I love Al Gore. I really, really do. I always have. Since long before it was cool. Reading both his speech from Monday and StealthBadger's excellent report gave me the total happy giggles. But I'm a wonk, an egghead, an intellectual. So is Gore. We grok.
But as I was enjoying the speech for myself the practical side of my brain knew that it wouldn't appeal to the "average American." I mean, I keep the Word of the Day on my blog so that I can scroll down to it and reassure myself that I almost always know it, and he used some words that I had to look up. They were, of course, perfectly accurate in their meaning down to the most precise shading and historical usage. But my joy in such a thing (a leader whose intelligence and accuracy are great enough for me to admire) was probably rare. I was reminded of a famous exchange during Adlai Stevenson's run for President. During his 1956 presidential campaign, a woman called out to Mr. Stevenson "Senator, you have the vote of every thinking person!" Stevenson called back "That's not enough, madam, we need a majority!"
So while appreciating Gore's MLK Day speech for myself I was also reminded that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a communication genius whose "I Have a Dream" speech has echoed in the soul of America for over thirty years. Mr. Gore, wonderful impassioned wonk that he is, has informed us. Now can he make us dream?
Moving over the HaloScan comments
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So what does the average American care about?
Or is that, as I suspect, too horrible to comprehend?
"O" | Homepage | 01.17.06 - 11:35 pm | #
Gravatar From what I can tell, the average American wants something that "moves" them, makes sense to them, doesn't make them feel stupid (even if it makes them look stupid), and satisfies their need to believe they are "doing the right thing." That's what I've seen. Satisfy those needs and they turn into putty in Karl Rove's hands.
Anybody else have any ideas?
CmdrSue | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 12:42 am | #
I doubt that there are many self-proclaimed conservatives that don't understand the ramifications of Bush's policies or the accuracy of Gore's speech, you'd think it be refreshing to have someone who speaks like a NORMAL, INTELLIGENT human being.
Or we can just have this (quoted from the Daily Show via Cheers 'n' Jeers on Kos).
Bush: Our job is to form a common consensus. And so...this is what we call diplomacy.
Stewart: Now, before you think President Bush is being condescending, he was responding to a question from Johnny Stupid of Dumbfuck Monthly.
---The Daily Show
nevsky42 | 01.18.06 - 12:32 pm | #
Gravatar Some conservatives understand the ramifications of Bush's policies (and think that everything is working in their favor - deluded people), but the majority of people I know who support him really don't understand what is going on. They are True Believers and very, very scary to me. They think they are doing the right thing.
On the good side one Republicans I know totally realized that people were drinking Kool-aid and is the most active person I know in writing his Congressmen to protest the administration's policies.
CmdrSue | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 12:54 pm | #
Gravatar Much thanks for the link, btw! ^.^
StealthBadger | Homepage | 01.18.06 - 10:44 pm | #
Gravatar Some conservatives understand the ramifications of Bush's policies (and think that everything is working in their favor - deluded people), but the majority of people I know who support him really don't understand what is going on.
Fine, but don't call them conservatives. Conservatives ostensibly believe in a limited government, fiscal responsibility, and strong national security.
Call them what they are, cheerleaders, sycophants, toadies...
nevsky42 | Homepage | 01.19.06 - 7:39 am | #
Gravatar That's a good point. I like sycophant, " A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people." That seems to capture the essence of the issue.
As I pointed out in an old post called Dirty Words, if you look at the actual definitions of liberal and conservative then I'm a conservative liberal.
CmdrSue | Homepage | 01.19.06 - 10:16 am | #