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Like the soda claiming the status of the "un-cola", could the presidential campaign of 2008 be described by future historians as the "un-campaign"? As McCain and Romney duke it out, Giuliani slips in the polls, and the next tier batch of candidates languish in relative obscurity, the Republican field of presidential wannabees appears caught in some sort of mid-campaign doldrums, (though technically only still at the start line) with no real deviation in sight. Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich and Fred Thompson create excitement and speculation with their every move. Injecting their views and thoughts at every seemingly opportune moment… of THEIR choice, not according to the dictates of standard campaign tradition.
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Things aren’t quite as bleak on the Democratic side, as everyone assumes that they will be victorious on election day no matter who they nominate. While Edwards appears to be somewhat stale, earning no points for his call to politicize Memorial Day, Hillary and Obama don’t appear to be wearing thin on people as of yet to the extent of the GOP group. But still, out there, lurking, not in the shadows, but very much in the spotlight, is Al Gore…
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He’s a movie star. He has a new book out this week. He’s credible to both the far left as well as the more centrists that pine for a return of the Clinton years. And let’s not forget, every Gore voter in 2000 undoubtedly feels to this day "their guy" shoulda’ been the president. In his new book, AlGore unloads on President Bush. You tell me he doesn’t sound like a candidate for 2008. ABC News reports
Gore writes that since "Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack…then that means the president took us to war when he didn’t have to and that over 3,000 American service members have been killed…unnecessarily.".
When asked if that meant U.S. troops had died in vain, Gore said Monday that "those who serve our country are honored in memory" but that the issue is "there is hardly anybody left in America…who doesn’t believe that it was a terrible mistake to invade a country that didn’t attack us. But all of the evidence necessary to make that judgment before we invaded was available…We have been making a series of really important, really big mistakes, and the question is how can we reinvigorate the role of ‘We the People’ in American democracy so that we’re part of the conversation and so that those (in power)…are listening to reason, are looking at the facts and not brushing past them."
Much like Newt Gingrich, AlGore is sounding a theme of a "reinvigorated role" of people involved in a "conversation"- one that could at the drop of a dime be tranformed into an fairly powerful political force if constructed properly. The same story continues, noting AlGore
does not flatly state that Sept. 11 would not have occurred during a Gore administration. But, he writes, "Whenever power is unchecked and unaccountable, it almost inevitably leads to mistakes and abuses. In the absence of rigorous accountability, incompetence flourishes."
Translation: "Bush caused 9/11. Bush caused Katrina. Weapons of mass-destruction. Halliburton." Again, is this not the familiar refrain from almost every candidate seeking the Democratic nomination?