Showing posts with label Al Gore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Gore. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Being Al Gore
Al Gore is indeed admirable. This I've always known. But after recently reading Donna Brazile's book, Cooking with Grease (Tipper Gore comes across there as incredibly intuitive and caring too.), reading his wisdom on climate change, contributing to students as a professor at Fisk University, and just listening to him on GPS with Fareed Zakaria, I am increasingly more appreciative of him. There is an intelligence, kindness, and committment to his country and the world that cannot be denied. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Being a Political Strategist
Sometimes we do not make the best choices for when the rubber meets the road or when we feel the pressure of doing certain things in order to win. You know the saying, "everything is fair in love and war." It seems as if the same can be said of politics. Karl Rove, considered the chief strategist of dirty politics in our time, will probably be forever linked to such campaigns. But he showed a softer side in relations to Donna Brazile that is worth noticing.
Many of the electorate despise Mr. Rove and his operatives for the dirty political campagins they have run. One thought of the Swift Boat and the Harold Ford Jr. ads sends many into a bit of a rage. I must admit to not having the friendliest or fondest feelings toward him either after the 2000 and 2004 elections. Yet, we see another side of him in Donna Brazile's book, Cooking with Grease, that has caused me to think about the importance of not passing judgment and retaining bitterness.
"How do you go back to being a normal, functioning human being after something like the 2000 election?" writes Donna Brazile. "I thought I'd died politically. No one wanted Gore people around. I thought, 'Why have I given my entire life to this?' and was bitter, bitter, bitter. When I was being kicked to the curb, you know who it was who called me? It was Karl Rove. He'd say, 'Donna, you doing O.K.?'"
Who would have thought? But I wonder if he has asked for forgiveness of those whom he has smeared through his political campaigns. By the way, I do not think that everything is fair in love and war--politics either. We have to answer for our actions and there are consequences too. There is also grace.
Many of the electorate despise Mr. Rove and his operatives for the dirty political campagins they have run. One thought of the Swift Boat and the Harold Ford Jr. ads sends many into a bit of a rage. I must admit to not having the friendliest or fondest feelings toward him either after the 2000 and 2004 elections. Yet, we see another side of him in Donna Brazile's book, Cooking with Grease, that has caused me to think about the importance of not passing judgment and retaining bitterness.
"How do you go back to being a normal, functioning human being after something like the 2000 election?" writes Donna Brazile. "I thought I'd died politically. No one wanted Gore people around. I thought, 'Why have I given my entire life to this?' and was bitter, bitter, bitter. When I was being kicked to the curb, you know who it was who called me? It was Karl Rove. He'd say, 'Donna, you doing O.K.?'"
Who would have thought? But I wonder if he has asked for forgiveness of those whom he has smeared through his political campaigns. By the way, I do not think that everything is fair in love and war--politics either. We have to answer for our actions and there are consequences too. There is also grace.
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