attack within the United States." That brief outlined that the terrorists would use hijacked planes and fly them into buildings.

Your Fuhrer is an inept coward.

[trippin bily]

the beauty of you joker is just as soon as some anti bush fellow makes a good point... good enough to make me think further about it... u come along and straighten me out. ty

[The once and future king]

Your saying joker actualy has some effect on you.

How sad.

(I = Left leaning guy who allways gets annoyed by jokers OTT ranting contribution).

[cjromero]

Your assumptions about my views are totally false. I have no problem with people criticizing President Bush, or any other political figure. I think that Bush has made plenty of mistakes as President, and would be willing to vote for a credible alternative. I just don't view Kerry as a better alternative.

In my view, Gore's comments crossed the line. There is a difference between criticizing Bush over substantive policy issues, and calling him weak, a bully, and a coward. For the record, I felt the same way about Cheney's recent comments about the Democrats and the risk of a terror attack, and I said so on this board. If Gore wants to challenge Bush on the Iraq war and other domestic issues, I have no problem with that. And I am not saying that Gore doesn't have the RIGHT to say what he did. I am only saying that I think his comments were over the top and uncalled for. It's just another example of extreme rhetoric that makes Gore come across as a sore loser. As a national political figure, he should exercise better judgment.

[Utah]

These sentiments are not just Gore's but those of millions of informed Americans and others all over the world

And the sentiment of millions of informed Americans is that Gore, you, and many Liberals are a bunch of "Unpartiotic, terrorist loving, hate your own country, misinformed, weak on defenses, no class, pieces of crap."

But more to the point, if the conservatives believe the descriptions apt, why shouldn't they say them? Where's the rule that says you can't describe the liberals as weak, unpatriotic, and worthless?

[adios]

Gore looks to me to be no more than a common drunkard. It would be hard to convince me that he's not hitting the sauce real hard these days.

[Chris Alger]

[ QUOTE ]
"I have no problem with people criticizing President Bush, or any other political figure ...."

[/ QUOTE ]
But on the other hand:

[ QUOTE ]
"There is a difference between criticizing Bush over substantive policy issues, and calling him weak, a bully, and a coward."

[/ QUOTE ]
So you have "no problem" with criticism as long as it's limited to "substantive policy issues" but harsh criticism of his character is wrong.

You obviously have a very serious problem with criticizing high officials. Bush is hardly an exception to the usual platitudes from his camp about how he's courageous, caring, compassionate, resolute, etc. You believe that any rebutall of such claims saying the opposite (e.g., weak, cowardly), at least in Bush's case, are unacceptable.

In essence: when it comes to high American officials, people should only tolerate positive accolades a should limit dissent to "substantive policy issues." My take that you are one who demands that all Americans suck up to the leadership appears to be right.

[Chris Alger]

[ QUOTE ]
Where's the rule that says you can't describe the liberals as weak, unpatriotic, and worthless?

[/ QUOTE ]
There isn't one and there shouldn't be one. I dispute the basis of these epithets but I've never suggested that people should be condemned for saying them as long as they're grounded in some kind of analysis and not just knee-jerk name-calling.

How could I? I think the media should give more currency to claims that Bush and his supporters are traitors and terrorists, sadistic racist baby-killers hell-bent on world domination and willing to risk the planet to get it. I've never suggested that claims like these are out of bounds or beyond the pale of legitimate debate.

[cjromero]

Wrong again. There are ways to criticize without using perjorative words like "coward" and "weak". I simply think that rhetoric like that is unacceptable coming from someone who was a long-time Senator and one-time candidate for President of the United States.

There are ways to have constructive discourse concerning political leaders. For example, you didn't hear Bob Dole calling Clinton "immoral" and "weak" for getting involved in the Lewinsky affair.

Again, Gore had the right to say what he said. I simply think that Gore crossed the line with his comments, which is certainly my right.

If you think Gore's comments were appropriate, then say so. Don't turn this into some course in psychoanalysis.

[theBruiser500]

cprhou, it sounds like you are whining about political correctness stuff, it strikes me as girly.

[daryn]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
"Boy, I'm glad we didn't elect that guy."

Funny, i thought exactly the same thing when half a million more americans voted for gore the first time around.

[/ QUOTE ]


why does this keep coming up? this is the classic idiot detector. anyone who brings up the popular vote in this context is a certified idiot.

[scrub]

While I'm going to chose to remain agnostic on how Gore came off in the article, you should have included both quotes in their entirety.

Your elisions, particularly in the religion quote, significantly change Gore's tone.

Debate is fine, but be intellectually honest about it.

scrub

[Abednego]

4 more years

[Abednego]

The difference is that every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ as Lord (including you) - the God that the President worships and serves.

[Abednego]

Landslide this time .... just you watch

[Abednego]

Yeah he should have grounded the airplanes the moment he read that brief.