(World News Trust) -- Now we know Barack Obama is the heir. Al Gore has now stepped forward to give his endorsement. It was not, however, quite the triumphant return to the political stage that I had hoped to see from Al Gore.
In
the interest of full-disclosure, I'm an Obama supporter, but Al Gore
had my heart first. I'm one of those candle-in-the-window types who
finally gave up hope a few weeks ago that Gore would ride this election
cycle back into the Oval Office that was stolen from him eight years
ago. You think the Hillary Clinton fans were the only big hold-outs?
So,
okay, bear with me while I pay another bittersweet tribute to Big Al.
It won't be any gushier than Peggy Noonan's foolishly groupie-esque
rhapsodizing over Ronald Reagan. To this day, I STILL think Gore is the
one. I STILL think Gore was robbed. I STILL think Gore is the gold
standard of liberal/progressive politics in general and Democratic
Party politics in particular. Watching him speak at the Michigan rally
for Obama just reminded me all over again -- why I STILL feel that way.
Do
we really need more convincing, or more proof, that Democratic ideals
and Democratic leaders are better for this country than those of the
rabid opposition? Could it be any more clear, if you compare that
latest Al Gore speech to the most recent blurts and blaps from the
semi-coherent fellow who currently occupies the presidency?
Al
Gore was downright majestic as he thundered from the Detroit podium
about how elections matter. He journeyed to economically-blighted
Michigan -- offering hope, comfort, inspiration and a way through the
weeds, endorsing a guy who, earlier, had rolled up his sleeves and
grabbed a shovel to help with the sandbagging against the floodwaters
that threaten to drown parts of Iowa. This, while John McCain issues
bland statements from a safe distance somewhere else, and his hero and
political soul-mate Dubya joyrides around Europe on one big final
globetrotting junket on the taxpayers' tab. It's enough to remind the
viewer of those fun photos taken in late August 2005, in which George
and John shared an excellent birthday cake adventure in the sunshine
while, miles away, New Orleans was drowning. You sure don't need a
hurricane to demonstrate a GOP chieftain's disinterest and detachment.
Seems like any weather disaster will do, anymore.
Then
again, there's nothing like a pampered, well-heeled Republican to
preach the gospel of picking yourself up by your own bootstraps
especially after you have no bootstraps left with which to pull
yourself up.
Al Gore reminded us all
of the path painfully not taken. He spoke out against the war, as did a
young Illinois State Senator, back when it wasn't considered cool to do
so. I was struck by the TV punditry -- how many of them actually made
the leap so obvious to those of us outside the protective shell of the
Beltway. Numerous talking heads just couldn't help themselves --
mentioning how Al Gore brings up memories of Selection 2000 and what
might have been. Even CNN's David Gergen dutifully acknowledged the
reality that struck so many Americans like a sucker-punch long ago --
that our country and everyone in it would be lightyears better off if
we'd had Al Gore's steady hand at the wheel for the past seven-and-some
years. Well, how about that? They noticed. I agree.
We've
lost nearly eight precious years because of the recklessness and
prideful incompetence of George W. Bush. We would have been almost
eight years closer to energy independence -- including investment in,
and cultivation of, all the energy alternatives we could possibly
imagine. Under an Al Gore administration, other ideas than oil, oil,
and more oil would not have been ignored, scoffed at, or summarily
ruled out.
An Al Gore White House
would have provided continuity with the Gore Commision on terrorism
that was undertaken during the Clinton presidency -- and many of its
recommendations would likely have been implemented by a President Gore.
That includes the suggested improvements in airport security -- making a
reasonable argument that 9/11 might not have been possible on Gore's
watch. Moreover, Al Gore would not have surrounded himself with
frustrated latter-day crusaders suffering from empire-envy, or naive
policy geeks, probably some with serious testosterone issues, who think
mightier-than-thou American-style democracy must be forced upon other
nations at gunpoint.
The chances are
greater that we'd have faced far less danger and threat to our health
and safety if regulators weren't downsized and regulations weren't
ignored by a cavalier group of pennywise/pound-foolish pirates
unwilling to remain vigilant against imports of toxic toys and
poisonous pet food. After all, according to their reasoning, such
annoying protections cost too much and private industry should be able
to make a buck off of them instead. An Al Gore administration wouldn't
have been led by a mindset that preferred gutting and downgrading the
government agencies responsible for gate-keeping. Nor might as many
hundreds of thousands of American jobs have been allowed to drain away
across the sea, because the priorities of Democrats tend to oppose
looking the other way while corporations run wild and run over the
little. Never mind that this, too, is Homeland Security.
An
Al Gore FEMA wouldn't have shrugged its shoulders and dragged its heels
when the need was great after a calamitous Act of God here at home.
Exhibit A: Clinton/Gore's chief of disaster response was the highly
respected, competent, professional, and effective James Lee Witt.
Bush/Cheney's version was "heckuva job" Brownie -- the inept and
ill-suited crony friend-of-a-friend from college. You be the judge.
Certainly,
critics will sneer -- it's easy for you to say. How can you possibly
know? Get real. Well, true enough. I can't know. None of us can. But if
you simply look at who's where this week as a metaphor, you might be
able to make a fair guess. Who's here at home, trying to lift America's
morale in an area of the country that's hurting, and who's too busy
hustling for campaign money from high-roller elites, or rubbing elbows
with VIPs in sumptuous overseas photo-ops? Symbolic, perhaps, of which
political figures give a damn more, and cares more about offering help
to people in need?
It was both
pleasing and painful to see Al Gore at work on the campaign stage
again, and not only gratifying but validating to see him endorse Barack
Obama. Good for Obama, and good for the rest of us. It's another man's
stage now. But Gore will always have a place on it. And if we're ever
to have a realistic chance, or hope, of pulling ourselves out of the
worst run of bad leadership and bad judgment in American history, all
of us are going to need for him to stick around there. I'll probably
never be blessed with the Gore presidency I've yearned for since 2000.
So I'll celebrate the next best thing.
***
Mary Lyon is a veteran broadcaster and five-time Golden Mike Award winner, who has anchored, reported, and written for the Associated Press Radio Network, NBC Radio "The Source," and many Los Angeles-area stations including KRTH-FM/AM, KLOS-FM, KFWB-AM, and KTLA-TV, and occasional media analyst for ABC Radio News. She began her career as a liberal activist with the Student Coalition for Humphrey/Muskie in 1968, and helped spearhead a regional campaign, The Power 18," to win the right to vote for 18-year-olds. She remains an advocate for liberal causes, responsibility and accountability in media, environmental education and support of the arts for children, and green living. In addition to World News Trust, Mary writes for Huffington Post, OpEdNews, Democrats.us, WeDemocrats.org's "We! The People" webzine. Mary is also a parenting expert, having written and llustrated the book "The Frazzled Working Woman's Practical Guide to Motherhood.