10/12   Given that Bush is so inarticulate and stupid, how in the
        world did Al Gore lose 4 years ago?
        \_ the media decided to leave the "GORE SIGH" on endless
           repeat. - danh
        \_ because he's very "likeable" and "personable" in person. or
           so they say.
        \_ Gore isn't as uber as Kerry.  People thought you could have a dumb
           leader at the top and talented lieutenants running the show.
           With small government, people thought this was possible.
           How much brains does it take to cut taxes and ignore the deficit?
           By the way, Gore won the popular vote by over 500,000 votes.
           \_ My midwestern aunt and uncle had this exact view.  They told me
              a story about Gore making a speech to a local union in which
              he mentioned his mother singing him a particular union song to
              him in his cradle, and the song wasn't actually penned until the
              70s (or thereabouts).  They thought Gore was untrustworthy, and
              Bush was stupid but "the president can't make any bad decisions,
              he just has to be a good man".
                \_ all right did your midwestern relatives actually
                   SEE AND HEAR gore saying this?  or are they repeating
                   what they heard from the media?  gore used to joke
                   that the lady who was a DNC delegate 13 times (she's 88)
                   used to sing him to sleep with the union label as
                   a lullaby.  it's obviously a JOKE, who would seriously
                   sing that song as a lullaby to a baby?  i don't know
                   why the media never got it.  i think gore never
                   adequately explained his joke because it seems too
                   retarded to have to explain humor to living breathing
                   human beings.  that's why i really doubt your relatives
                   heard gore say those exact words, you can dig up tapes
                   of Gore speaking to teamsters, he tells the joke,
                   they all laugh, because he is just joking about his
                   deep democractic union roots, he's not being serious.
                   oreilly joked about being totally high on the jon
                   stewart show last night, when are you going to report
                   him to the ATF? - danh
                   \_ I believe they told me it the info came from a friend.
                      I should also note that I was a Dean guy before
                      supporting Kerry, and that this aunt and uncle are
                      perhaps the nicest, smartest, and wittiest relatives
                      I have.  I'm 25 and they're still sending me bday cards,
                      and I'm going to thank them for it in a letter that
                      probably includes the post above about the last 4 years
                      of Bush.
              \_ I hope voters find a solid, noble core in Kerry, like
                 what's described in the Washington Post article on him
                 today.  Gore had all the best intentions, but you can't
                 help but wonder if there was something to the latent Big
                 Mac attack he developed after he lost the election.
                 \_ God, this is such rotten revisionism.  Gore had a solid,
                    noble core, and the GOP repetition campaign ("He said
                    he invented the Internet!" "He says they based Love
                    Story on him and Tipper!"  "He's not honest!") and his
                    own advisers ("Press the attack!"  "Beat up on Bush!")
                    killed the campaign.  So the man ate a few burgers and
                    grew a beard after being outplayed by loudmouths and
                    anti-intellectuals.  What's more human than that?
                    You want a candidate who was brilliant but an awful
                    people person, look no further than Bill Bradley.
                    \_ By the measure of 9/11, IMO Gore would have done an
                       excellent job had Osama struck on his watch.  I'm just
                       trying to describe some intangible that led Dubya
                       voters to vote for Dubya instead of Gore.
        \_ Because Gore didn't just beat Bush in the debate, he beat him up.
           Americans hate bullies.  That's why it looks so bad when Bush cuts
           off the moderators.
        \_ Gore was stiff and boring and unlikeable. Kerry, while a bit of
           a blue blood, is much more personable. -Nader voter in 2000