General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat did Al Gore do when an anonymous source sent him materials from inside the Bush campaign?
He *immediately* turned those materials over to the FBI.
Link to tweet
Twitter Text:
Judd Legum
@JuddLegum
Just a reminder that someone stole George W. Bush's debate prep book (and videotapes!) and sent it to the Gore campaign and they immediately turned all the materials over to the FBI
unblock
(51,974 posts)cab67
(2,963 posts)I almost agree. Gore did the honorable thing, but I sometimes wonder if we'd be better off had he been a little less courteous.
Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)unblock
(51,974 posts)Keep in mind that there was every reason to think it was a trap.
cab67
(2,963 posts)This wasn't very long after the impeachment of Clinton. Republicans ended up in much worse shape after that. They'd have found other ways to impede him, like they did with Obama.
unblock
(51,974 posts)It was a trap. Had he not promptly returned it, the shrub campaign would have reported it stolen. Ultimately, gore would have had a scandal on his hands shortly before the election.
It wasn't worth it for the limited benefit of debate notes.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)a few pictures of goats or something.
JHB
(37,132 posts)In 1980 someone with White House access (could have been any number of people giving briefings, or maybe a Linda Tripp-esque WH staffer) scooped up a copy that had been within their reach and gave it to the Reagan campaign.
Conservative pundit George Will was the stand-in for Carter in the debate practice sessions, so he knew and was completely cool with it.
Knowing what points Carter would bring up and what his lines of argument and counter argument would be certainly made it easier to feet up Reagan's "There you go again" zinger.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)no_hypocrisy
(45,774 posts)Gore and/or staff didn't make copies.
They recognized the materials were radioactive and got rid of them immediately.
They told the world what happened even if it elicited doubt.
NewJeffCT
(56,827 posts)I remember the media making a big deal out of Gore sighing over Bush's lack of knowledge on many issues. That would have happened with or without the debate material.
spanone
(135,636 posts)Out for themselves ONLY.
jaxind
(1,074 posts)After Trump Jr gets invited by Russians to a meeting about dirt on Hillary, why in heavens would he contact the FBI if he and his dad are in on the whole conspiracy to work with the Russians for Trump to get elected??! I truly believe that Trump et al and the Russian government were all in on this together!
karin_sj
(805 posts)It makes me really sad to think of how different our country (and the world) would be if the presidency wasn't stolen from him.
Modern republicans have been installing marionettes since Reagan. And using increasingly undemocratic means.
calimary
(80,700 posts)whose Thanksgiving dinner tables would still be fully seated. Instead, every single one of those families faces an empty chair. Forever.
War dead from the Iraq War that NEVER would have happened.
One of the last things the Clinton administration did for bush/cheney was to advise them about how critical an issue terrorism was going to be. And they turned up their noses at those urgings. Because - eeuwww! Democrats! Theyre the OUTGOING. Who needs to listen to THEM anymore? And besides, Sore Loserman. Sucks to be them. Or as cheney himself had the gall to say, the adults are back in charge.
And those adults left wreckage, ruin, sky-high unemployment, a devastating recession, an increase in poverty, screwed-over workers, war crimes, and a destabilized Middle East behind as they were walking out the door (unpunished and NEVER having been held to account for the damage they did).
UTUSN
(70,497 posts)C Moon
(12,188 posts)But yeah, Bush /Cheney would have eaten it raw.
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)The stolen election I will never forget, nor forgive.
keepleft101
(82 posts)we could get Al Gore to run in 2020?
I would love to see him get elected.
keepleft101
(82 posts)sign if you want to
https://www.change.org/p/al-gore-run-for-president-in-2020