And Al Gore Helps John McCain into the White House

So John McCain is moving towards a more moderate position so he can build himself up for the general election. And the way he is doing it is quite fascinating if not surprising.

First, his advisers can read polls and recognize the daunting right track/wrong track polling headwind that is gusting in their face.

Differences between Bush and McCain will be "discussed at great length," promises one aide.

"He'll be direct about it. He's never gratuitous, never disrespectful, but there are going to be policy breaks where it couldn't be clearer." Two areas of difference McCain will highlight: global warming and spending.

And why would John McCain be trusted on climate change? Perhaps because Al Gore is saying he should be trusted.

Gore's spokeswoman, Kalee Kreider, declined to comment on the Obama offer and was complimentary about the presidential candidates, including Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

"Former Vice President Gore thinks that both candidates are very strong. Both of them have offered plans to address the climate crisis ... as has Senator McCain," she said.

I asked Kreider why she is praising McCain, considering that Bush lied in 2000 about his intent to deal with climate change. Here's her response.

The key threshold issue for most NGO's and people working on climate, ourselves included are: Does the policymaker, work, support, vote in favor of, introduce legislation for mandatory reductions in pollution or not. McCain has, Bush has not.

And there we go. If you want to know why John McCain is trusted, it's not just that he has a base in the media. Democratic Party elders - including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - just fall all over themselves to praise him (he's met the commander-in-chief threshold how, exactly?).

Al Gore has tried extremely hard to build a movement without politics, and it just isn't working. As a candidate, he tried to run without attacking Bush, and as a global icon, he has launched an apolitical TV channel and hosted a bunch of mega-concerts that didn't really advance the argument on climate change. And now that Republicans are poised to use climate change as an excuse to siphon money off to industry, Gore is jumping on the McCain bandwagon.

Better party elders, please.

Follow Matt Stoller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/matthewstoller

Comments

[Boadicea]

Matt, if Gore is seen as a partisan with regard to this issue, he runs the risk of forcing McCain to run AGAINST global warming.

John McCain was involved in addressing climate change years ago with a grassroots movement. He's genuinely committed to addressing the issue. However, when it comes to Iraq, he'd be a disaster. So don't vote for him.

[Boadicea]

Ugh, mistyped!

Gore needs NOT to make addressing global warming a partisan issue. He needs for McCain to be equally intelligent on the issue. Otherwise, it could create a backlash against addressing the issue.

[WaynesWhirled]

Wow. Now Huffington Post is attacking Al Gore? This "blame everyone but Obama" strategy is totally out of control. You blame the media for Obama's poor debate performance. You blame Hillary Clinton for anything and everything under the sun. You blame McCain for pointing out Obama's ties to the terrorist group Hamas. And now you turn your ire to Al Gore? Obama is turning all of you into fascists!

[Boadicea]

You should read the article. He blames Hillary, Obama AND Gore.

But judging from the rest of your comment, I surmise that collecting the actual facts isn't your strong suit.

[TocinoHumano]

I've only been posting here for a few days, but based on what I've seen, you are about to get flamed big time. Be ready to duck and cover. And good luck.

[msmaggie]

Huffpo has pretty much drank the Obama Koolaid, licked the bottom of the pitcher and is jonesing for another fix. Here is how it works: Al Gore says something positive about McCain; Al Gore BAD. It may be completely inane but it does have the benefit of being real easy to master. LOL

[TellitLikeItIs]

Hi Hillary,

We didn't realize that you are now going by the name "WaynesWhirled". Perhaps you should go take a pill and relax. ;-)

[Americanium]

Who is Al Gore?

[msmaggie]

He's the guy who has brought climate change into the mainstream and made it a priority. He won the Nobel for it. perhaps you heard? It was in all the papers. I mean he doesn't have the extraordinary record of accomplishment of Obama, but hey, who does?

[scottarino]

He's the guy who ran the shitty campaign in 2000. Sigh!!!!

[VicPerry]

You act as if anyone is interested in who Al Gore would tell them to vote for....

[noneIn2008]

John will blow with the wind, no matter how false. Good thing about climate change is that it gives politicians a cover cause to implement more controls over our economic and social lives. Good reason to control developing countries and oppress their poor. What a great political cause.

[MadFae]

Whoa, that's a leap.

"Former Vice President Gore thinks that both candidates are very strong. Both of them have offered plans to address the climate crisis ... as has Senator McCain," she said."

BOTH means TWO. The two candidates he says have strong plans are the Dems. And McCain "also has a plan." That doesn't mean Al Gore thinks McCain's plan is strong. That is a HUUUUGE stretch, my friend.

[Montanamotor]

Here my proverbial two cents:

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/april2008/040408_cools_off.htm
"No Global Warming Since 1998 As Planet Cools Off
UN scientists admit that natural weather occurrences more powerful than CO2 emissions"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/17/eatree117.xml
"World's oldest tree discovered in Sweden.
It had been thought that this region was still in the grip of the ice age but the tree shows it was much warmer, even than today, he says. "Spruces are the species that can best give us insight about climate change," he says. The summers 9,500 years ago were warmer than today..."

...and then adds the one catch-phrase that changes/explains everything:

"though there has been a rapid recent rise as a result of climate change that means modern climate is rapidly catching up. "

Err - NO! The Earth has COOLED over the last TEN YEARS, actually!!! (SEE ABOVE!!!)

OHMYGOD! So we're faring WORSE than RIGHT AFTER THE LAST ICE-AGE, already - AND IT'S GETTING WORSE; STILL?!?!?!

[lvogt]

Ice caps, glaciers and permafrost are melting anyway and as dark water surfaces are exposed they absorb more heat than ice.

Global masking is the cooling effect of pollution in the form of particles that reflect energy back into space. The dirty pollution is masking the detrimental effect of greenhouse gasses. In other words: a very bad thing is fooling us into to thinking a horrible thing isn't doing as much damage as it is. We could me more screwed than we think. I hope not. I'd rather be wrong.