The poll is still open. Please consider putting Kucinich in front.

http://democracyforamerica.com/pulsepoll

Gore/Kucinich or Gore/Nader. One or the other would make a great Attorney General, Sec'y of State, EPA Director or Director of Dept. of Peace.

Gore is playing his cards well this time. The sooner he jumps in, the sooner the beast will attack him. By waiting until the last minute, his chances improve.

Gore will be the nominee.
I've heard that Nov. 2 is the filing deadline for New Hampshire. We may see an announcement in the next couple of days.

Delete Mr. "I-Ain't-Running" and look who is the "Front-Runner"!

The last sentence is quite interesting. How many of those who "wrote in" Gore would turn to a REAL Progressive candidate in Kucinich?

The 66% "back door out of ANY endorsement" is TRULY bullshit! What? They wouldn't endorse Dennis K. (A TRUE PROGRESSIVE) compared to ANY of the others on this list) if he had a WIDE lead no matter the percentage?!

This whole election thing is a fucking farce, even from the P.D.A.

The MSM is working hard for Hillary. It's hard to separate journalism from PR work when you get down to it. Wealthy backers toss money at candidates, they toss money at the MSM, and the MSM is all too happy to take it -- and more like it.

When it comes to money and the MSM, it's a Hillary/Obama ticket. America will get a face-lift, the outward appearance of new trimmings on the same old cake. But probably the same old policy.

If we could strip the MSM out of the picture, it's probably a Nader/Kucinich ticket.

The job description/responsibilities of a president are way different than that of an environmentalist.

One uses a military for instance.....
And the funding(read loyalties)lie in different beds.

Funny, I thought Al Gore already did run for president. Oh yeah, It was that Nader fella that lost the election for him - Damn that guy!

Look, I'm glad that Gore has spoken out on Global Warming and the documentary has been an important vehicle to move discussion forward - what will result from that discussion is still too early to tell. But, progressive - Hardly - Be careful what you wish for... Gore served second fiddle in a presidency that did little for progressives, he talked the talk of an environmentalist, but accomplishments during the Clinton years were less than inspiring and I don't recall a whole lot of conversation in the White House at that time about global warming - (it's not as though he recently invented it).

Gore, unless he's since changed his spots was also complicit in NAFTA, setting the table for "homeland security" and no enemy of militarism, not to mention he took a virtual slam dunk in 2000 and managed to run such an inept campaign he lost to a trained chimp. (Oh, wait it was Nader that lost the election for him - I nearly forgot again - damn my memory!).

No, Al Gore is in a good place right now and should stay there. He is doing important work and the auctions aren't that important any more. If he wants a new challenge let him overturn corporate "personhood". I don't recall him being overly committed to election reforms as long as it suited his campaign.

GORE/KUCINICH

Interesting the tactical brushing off of the fact that KUCINICH obliterated Obama and decimated Hillary, and is steadily creeping up on Gore's percentage as well.
Why is nobody talking about THIS?

VOTE KUCINICH

Gore is not running.
Last time he ran he wouldn't even fight a stolen election he won.
We need to support Kucinich -- the obvious front runner in that poll and when the Dims ingnore us and choose who they want, we need to support an alternative.

Not all states even allow write-ins for president. If there is no alternative candidate and the Dims is negligibly better than the repug -- a mass casting of blank ballots might be a more appropriate protest.

"If voting changed anything, they would make it illegal"
-Emma Goldman

Lessee.....
If Hillary became president, we would then have had either a Bush or a Clinton in the white house since the Reagan administration.

If Gore became president, we would then have had either a Bush or a Clinton in the white house since the Reagan administration.

Thirty years of incestuous administration. Business as usual....

I think Gore benefits in polls because a lot of people see that progressives are Not coalescing around Kucinich (or anyone else) and they really, really want to stop Hillary Clinton. Gore holds out that hope.

I agree with those who have said that Gore is not a real progressive. check this out from a recent Nation http://www.thenation.com/docprem.mhtml?i=20071105&s=cockburn

Vote Kucinich, spread the word about Kucinich, don't let the MSM fool us.

GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS GO DENNIS

http://www.dennis4president.com

It is highly unlikely that anyone with positions consistent with those of progressives, or even consistent with the majority opinion of US citizens, could ever get elected US president, unless it is in the midst of, or in the wake of, some great transformational crisis. The corporate media labels anyone "out of the mainstream" and "unelectable" who does not submit to the interests of the Business Roundtable, the Chamber of Commerce, AIPAC, and other similar business and pro-Likud groups. Candidates like Kucinich who are the closest on the issues to the American people are immediately dismissed by the corporate media and would be attacked relentlessly and viciously if they ever gained any traction.

My only interest in the political process is to try to lower the probability of electing a president who will institute a police state or start WWIII. And the odds against those are not looking too good these days.

I join with those who question why it is with Kuchinich so close to Gore and ahead of the "alleged top tier" that the headline reads as it does. What is it about Dennis that so many so called progressives cannot get behind with all their hearts and souls? Please spare me the arguments that he should be running as an independent. We bitch and moan about how the Dems abuse us, refuse to listen and then a Dem candidate represents our stand on several top issues, and we whine that he can't win, he's too short, he's too weird...blah blah blah! Give me a friggin break!!!!! I think people who say those things will never be satisfied. The first time I heard DK on a local public radio talk show over four years ago, I thought, " Oh my God! There is someone out there who represents my views." And I got excited. Why do all of you who say he can't win bash the MSM for all their annointing and collusion with the powers that be, and then by the same token, accept their pronouncements that DK cannot possibly win. I have managed to follow a few of the debates and lord know, he stands head and shoulders above the rest when he is given his pitifully few chances to speak. He playing in a rigged game and still manges to score everytime he gets the ball. And he wins many after-debate polls which the MSM never sees fit to report it they can help it. WAKE UP! DK represents a real threat to business as usual and we need to say to those who would marginalize him, " We don't care what you say!" Of course this will rerquire that all of us get off our asses and start doing some serious grass roots campaigning for Dennis. Watch the movie, Can Mr Smith Get to Washington Anymore? and then tell me it's impossible to get a DK elected. People are starving for exactly his kind of courage and leadership. Stop being such damned defeatists!!! Or would you just rather bitch about how things are???

I don't understand how people are still talking about voting.Did voting work in the last two elections? Kinda makes a peoson wonder when it really has.

The president of the united states job responisibility is to corporations not people.

Are there really people out there that have hope that if only one good person got "elected" then that ONE person will save the world or something? Jeeze. Our society is based on continual growth. Capitalism can only succeed on continuous growth. We are eating our life support system under the guise of "growth" or "progress". It's killing the planet. And you wanna vote fer someone? Fooksake!

Take the blinders off...this ain't the 50's anymore.

Hope is the action killer.

Starofthe sea: AMEN!

starofthesea,

Did you follow the campaigns of 2000 and 2004? Did you notice that the corporate media uncritically repeated Republican talking points about Gore, based on total fiction (e.g. that he claimed to have "invented the Internet"), thousands upon thousands of times, and completely ignored important and relevant stories about Bush's lies (David Corn wrote a book about "The Lies of George Bush" that documents hundreds of obvious lies he told during the campaign which the corporate media preferred not to mention)? And in 2004, the corporate media repeated the specious claims of the Swiftboaters thousands of times, and pounced on Dan Rather for trying to bring to light damning evidence regarding Bush's Guard shenanigans? Though Gore and Kerry were anywhere from 80-90 percent on the oligarchy's team, the corporate media and the rest of the oligarchy found it necessary to defeat them for the 100 percent compliant Bush.

Now what do you think the corporate media and the rest of the oligarchy would do about a serious bid by Kucinich? I would say he would be lucky to escape with his life. At the least, the right wing noise machine would make innumerable spurious claims, out of whole cloth, and the corporate media would run with those that gained any traction, without a fact-check in sight (Kucinich would be lucky to get a mea culpa for sloppy work from anyone in corporate media after he lost the election).

The people are not ready to riot in the streets, and, until then, there is no way the oligarchy will allow a people's president to gain power. It is all about responding to pressure, and the corporate oligarchy can bring it, and the common people cannot, or at least not yet.

