Gore: "Politics requires tolerance for triviality, artifice, nonsense I have found in short supply."

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: The Trivial Pursuit
By BOB HERBERT
Published: October 13, 2007

Yesterday began with the gratifying news that Al Gore, derided by George H.W. Bush as the “Ozone Man,” had won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The first thing media types wanted to know was whether this would prompt Mr. Gore to elbow his way into the presidential campaign....Mr. Gore, who won an Academy Award for his documentary on global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth,” and an Emmy for his cable TV network, Current, knows better than anyone else how toxic and downright idiotic presidential politics has become.

He may be one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, talented men in America and remarkably well-equipped to lead the nation, but it’s Mr. Bush’s less-than-curious, less-than-distinguished son, George W., who is president....Mr. Gore was taken to task for his taste in clothing and for such grievous offenses as sighing or, allegedly, rolling his eyes. It was a given that at a barbecue everyone would rush to be with his opponent.

We’ve paid a heavy price. The president who got such high marks as a barbecue companion doesn’t seem to know up from down. He’s hurled the nation into a ruinous war that has cost countless lives and spawned a whole new generation of terrorists. He continues to sit idly by as a historic American city, New Orleans, remains wounded and on its knees. He’s blithely steered the nation into a bottomless pit of debt....Mr. Gore actually polled the most votes in 2000, but he was criticized for not having whipped Mr. Bush decisively enough to have avoided the madness in Florida.

Mr. Gore knows the system is in trouble, and not just because of the way he lost in 2000. The last time I spoke to him, a few months ago, he said: “Having served in the White House with the Gingrich Congress, and having watched the best of intentions so often turned into small changes ballyhooed as revolutionary, sometimes having no lasting mark, I really do believe that fixing the dynamic of democracy is an urgent task.”...

***

Al Gore is a serious man confronted by a political system that is not open to a serious exploration of important, complex issues. He knows it.

“What politics has become,” he said, with a laugh and a tinge of regret, “requires a level of tolerance for triviality and artifice and nonsense that I have found in short supply.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/13/opinion/13herbert.html?hp

[Adelante]

1. Ain't that the truth

“What politics has become,” he said, with a laugh and a tinge of regret, “requires a level of tolerance for triviality and artifice and nonsense that I have found in short supply.”

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Such eloquence.

And, thanks to the idiocy of Rush and friends, FOX and friends, our own glazed eyed populace right along with a shameless SOTUS,
we have a president who is unable to speak publicly without a phonetically written script in front of him. And he still can't articulate the most simple of ideas.

We were so robbed. :cry: MKJ

[NC_Nurse]

3. He is SO right on.

Sad that politics has come to this. Maybe it always was...:-(

[Inuca]

4. Great and incredibly painful quote n/t

[jefferson_dem]

5. Gore is so right. And it sounds familiar - -

The End Of Small Politics
Sen. Barack Obama
June 16, 2006

Barack Obama is a U.S. senator from Illinois. These remarks are excerpted from a speech Obama delivered at the Take Back America conference on June 14, 2006. Click here to watch a video of the speech.

...

And the question is understandable and it bears on today because even those of us who are involved, even those of us who are active in the political process and in civic life, there are times where all of us feel discouraged sometimes, where we get cynical about the prospects for politics because it seems as if sometimes that politics is treated as a business and not a mission, and that power is always trumping principle, and that we have leaders that are sometimes long on rhetoric but short on substance, and so we get discouraged. And every two years or fours years maybe we do our bit and we knock on doors or pass our literature, or we go into the polling place and hold our noses and vote for the lesser of two evils, but we don’t feel in our gut sometimes that politics and government is going to improve our lives. At most we hope it does us no harm.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/06/16/the_end_of_small_politics.php

[shireen]

6. but how do we change the system to make politics an honorable profession?

We all agree with Al. But what can we do to change the ridiculously petty shallow political mindset that's become so entrenched across the country? Politics isn't just fun and games. They're messing with peoples' lives.

I don't know where to start or what to do, it's overwhelming.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. If I had a magic wand, I would start with instilling a sense of responsibility into the media...

that covers politics.

[Febble]

19. If I had a magic wand

I'd poke it through 538 punchcards in Florida.

[robinlynne]

11. we start by protecting elections. number one.

It has to be the first thing to do. This will automatically fix many other things. With no election fraud, Bush would never have even entered the white house. All the battles would still be raging, but in a different way.

There is no way to fix anything else while election fraud is prevalent.

[johnaries]

12. AGREED! We have to protect our votes, first.

No matter what we do, it won't matter if our votes do not count.
Then, I would tackle campaign financing next, but you are right. We must get rid of Black Box voting and election fraud by voter disenfranchisement.

[FREEWILL56]

14. #2 would be to get the jokers out of our gonernment.

[xxqqqzme]

26. that won't happen until corporate $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

is eliminated from campaign coffers.


'...Al Gore, derided by George H.W. Bush as the “Ozone Man,”...' That tells you everything you need to know about *.

[loudsue]

15. A big AMEN to that! Put the vote back into the hands of the PEOPLE

NOT the corporations and their scuzzy little pre-programmed, hackable voting machines!!!

