Time for a light giggle...

In celebration of former Vice President (and legitimately elected President in 2000) Al Gore's appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, I thought it might be entertaining to post the Top Ten list he presented on Late Night with David Letterman in 2000. Enjoy.

TOP TEN REJECTED GORE-LIEBERMAN CAMPAIGN SLOGANS
(as read by Al Gore on David Letterman)

10. Vote for me or I'll come to your home and explain my 191-page economic plan to you in excruciating detail.

9. Remember, America, I gave you the Internet, and I can take it away!

8. Your vote automatically enters you in drawing for the $123 billion dollar surplus.

7. With Lieberman on the ticket, you get all kinds of fun new days off.

6. We know when the microphone is on.

5. Vote for me and I will take whatever steps necessary to outlaw the term, "Whazzzup?"

4. Gore-Lieberman -- you don't have to worry about pork barrel politics.

3. You'll thank us in four years when the escalator to the moon is finished.

2. If I can handle Letterman, I can handle Saddam Hussein.

And the number one rejected Gore-Lieberman campaign slogan...

1. I'll be twice as cool as that president guy on The West Wing.

Now, putting aside all the 2000 Election complaints and accusations, as well as the fact that Joe Lieberman has now shown himself to be just another Republican in Democrats' clothing (sorta like Zell Miller at the 2004 Republican National Convention, but a little less jittery... Woo! What an...interesting speech that was!), I would like to say that Al Gore is a friendly, outgoing, and downright funny guy. How do I know this? I met him back in October of 1996, when came through my hometown of Port Huron and gave a speech in Pine Grove Park. He spoke for about an hour, discussing his and then-president Bill Clinton's plans if they won the presidential election again (for those of you who were dozing, they did win), as well as saying a few kind words about a few Michigan Democrats, such as David Bonior. He also promised that he would not attempt to do the Macarena. (This was shortly after he'd done it at a campaign stop, and it was played almost constantly on the news as proof of what a nutball he was.) The crowd was a bit disappointed about that.

After his speech, his Secret Service crew were trying to move him along to the car that would take him to the Thomas Edison Inn for a luncheon with city leaders and, I assume, nice people with thick checkbooks. However, the Secret Service guys had to keep stopping and retrieving him because he kept stopping and chatting with people standing near the little fence the city had erected, I assume, so he wouldn't be mobbed by well-wishers and angry Republicans. Now, when I say "chatting," I mean he would stop, start talking to them about whatever they wanted to ask him about, and would actually lean against the fence, as if he weren't the Vice President of the United States, but instead just a neighbor who took a minute out from mowing the lawn to discuss crab grass with his neighbor.

As the speech ended, I had managed to find the only empty spot along the fence, and waited patiently for the vice president to make his way over to me. When he finally did, he smiled and shook my hand. I told him that I'd voted for him and President Clinton in 1992, and I was planning to do it again. (I know, I know... How original.)

I also said that I hoped he'd consider running for president in 2000. (There had already been a bunch of people in the crowd chanting "Gore 2000! Fore 2000!" during his speech.)

"Well, it's a little early to worry about that, don't you think?"

I said, "It never hurts to plan ahead."

"Well, who knows? We'll have to wait and see," he said, offering me his hand again as his Secret Service guy started pulling him away.

That's it. No amazing story or anything. I just thought he was a really nice guy.

One of the things that Al Gore has always been steady on is his stance on global warming. In fact, he has a documentary called An Inconvenient Truth, concerning global warming, and it will be in limited release on May 24th that covers the power point pesentation he's been giving since he "lost" the 2000 election. If you can find a place that's showing it, go see it.

All the best,
Derek
(DCF)