Like everyone else, the clear front runner is Dennis Kucinich. Gore has obviously had it with being dragged through the coals by the mainstream media and the Repugnican hate machine. I don't get why a whole lot more isn't being made of Kucinich's victories.If Progressive media doesn't start supporting Kucinich and stop longing for Anyone But Kucinich, we're gonna wind up with frigging Dick-in-Mitt Romney. Gore ain't running.Dennis Kucinich is. Vote For Him!!!!

zuzumamu,

Sure, if elected, Kucinich would provide the lowest probability of WWIII or a police state. However, that is one gigantic "if." If all the progressives jump on board the Kucinich bandwagon, maybe he will go from two percent to three percent. And, as I stated, if he ever makes 20 percent, the sky would fall on him.

But I agree with you about the presidency. The US government as designed was a good first shot in 1787, but looks terribly inefficient and flawed in 2007.

Kivals, Dennis Kucinich IS making a serious run for the presidency. You say all you're interested in is lowering the possibility of a police state or WWIII,WWIV, etc. Then Kucinich is your man. It's just a matter of YOU getting serious about his run for the presidency. Frankly I can't wait until we get over the king stuff, and just have a congress period. The presidency is just a left over primitive reflex, like God.

With appologies to Hannah-Barbarra and Magilla Gorilla I present:

Al Gorilla the Non-Candidate for Sale!

We've got Al Gorilla for sale
Al Gorilla, the non-candidate for sale.
Won't you buy him,
Take him home and try him,
Al Gorilla for sale.

Don't you want an Al Gorilla you can call your own,
Al Gorilla who'll be with ya when you're all alone?

Spoken: How much is that Al Gorilla in the window?

Take our advice,
At any price,
Al Gorilla as a non-candidate is mighty nice.
Al Gorilla, a non-candidate for sale.

Testing. Testing. Check. One two.

Is this thing on?

How's the volume?

Can you hear this?

Is there anybody out there?

If voting changed anything, they would make it illegal.

Or is that something nobody wants to hear?

I'll bet ya a Brazillion dollars that the next post will be all about who the best choice for the job is.....

Kivals,I think if all the progressives got behind Kucinich, the Independents would too, and maybe the dawdling brain dead 15% of republicans that actually vote, would finally hear of him and what he's talking about and we'd have an actual possibility of Change. One of the great lies of the Republican run media, is that 50% of the voters are Dems, or nowadays DIMS as Jaded Prole amusingly called them, and 50% are Pugs..it just ain't so. Republicans don't vote. That's why they need to cheat to win. They've been taught not to vote. What we need to overcome is the DIMS! The slavish Clinton supporters, who now think MOMMY is going to make everything alright. If progressives get the vote out, and support Kucinich, hell, maybe we'll win the World Series. I say we give it one more try. After that,screw it...back to de islands.

Quit with the hypotheticals and the nit-picking... change is only in the hands of the people.
Make some signs that say "WANT FREE HEALTHCARE? VOTE KUCINICH". Simple marketing. Kucinich offers what the people want, time to advertise it, since American people seem to only respond to as much!

punkassbeeotch,

Clearly, voting does change things. It did, for the better, in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Nicaragua and to a lessre extent in Brazil and Chile.

Admittedly, the English-speaking world and a few other countries like Germany have developed a pretty effective media system to keep truly popular candidates from getting elected, but it doesn't always have to remain that way.

Once again, the poll is still open. Vote Kucinich.

http://democracyforamerica.com/pulsepoll

Not only must the United States find energy efficiency and pollution control for itself, it must lead the world by showing how quality of life is vastly improved by moving to a green society. If this is not done, no matter what we might do, the imitation of our lifestyle by others will swamp the planet. We must do and lead others to do.

In order to carry all this out, there must be a commitment on a scale rivaled only by the national effort in WWII. In fact, it must surpass that by an order of magnitude. Further, this must come at a time when we have maxed out our credit with China and other nations.

On a practical basis, only the election of Al Gore with a mandate that is truly impressive will enable the United States to convince creditors, friends and foes that we have turned about face from the profligate life we have continued after WWII in using up our resources and throwing the tailings in the yard and in the wind. Any other candidate and the political wrangling that is sure to follow the election of a lesser light will put our creditors in a wait and see mode that threatens to swamp us before we can carry out such an undertaking.

