Time Inc., NEWSWEEK, Pravda, AKA, the New York Times and WaPo, are all part of a dying breed of northeast media elites, standing helplessly by watching their power and influence evaporate, as more people turn to the "internets" for their news and information.
Posted by Christopher at May 21, 2007 08:08 AMThey also published an excerpt from Gore's book, which, by golly, will be for sale starting tomorrow! Nothing new there, but worth being beaten one more time.
The book excerpt is worth reading, though, especially because it broadly outlines the crucifixion Gore puts on the popular media in terms of his character and on the environment. Apparently, admitting that your company is a media whore for sale to the biggest dollar rather than biggest news is the New Black for Time. Who says there's no honesty in journalism any more?
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 21, 2007 08:27 AMI would like Al Gore to run 2008, but I too wonder who would want to give the M$M another opportunity to impugn one's very nature. I also believe Al has more experience, patriotism and care for "we the people" in part BECAUSE of all that bullshit he went through. If his only reason to avoid running (not that I would blame him at all, that's fersher) is to avoid the righty werlitzer and crooked election, I wonder what hope the great U.S. of A. has to get anyone of strength and integrity to be the prez.
Posted by Sharon at May 21, 2007 08:29 AMI also think if Al ran and we netrooters splashed all sorts of ads on the "internets", the irony would be beautiful. "He may not have invented the internet, but the man knows how to optimize it."
Posted by Sharon at May 21, 2007 08:33 AM"....and he'll even keep those greedy corporate fingertips off it if you vote for him..."
Posted by Sharon at May 21, 2007 08:34 AMAw, crap.
What I'd give for an IP locator, a tube sock, and some duct tape.
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 21, 2007 09:05 AMWhat I'd give for an IP locator, a tube sock, and some duct tape.
Is the problem fixation or retardation, do you think? It's certainly pathetic, and I appreciate our blog hosts who are being dilligent and deleting the SPAM.
Posted by ann at May 21, 2007 09:30 AMThank you, mystery editor!
I'm becoming more convinced that not only is Gore done with running for President, I don't even think he'd accept the Energy or EPA cabinet seats in a Democratic administration. He's supremely qualified for it, but I think he's found a calling that is better suited and less morally antagonistic to himself.
He has become his own lobbyist on climate change - not only to politicians, but also to the entire country. That's a powerful thing. He's out winning over audiences one lecture at a time on the necessity for fighting climate change.
At one point after 2004, John Edwards was doing some of the same things with poverty awareness with the Center for Poverty, Work and opportunity at UNC. He's rolled that into his current campaign, but the moral imperatives Edwards cited are blunted by the campaign itself. Bono can meet with GWB and Newt Gingrich to discuss debt relief and forgiveness, but John Edwards can't do the same. Al Gore could likely work to build consensus with politicians of all parties - in time.
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 21, 2007 09:32 AMGore's new book would appear to be a pre-emptive strike against just such "journalism". If he runs, I think he would NOT waste any time bowing and scraping to our media jackals. He would be relying on people like us to help spread his message right over the heads of those bastards. I don't know that it would succeed, but I think that kind of campaign needs to be tried.
For me the key is, if Gore really wants to prevent the destruction of our planet, does he have any choice but to run? From what position could he hope to accomplish more to stop global warming, pre-emptive wars (which Hillary doesn't seem to mind too much), and the general decline of our nation, than as President of the United States and Leader of the Free World (a title ceded by Bush that it will take someone of Gore's stature to restore).
Posted by Jim in Chicago at May 21, 2007 09:35 AMidiosynchronic,
We (i.e. the planet) don't have that kind of time, and Gore knows it.
Posted by Jim in Chicago at May 21, 2007 09:36 AMJim,
if Gore really wants to prevent the destruction of our planet, does he have any choice but to run?
I would reverse this, IMO. Does he have any choice but to not run? Especially is time is as scant as we think it is to reverse the damage?
The position of president has political baggage of other priorities and necessary other interests other than climate change or the environment. And political forces in the country know it - there would be a full-court press to change the topic from global warming back to terrorism and national security or another hot-button issue from the day the Gore is elected. Even if you take the reasonable stance that climate change constitutes a threat to national security - perhaps the greatest threat - American citizens are prone to being misled by the media and the corporate interests who want to ignore climate.
What Gore is doing is building a grassroots network, not only by every audience he's in front of, but he's also training other people to do the same talk to other audiences. He's transcending bipartisan to nonpartisan.
If he starts running for a partisan political office, it's all out the window or grossly less effective. It's no longer about forcing politicians through grassroots efforts to take steps to limit or end climate change, but it's now about getting elected and staying elected for a second term.
The last American leader to really pull off such a great change in the course of government was FDR - and he had the Great Depression, a far more alarming and insistent crisis for most people. Despite the alarming observations we have about the climate, most of us do not go through the day worrying about the next cat5 hurricane or hypercell thunderstorm that spawns F4 twisters like we would constantly think about where the night's dinner was going come from.
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 21, 2007 10:41 AMHere's an IP locator.
http://www.webyield.net/domainquery.html#resolve
Posted by Christopher at May 21, 2007 12:03 PMthink progress has up the interview with Dianne Sawyer and her typical msm nettering.
the ending is great. Gore tells her to think about her questions and how she is doing what journalists now do.
How shallow they all have become when you think of giants like Murrow and Cronkite and then look at the gop stenographers and entertainment obsessed fanzine style of reporting these days.
it is so sad to see how the mighty press has fallen and by it's own ego and greed.
Why doesn't Al Gore go on a diet? No matter his accomplishments, he's still a fat old rich boy, hypocritical til the end, like fat old Clinton and fat head Bush. These fat asses are all in the same cabal, let's not forget. Also, let's not forget he's married to God, Tipper, who is ALL FOR CENSORSHIP in teen music, which means Al and Tipper are un-American to the umpteenth.
Kinda like LC these days, with your censorship of trolls.
Posted by Mal Feasance at May 22, 2007 05:24 AMwith your censorship of trolls.
It's called comment moderation, Mal, and if you don't like it, you're free to find a blog that allows abusive, disruptive people to hijack the threads until all the sane people leave. Steve gives trolls a lot of leeway here, as you well know. Commenting is a privilege, not a right. Try going to any right wing site that actually allows comments and watch how quickly your childish "he's fat" comments about a Republican are deleted. It'd make your head spin, I'm sure.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2007 07:28 AMPiss off IAMCOYOTE!
Love you anyway.
Love ya, too, darlin' - and believe me, I totally understand the frustration! It's a frikkin' world gone mad.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2007 01:35 PM