The
Gore Doctrine
by Robert Yoho, Columnist and Senior Editor
"Eye on Conservatism"
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In
a speech before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, former vice president
Al Gore (right) launched the opening salvo in what will likely be his battle
for the presidency in 2004.
Gore’s speech was clearly a blatant attempt to shore up the liberal base of his party. He curried the favor of the doves in the Democratic Party by attacking the hawks of the GOP. He also reminded all of us of the many reasons he was not elected in 2000.
After hearing his speech, I am even more thankful that September 11th did not occur under a Gore administration. Not only would we have failed to forcefully respond to the attacks, our Commander-in-Chief would still be seeking to understand while we were so hated by our enemies. If Gore did choose to wage war on al-Qaeda, he could not have done so without first conducting an environmental impact study.
The former vice president may be a learned man, but you would never know it from listening to him speak. His speeches are given like a man merely reading words on paper — not as though they are sincere words coming from an impassioned heart. His was a triumph of indecisive incoherence. A person would also think that English is an unknown tongue to the man. Al Jr. speaks in stilted English like he is reading the words phonetically.
Gore also speculated that Bush was waging war on Iraq for strictly political reasons. He "bravely" prefaced those remarks with the words: "I have not raised those doubts, but many have."
The man who could recognize no "controlling legal authority" didn’t even have the courage to admit that he was accusing the president of using the military for strictly partisan purposes. Apparently he learned nothing from his amorous predecessor. Bill Clinton pointed his fingers at the camera and did not waver when he deliberately lied to the public. He did it with style.
The former vice president also criticized the president by saying that "the vast majority of those who sponsored, planned, and implemented" the attacks are "still at large." Well, wake up, Al! They’re DEAD! The conspirators killed themselves when their hijacked planes crashed. What is President Bush supposed to do about the 19 hijackers, who perished in their misguided, one-way trip to Allah?
As to the matter of Usama Bin Laden, President Bush more than lived up to his promise. He did not only bring the terrorist to justice; he brought justice to the terrorists. I think there is no question that Usama is dead. Moreover, I think the military and President Bush know that his remains have been shaked-and-baked by one our "bunker busters."
Dictators and terrorists have much in common. They cannot hold onto their power and position unless they remain in the public eye. The peasants and powerless will rebel unless their malefactors are clearly visible. The videos and audiotapes only give further proof that Usama is not alive; he’s Memorex.
Perhaps that is what brings the most venom from the former vice president. Since emerging victorious from a closely contested election, Bush has performed admirably! He has responded to terrorism; he has restored the public’s confidence in the office; he has reassured a stricken nation. Under Bush’s watch, America’s military made short work of Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan, a place where the "mighty" Soviet Army was embarrassingly defeated.
Gore’s speech was every bit as partisan as the baseless allegations made against the president. Moreover, the timing of Gore’s speech could not be worse for America. While Bush is seeking to win international support for regime change in Iraq, Gore’s inane rantings only serve to give aid and comfort to timid political chameleons like Germany’s Gerhard Schroeder.
Even the doves of Gore’s party think the former vice president is weak. Gore is a "Turtle" Dove. When action is called for, he foolishly stands in the middle of the road. He does not fight back. He slowly mulls over the problem, while the next speeding car comes barreling his way. Then he hides his head in a shell.
The speech only revealed more of a small man’s enlarged ego and his utter incompetence to lead a great nation. Gore’s foreign policy experience is best left to discarding the ballots of overseas military personnel. ***
© 2002 Robert Yoho
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.
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