This time we must hold up an authentic icon to the world in order to expect a rally around our effort and undertaking. Our margin of error and patience for our undertaking has been squandered and yet we must spend our way out of the maelstrom we have created.

It is not what the candidate will do, it is what we can demonstrate to the world that we as a people can and will do.

punkassbeeotch. What an appropriate handle you have. You offer nothing but punkass provocations. Is it enjoyable being you?

I respect thoughtful commentary on this subject, even when I don't agree with it. Reference some of COMarc's comments on previous threads for an example of what that might look like. Of course, that would mean you'd have to grow up, think, and stop living up to your moniker.

I'm suspicious of Kucinich. In 2004 he acted more as a lure to try and keep the left in the DP (which he seems to be doing this time too), and then he ends up endorsing Kerry? A shiny penny says Kucinich endorses the Democratic nominee, no matter how repugnant they are. I wonder if he isn't some sort of Democratic false flag op to keep the Left divided.

And Al Gore?! Please. To me. this shows how awful things are in this country when a hack like Gore has any credibiilty on the Left.

Isn't there something we can do to get Al Gore to run?? I'd feel sooo much better.

I wonder if he isn't some sort of Democratic false flag op to keep the Left divided...

Sorry, but I just don't understand the logic of this theory. how would the Kucinich candidacy divide the left. Divide it between what and what?

Just an aside...I'd get really tired of hearing people say Gore wouldn't fight when the election was stolen in 2000. The highest court in the land made a ruling. What was he supposed to do exactly-lead an armed insurrection? The Republicans used ever manner of intimidation possible, and with the help of Fox News ( enabled by the MSM), managed to have their boy installed by the SCOTUS. As it turns out, Dems have better manners than Republicans, and Gore being the gentleman he is respected the decision of the highest court.

Deran..."a hack like Al Gore" ? Excuse me? Just whose side are you on?
And by the way....while lefties might like Kucinich, he will never win in the general election. Democrats better be smart about this and put someone out there who is.

I just emailed my states kucinich representative for information on volunteering. seriously, f it. I am also suspicious of kucinich and every other politician with ANY chance of winning any election. And rightfully so. History has certainly taught us to be suspicious of any and all leaders. The fact is that we have little to choose from and the future looks very bleak with the current, supposed front-runners as serious possibilites to be in the white house come 2008 elections. So, my reasoning is why not give it a shot? Kucinich is the only viable democratic candidate with a chance, be it very little considering what we're up against, to actually make a positive difference in the country/world.

punkassbeeotch, I had that emma goldman quote taped on my refrigerator for a year. While I'm admittedly pessimistic at times (and how couldn't you be?), it didn't get me very far. might as well try, eh? otherwise why waste the time reading/posting about any of this garbage. You'd be better off tuning it out and enjoying your life while you have it. The people like me and you that enjoy/believe in quotes like that are usually the ones yearning for changes, so let's take some action. At worst, it will make me feel happy about myself, at best, I'll actually get something concrete done.

BREAKING NEWS!!! All Kucinich lovers and those on the fence MUST read the following: I LOVE this guy's GUTS!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071030/ap_on_el_pr/kucinich_bush;_ylt=AtZ0RwinixdF2a4kK2D5c_KGWo14

"Starofthe sea: AMEN!"

DITTO! I could have written your words, star! THANK YOU!
BUT--Will it get through the pig-headedness that has taken over the alleged Progressives' negativism?! (Note *deran* above as example)

Dennis IS electable if we work for it, fellow D.K.'ers. We have to forget the naysaying and "armchair theorists" on this site and stay focused.

The bozos who keep the mantra of 2004 alive make me ill. We are looking at a Progressive gift candidate and yet many STILL look for a "Saviour" to come forth out of the blue (Who is, by the way, PERFECT!) to save the country and the world. Puh-leeze! Dennis is here! Dennis has the courage to fight for us! Dennis does not bow to the corporate elite! Dennis is one of US, Gawddammit!!!

