There�s talk of Al Gore emerging as the kingmaker, or even compromise candidate at the Democratic Party convention. But if there is one person McCain would beat in November more easily than Hilary Clinton, its Al Gore.
Hands up if you wannabe Prez
If Gore wants to prove he’s a leader and not a loser; prove that he puts the environment and the success of the Democratic Party ahead of his own ego, then now is his last chance. Obama needs the endorsement now, not after he has won the popular vote.
Gore needs to fall in behind Barak Obama, and save his party and the country the wasted effort fighting each other insterad of fighting the real enemy – energy companies and their elected stooge, GWB.
And lets end this silly talk of an Obama-Gore ticket. Obama does not need to drag the carcass of nineties failure around the campaign trail.
Youth see through Gore
As one poster says in a recent discussion on Current.tv: “In light of Al Gore’s most recent book “An Assault on Reason” it seems that Barack Obama is fighting for everything that Al Gore wants to change. The Clintons are politics as usual.
” An endorsement from Al Gore would show the world that he is putting ACTION behind his words. Toni Morrison endorsed, so enough already about the nobel prize winners do not endorse.”
Obama is offering what Off-Grid believes are the best policies on the environment � he has pledged three times the budget for eco-issues than Clinton, and is clearly better informed and has the better eco-team.
The youth vote is largely behind the Barak campaign, and amongst younger voters, climate change becomes a more important issue, particularly among those born after the first Earth Day in 1970. Associated Press reports:
“Say hello to Generation Green. They’re young, well-researched and mad as heck – inspired by an outpouring of movies, TV shows, books, Web sites and “green classes” at school. They’ve been learning how to save the planet since toddlerhood, and they’re taking on their parents to do more, do better.”
Republicans fear Obama the most
Republican Presidential candidate John McCain was one of the first on Capitol Hill, and one of the few of his party, to acknowledge the reality of global warming and the need to act quickly. His position on the issue is one reason why hard-core conservatives have been suspicious of McCain.
As a result, Clinton and Obama had to present themselves as greener than the Arizona Republican.
On the eve of last week’s “Potomac primaries” in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Senator Obama aligned himself with former vice president Gore ‘s push to make the US take the lead on reducing greenhouse gases. The Washington Post reported Obama:
�� would start developing the U.S. position on a pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol before the general election in November…. ‘I think we need to start reaching out to other countries ahead of time, not because I’m presumptuous, but because there’s such a sense of urgency about this.’ ”
Democratic green policies
Both Obama and Clinton favor a “cap and trade” system that would issue oil companies, power plants, and other major big polluters permits to emit carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas.
As is usually the case, environmental groups lean Democratic rather than Republican. The League of Conservation Voters has yet to endorse a candidate, but spokesman David Sandretti says the proposals from Clinton and Obama are “very good.” The Baltimore Sun reports:
Obama is significantly greener than Clinton, and that�s important when you consider Republican leaders like former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman see climate change as an issue that could bolster key parts of their base while attracting independent voters.
Reuters reports:
“Economic conservatives see the technological solutions to climate change as a way to create more wealth and jobs, and many corporate leaders have pushed for a federal limit on carbon emissions to prevent a patchwork of state laws. Religious conservatives embrace cutting carbon emissions as an aspect of human stewardship of divine creation. National security conservatives argue that reducing dependence on foreign oil would cut off funding for anti-U.S. elements in the Middle East and elsewhere.”
When he was VP, Gore cynically abandoned the environmental movement. This is his chance to make good. Endorse Obama now!