Al Gore’s DNC speech

It’s no surprise to me that Al Gore’s speech last night at the DNC is the one I liked best. I’ve been a fan of Al Gore since the late 80s when I heard him on an NPR interview talking about the environment. At the time I had never heard of him, in part because I had yet to develop an interest in politics but also because he was not well known outside of Tennessee. In that interview he struck me as very smart, knowledgeable and articulate. Granted it was radio and I couldn’t see him. I admit he doesn’t have the look, the charisma, of the typical successful politician. He’s not a Reagan, Clinton or an Obama. His intelligence isn’t covered up by folksy charm. But I like the idea of a president (or potential president) who is obviously very smart. To want anything else seems to me to be foolish. Al Gore has written some of his own speeches. How many candidates can make that claim? People complain constantly about politicians. The fault lays with the voter not the politicians. The voters after all are the ones who time and time again choose the candidate who gives a slick presentation. Form over substance. Handsome, charming and a smooth talker – that’s what apparently appeals to most people. Just look at high school politics. It’s usually the most popular kids who get elected. Popularity most often based on looks and social skills. This same inclination spills over into adulthood when we elect candidates to national office. I think in most cases the voters get who they deserve. If the voters of any democratic land could understand and remind themselves that running for public office and actually performing the duties of that same office require a different set of skills. Voters need to focus on the skill sets required of being in office rather than the skill sets required to successfully run for office. If they did so I believe we would have better leaders.


Al Gore's speech