I will say this (even though I don't believe it): Should he NOT win the primary (Because of the failure of "We The People" to get him there!) and turn his support to the Corpo-Clinton-Clone, then I will NEVER follow him again; nor will I ever follow politics again. PERIOD! But for RIGHT NOW--ALL OF MY ENERGY GOES TO PUSHING FOR HIS NOMINATION AGAINST THE ODDS! Join me???!!!

ENOUGH! Al Gore is not running, vote for Kucinich!

If Gore is the Democratic candidate, I'll probably vote for Nader again, even if I have to write him in. Then everyone can attack Nader for coercing mindless robots like me into voting for him. Of course, why can't we also attack Gore (or Clinton, or Obama, etc.) for coercing the mindless voters who supported him? Message: Don't attack a candidate for running; if you want to attack someone, attack people for voting in a manner with which you disagree.

punkass is the only one truly in tune. PJD is clearly naive and an eternal optimist.

but that aside the facts are these, the white house has been bought and paid for. the more research that I do the more I uncover that there hasn't been an honest election in this country since FDR. Did you know that even our beloved liberal icon JFK stole the election out from Nixon who was trying to steal the election. His poppa Joe had the mob make sure Chicago went for Kennedy and in doing so the election followed.
you see that was a real stake in the heart to the BUSH CRIME FAMILY who Nixon happened to be an employee of, thats why George Bush orchestrated the Kennedy assasignation, nothing could get in the way of their plans for the new "facism" (remember Ike warning of the military industrial complex) its been the Bush Crime Family all along since the early 1900's. every key political assasignation from Che Guevara to Kennedy to the attempt on Reagan has been linked to the Bush Crime Family, read Nixons autobiography for crying out loud its right there, as well as in the books by Haldeman and Erlichman and Dean. Nixon said the Warren Commision was the biggest hoax ever played on the American people. Just like 911 is a hoax. Bush and Cheney did it for crying out loud. Al Qaida is a Bush Crime Family invention. So is Osama Bin Laden. If terrorists really wanted us dead we'd be dead. Didnt anyone notice how easy it was for the IRA. Enough Arabs live here and have ties back home.
Why hasnt anyone spoken about that. You would think the simple mentioning of Bush Crime Family facts in the news would have prevented GWB from even being able to run.
Oh well I digress, I am just so sick and tired of everyone pretending and diluting themselves into thinking that everything is above board and that what is happening is reality. everytime you have a serious and honest discussion about the candidates and how to create an exit stategy for "the war" and this that and the other about hillary or obama or dennis, you're playing into the bullshit and lending it credence.
Bev Harris uncovered that the last 2 elections were hacked. I accept that as undisputable fact. as i accept global warming as fact. when 100 of the greatest scientific minds concur that we are fucked and past the point of no return and that we will see Pennsylvania beach front property in our lifetime people yes in our fucking lifetime i believe it. when Michael Moore makes a movie that provides indisputable evidence that Iraq and Afghanistan are Corporate occupations i believe it.
am i too cynical. you mean you arent there yet. okay nevermind forget i said anything go on with your naive little conversations about the "election" . heres a ticket for you Dennis Kucinich and Cynthia Mckinney. Real honest to goodness progressive liberals. in a perfect real world it might happen, but not here not now.
oh well if you're not there yet come see me after the election I believe Paul already mentioned the winners Hillary and Obama. Its appearances man and nothing else. All the worlds a stage, its all been scripted, but then I'll bet you all think that we have "free will" too...and yes drift, i am happy being me.....

Dear Drift-

You said:
"punkassbeeotch. What an appropriate handle you have. You offer nothing but punkass provocations. Is it enjoyable being you?

I respect thoughtful commentary on this subject, even when I don't agree with it. Reference some of COMarc's comments on previous threads for an example of what that might look like. Of course, that would mean you'd have to grow up, think, and stop living up to your moniker."

Nice.

Judge a book by it's cover....

I get that all the time y'know. From "progressives".

If yis must know, it's because I am an avid collector of old school punk rock vinyl. that's just a handle I picked up along the way. You know, "a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet".