THEN we can vote in some candidates who can get the media back on track.

Without a vote, and without a free press, we HAVE NO DEMOCRACY, and never will.

:kick::kick::kick:

[BootinUp]

16. People need to vote for better leaders

and get their news from more reputable sources. I don't know any other way.

[rtassi]

25. One Heart and Mind at a time

starting with ourselves by not being complicit in triviality, artifice, and nonsense!

[Homer Wells]

27. In the long term

I would have to say allow educators to EDUCATE our children to think for themselves, rather than be force-fed the conservative line. A well-educated, thoughtful populace is necessary for a free society.

What the Neocons would like is for their Religionists to "educate" (read indoctrinate) the young into unquestioning belief and commitment to their agenda. This is disquietingly similar to what is done in the more fundamentalist Islamic societies.

:eyes:

[TwilightGardener]

8. The first couple paragraphs--sweet poetic justice. Rock on, Bob Herbert!

[DeepModem Mom]

9. p.m. kick

[marlakay]

10. I want it back!!!

I am old enough to remember when you looked up to our leaders right or left...I want it back!!

We can't let Gore and all the good ones get away...

My husband has a saying "the criminals run this country" he has said that for years because the people who should be in jail never seem to get there and because of all the people who make millions on writing books on their crimes.

I want to feel good about being an american again. I want to feel pride when I listen to my president on tv. Now I turn it off the second I see he is on.

I think one thing Gore needs to know is that being a phony is not something every american wants to see in politicians. Its what we have come to expect to see, like used car salespeople. We all know Gore isn't like that, and I would say thats one good reason a lot voted for him. You know what you are getting. My god, a real human being. I am sick of phony bull crap..

Sick of Britney, Paris, and all the other things they talk about so not to talk about real things like the war or global warming.

Heck did you notice that Conoco Phillips is putting on the global warming show CNN is doing? what does that say?? It says to me this country is sick and needs to change.

[Usrename]

13. How dare you post this stuff here at DU.

Don't ya know that all this doom and gloom is just a bunch of hystrionics?

Don't ya know that our heroic party leaders will save us all from the evil Republicans?

No worries, just as long as Hillary gets the nod in the primaries, everything will be fine.

And Bush/Cheney, much better that they never face any justice for their crimes either. It'll all be fine.

[Guaranteed]

17. Then CHANGE the system. BE the candidate that should be running. nt

[TahitiNut]

18. So, who has "tolerance for triviality and artifice"??

Is that why folks favor Hillary? There's not much question that Dumbya qualifies.

[stlsaxman]

20. MY level of tolerance for triviality, artifice and nonsense is NONEXISTENT!

I can tolerate it no longer. "We The People" can no longer survive like this.

American democracy is at a tipping point. Maybe we've passed it, hopefully it is recoverable. All I know is none of the current candidates are addressing the issues that matter with the same force, understanding and clarity that I see/hear coming from Al Gore.

Yes- the Earths climate is at a tipping point. Gore has made major strides toward changing millions of individuals awareness and lifestyles. This work is underway. Change is happening on a personal level all over the world. Despite resistance, derision and outright mocking of environmental consciousness from the corporate media, people have changed and more are changing still.

Al Gore is solely responsible for this. To a person, everyone acknowledges it.

Gore must be aware that he can lead in much the same way to solving the democracy crisis. With his book "The Assault On Reason" he has spelled out in detail the dangers We The People face today and given us solutions. TAOR ends with hope and a clarion call to the reader to work toward restoring our blessed democracy.

With this book and through his speaking engagements Gore IS making strides toward changing individuals awareness of what we have long suspected- "that something has gone terribly wrong". And again- this work is underway. Awareness is happening on a personal level all over America. Despite resistance, derision and outright mocking of Gore from the corporate media, people are waking up and more are waking daily. But awakening to what- looking over an abyss?

Just as the Earth needed an individual to take the reins and steer it away from the brink, America needs a leader who will stand for The Constitution and redeem our once great nation in the eyes of the world. Looking at the current list of declared democrats, I fail to see one that fits this description.

Certainly, the Democratic Party will win the presidency in 2008... but will We The People?

(edited to add graphics)

[Tellurian]

21. If you pose the question: "Will you make a run for the presidency, Mr. Gore?"

before his response.

You have his answer.

[LWolf]

22. That same level of tolerance

is necessary for voters, and for citizens, and for party members, as well.

Gore can choose to stay out of office, and thus out of the mess. The voters with a low level of tolerance for the triviality, artifice, and nonsense either bite their tongues until they bleed and go along with the pack, or they don't vote at all, or drift off to 3rd parties or independent status.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. God, I love that man.

[Broadslidin]

24. * a Barbecue Companion? Please, Someone, Pour A Beer Down his Pants...!

:yoiks:

Looking for the Perfect Radio Programme
and Music to Barbecue By....

Henry Ayrton from Humberside, England is Beyond Cool...!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/noscript.shtml?/radio/aod/humberside_aod.shtml?humberside/ayrton_swing

Save the Last Dance for me.