I have not called anyone names. I have not judged anyone personally.I have not attacked anyone personally or falsely assumed that they did or did not know certain things (like what "thoughtful commentary might look like". If you consider yourself a progressive, telling people they have notheing to offer and suggesting that they grow up isn't really all that.....progressive is it? Apparently there was just enough of something in my post to warrant your very well thought out consideration. Thank you for that.

My point is this:
If voting doesn't work, which is my belief, then we need to be able to see it. Then we need to be able to talk about it (minus the judging,insulting, name-calling). Then we need to be able to brainstorm, and come up with ideas that might work.
One need be able to admit there's a problem before one can recover from it. I posted. Deaf ears. No acknowledgement whatever that maybe, there is validity in what I am addressing. But what if ther really is? We're obviusly not willing (or able) to even look at that as a possibility. Seems kinda closed minded. Stuck maybe. How to get unstuck?

I am cynical perhaps. I am skeptical definitely. But what's to lose in talking about the idea that it all a sham? And, the world burns while we wait and hold our breaths for some kinda new messianic politician to unfuck the situation every 4 years? Yeah. I'm a skeptic.

Dear defiance-
Thank you. I don't believe it is pessimism that points me towards not voting. I beieve that once I let go of hope ( something that is dogmatically believed to be an asset, a good thing) then I can move on, quit wasting my time on whatever it was I was hoping would happen, and take action in a new direction. I think also that hope does me no good (other than pehaps a good feeling) when it comes to action. It's a form of powerlessness that becomes impotence. Once a person abdicates their power, all that is left is hope. I do not believe voting to be an effective means of exercising ones power, or action. I can hope someone good becomes a leader. But, I am not holding my breath. Perhaps locally, on local propositions etc.some things get done temporarily until corporations throw a bunch of money at it. I do not believe making signs is an effective action. I can hope someone reads them and maybe has an oportinity for personal growth. But how much time do we really have? That is why I don't do those things (anymore).

Well at any rate. Thanks to both of you. I almost really thought my posts weren't getting posted.

Thank you,
-Glen

ps. I did vote once....for Nader. Then I took one of these on-line tests to see which candidate best spoke my beliefs and it came up Kucinich. I like the guy tons. I admire him tons. But I'm sorry, I think we need a system overhaul.

People vote for Al Gore the environmentalist because they realize at least he would see that what was necessary ...would get done.

They vote for Al Gore the environmentalist. Not as a politician.

I guess the essential problem I have with the issues laid out before us on both left and right is that they are, at their core, not class interests.

We need out of Iraq, certainly. And we need to curb the human-caused aspect of global warming.

But where is the political voice championing real class interests for the remnant middle- and working-class? How about single-payer, paid maternal and paternal leave on par with Scandinavia, a 32-hour work week, 6 weeks of vacation, etc. Where is the voice of class to create more private and civic space for Americans -- so they have more time with their families, hobbies, community engagement, etc.?

Call this the backup quarterback syndrome.

One of the givens of American football is that the fans of a team that is struggling will always call for the backup QB to play. The coaches of course know that during practice the starting QB is really better than the backup. But the fans will still boo the starter and constantly call for the backup to be in the game. Of course, most of the time when the backup does get into the game, it becomes quickly obvious that he's not as good as the starter and that's why he was the backup.

Gore is a blank slate right now. Most Americans project what they want to see on him, mainly because he doesn't have to say anything. Put him into the race, and we'll see the same DLC-founder, center-right, pro-corporate government, pro-military and very militaristic Al Gore that we've always seen.

Al Gore has more intelligence in one brain cell than all corrupt stupid neo-nazi repugs have in the whole brotherhood.

GORE: He lost once after winning the most votes and he never even complained about it. I'm convinced he can do it again!

Don't judge the repugs by chimpy,they are evil but they're not dumb and they're a lot more politically savvy then the Dims. As for Gore, he isn't that great a choice based on his record. Hillary will not win unless it's a stolen election -- her and her smug spouse are no friends of working people and not that popular.

punkassbeeotch is right about the selection process, it is a rigged game, a puppet show remnant of a dead republic. The reason to support Kucinich is because he speaks the truth in important venues and makes people think.
The reason to run an independent is to build the movement and that doesn't end when the selection is over.

Well, punkass (sorry, but I can't help but smile when I write that) You're correct, I can't know what other people think/know. I can only go by what they post. What you had posted was intended to provoke, and as such, I called you on it. You responded in a much more thoughtful manner, which I appreciate. Hey, I've done it, too, like when I wrote '"Who the fuck cares what BarbaRA sTREISAND said?" on a previous post and caught shit for it.

So, to you're thesis that voting doesn't matter. I disagree with you in the extreme. And though Emma Goldman might've said it, and I admire her, I'd be very, very interested to know what the exact context of that statement was. I don't know myself, but if you or anyone else does, I'll be checking in later to see if it's posted. My guess is it is NOT a statement of futile cynicism, as quite frankly, you're previous posts smack of.

Expanding the fanchise of voting in a democracy has been a long, slow process throughout the centuries, and has always been about decentralizing the center of power and diffusing it throughout the electorate. It is the polar opposite of totalitatianism, which focuses all power in a single leader. It proceeds from the premise that absolute power corrupt absolutely, which has been proven throughout human history again and again. If your vote doesn't count for much, it's because it's NOT SUPPOSED TO. The more the franchise of the vote is expanded, the less each citizen's power is. Therefore, it becomes more difficult for any single leader to consolidate power, at least without recourse to the citizenery... through the vote. It is the bedrock of any representative democracy. Without the vote, everything collapses, and we turn either to some form of totalitarianism, like fascism, or brute anarchy characterised by failed states like we see in places like Somalia, where warlords rove the streets terrorizing the populace. Can you imagine that happening here? With all the pinhead rednecks with thier "NASCAR," "FEAR THIS!" and "9-11 TERRORIST HUNTING PERMITS" stickers roaming around with their assualt weapons? I sure as hell can.

Are there forces at work to subvert the will of the people through the vote? Most certainly. Monied interests, corporations, ideological media, oligarchical families, etc, etc. The only thing holding back this dark horror show IS the vote.

And at least for this primary season, there's a candidate I'll be happy to cast my one, little ballot for, and his name is DENNIS KUCINICH.

http://www.dennis4president.org

And oh, btw,
X, Joy Division, The 'Mats, Clash, Jam, Gang of 4, Pistols, Buttholes, Sonic Youth, Social D, Talking Heads, Ramones, Siouxsie, Pixies.... yeah, I was there, too, bro. it's just that being punk, and being a punkass were always 2 different things to me, but no offense intended.

If the only thing Al Gore accomplished if he were to be elected was to start a War on Global Warming at least he would be doing Something Positive which is more than we can say for the current administration. Tackling and dealing with environmental problems will affect everyone of us and our children in the years to come. Everything in the Bush
agenda has affected us and will affect our children, but certainly not for the better. Ask our grandchildren when there are water shortages and the air is unbreathable and they can't even begin to pay for the wars we are raging now, ask them what we should have been doing to at least have tried to slow down the effects of our disintegrating environment....

Al Gore is not a blank slate, he has a record. He received a Lifetime Rating of 64% from the League of Conservation Voters, that's a "D" grade. (For comparison, Kerry received a 98%) Some environmentalist Gore is. There isn't anything else in his record that would even tempt me to vote for him. You still love the guy? Please, tell me why? There's more.

Al Gore:
1) Supported and pushed hard for environmentally and socially destructive NAFTA. One reason his grade (see above) was so poor.

2) Was, and I presume still is, an avid nuclear energy proponent.

3) Supported sanctions against Iraq that killed 500,000 children.

4) Was a co-founder of the DLC (the entity that pulled the Democrats to the right so that they now are to the right of Richard Nixon!).

5) Supported regime change in Iraq. Said the "Vietnam Syndrome" was hurting our efforts to be assertive.

6) Avid supporter of Israel's right to occupy Palestine.

7) Supported giving the Telecommunication giants more power (see Telecommunications Act 1996).

8) Was, and probably still is, opposed to single payer health care.

9) Was a founding member of the DLC, a pro-corporate arm of the Democratic Party that was eventually successful in pulling the Dems to the right.

10) Was responsible for weakening the "Endangered Species Act."
See:

http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair03032007.htm

But...he's...not...running. End of story.