Al Gore possible presidential campaign, 2016
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 Al Gore |
Vice President of the United States (1993-2001) U.S. Representative (1977-1985) U.S. Senator (1985-1993) |
 Democratic candidates: |
2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
- See also: Al Gore
Al Gore was the Democratic vice president of the United States from 1993-2001. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977-1985 and in the U. S. Senate from 1985-1993, both times as a resident of Tennessee. He ran on the Democratic ticket against George W. Bush (R) in the 2000 presidential election. The election was close, with Bush winning by a small margin.[1]
Al Gore was a potential candidate for the office of President of the United States in 2016. Gore never made an official bid for the 2016 presidential race, but reports published in August 2015 speculated that Gore might run for office. A source told CNN in August 2015, "I am 1000 percent behind Gore but I've spoken to him and don't see any moves for a 2016 run. He's focused 100 percent on his first love -- which is climate."[2][3]
On the issues
Economic and fiscal
Taxes
- Al Gore said in an October 2000 presidential debate against George W. Bush, "I will balance the budget every year. I will pay down the national debt. I will put Medicare and Social Security in a lockbox and protect them. And I will cut taxes for middle-class families. I believe it's important to resist the temptation to squander our surplus. If we make the right choices, we can have a prosperity that endures and enriches all of our people." He criticized Bush's tax plan in the same debate, saying, "Under Governor Bush's tax cut proposal, he would spend more money on tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent than all of the new spending that he proposes for education, healthcare, prescription drugs and national defense all combined. Now, I think those are the wrong priorities. Now, under my proposal, for every dollar that I propose in spending for things like education and health care, I will put another dollar into middle class tax cuts. And for every dollar that I spend in those two categories, I'll put two dollars toward paying down the national debt. I think it's very important to keep the debt going down and completely eliminate it. And I also think it's very important to go to the next stage of welfare reform."[4]
Government regulations
- In A Manifesto for Sustainable Capitalism, Al Gore advocated for a new form of capitalism. He said, "we and others have called for a more responsible form of capitalism, what we call sustainable capitalism: a framework that seeks to maximize longterm economic value by reforming markets to address real needs while integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics throughout the decision-making process." He advocated for five specific measures of business regulation and reformation:[5]
- "Identify and incorporate risk from stranded assets. "Stranded assets" are those whose
- value would dramatically change, either positively or negatively, when large externalities
- are taken into account—for example, by attributing a reasonable price to carbon or water."
- "Mandate integrated reporting. Despite an increase in the volume and frequency of
- information made available by companies, access to more data for public equity investors
- has not necessarily translated into more comprehensive insight into companies. Integrated
- reporting addresses this problem by encouraging companies to integrate both their financial
- and ESG performance into one report that includes only the most salient or material
- metrics. This enables companies and investors to make better resource-allocation decisions by
- seeing how ESG performance contributes to sustainable, long-term value creation. While
- voluntary integrated reporting is gaining momentum, it must be mandated by appropriate
- agencies such as stock exchanges and securities regulators in order to ensure swift and
- broad adoption."
- "End the default practice of issuing quarterly earnings guidance. The quarterly calendar
- frequently incentivizes executives to manage for the short-term. It also encourages some
- investors to overemphasize the significance of these measures at the expense of longer-term,
- more meaningful measures of sustainable value creation."
- "Align compensation structures with long-term sustainable performance. Most existing
- compensation schemes emphasize short-term actions and fail to hold asset managers and
- corporate executives accountable for the ramifications of their decisions over the long-term.
- Instead, financial rewards should be paid out over the period during which these results are
- realized and compensation should be linked to fundamental drivers of long-term value,
- employing rolling multiyear milestones for performance evaluation."
- "Incentivize long-term investing with loyalty-driven securities. The dominance of short-termism
- in the market fosters general market instability and undermines the efforts of
- executives seeking long-term value creation."
International trade
- As vice president, Al Gore was a proponent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was implemented in 1994. He expressed support for the agreement after elements protecting labor and the environment were agreed upon and included in the text.[6]
| Al Gore supports NAFTA against Ross Perot in 1993. |
Budgets
- When Al Gore declared his candidacy for the 2000 election, he pointed to policies implemented during the Clinton-Gore administration when he was vice president and stated that the nation's surplus at the time was due to those efforts. He followed up with, "I will balance the budget or better, every year." He added, "I will search out every last dime of waste and bureaucratic excess. I know how to do that."[7]
- In 1993, Gore cast the deciding vote, because of a split Senate, to approve the Clinton administration's budget. The budget involved tax increases on America's wealthy and spending cuts amounting to $253 billion over four years.[8][9]
Agricultural subsidies
- In the debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush on October 17, 2000, Gore said:[10]
| “ |
Because the 2% of the country that is involved in farming is important because the rest of us wouldn't eat except for them. And you guys have been having a hard time, and I want to fight for you. I want to change those provisions. I want to restore a meaningful safety net. And I think that you pointed the way in your comments, because when you say there are multiple things accomplished by farmers, you're specifically including conservation and protection of the environment. And yes, farmers are the first environmentalists. And when they decide not to plow a field that is vulnerable to soil erosion, that may cost them a little money, but it helps the environment. I think that we ought to have an expanded conservation reserve program. And I think that the environmental benefits that come from sound management of the land ought to represent a new way for farmers to get some income that will enable them -- enable you to make sensible choices in crop rotation, and when you leave the land fallow and the rest. Now, I'll go beyond that and say I think we need much more focus on rural economic development programs. I see a time when the Internet-based activities are more available in the rural areas and where the extra source of income that farm families used to have from shoe factories is replaced by an extra source of income from working in the information economy. So we need to do a lot of things, but we ought to start with a better safety net.[11] |
” |
Labor and employment
- In the presidential debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush on October 11, 2000, Gore stated that he believed unemployment rates were brought down by focusing on "job training, education, investments in health care and education, environment, retirement security. And incidentally, we have got to preserve Social Security."[12]
Foreign affairs
Military preparedness and budget
In his 2000 bid for president, Al Gore supported "sensible" increases in military spending.[13]
National security
- In a presidential debate with George W. Bush on October 3, 2000, Al Gore said:[14]
| “ | Our military is the strongest, best-trained, best-equipped, best-led fighting force in the world and in the history of the world. Nobody should have any doubt about that, least of all our adversaries or potential adversaries. If you entrust me with the presidency, I will do whatever is necessary in order to make sure our forces stay the strongest in the world. In fact, in my ten-year budget proposal I've set aside more than twice as much for this purpose as Governor Bush has in his proposal. Now, I think we should be reluctant to get involved in someplace in a foreign country. But if our national security is at stake, if we have allies, if we've tried every other course, if we're sure military action will succeed, and if the costs are proportionate to the benefits, we should get involved. Now, just because we don't want to get involved everywhere doesn't mean we should back off anywhere it comes up. I disagree with the proposal that maybe only when oil supplies are at stake that our national security is at risk. I think that there are situations like in Bosnia or Kosovo where there's a genocide, where our national security is at stake there.[11] | ” |
International relations
- In a presidential debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush on October 11, 2000, Gore said of America's role in international relations:[15]
| “ | There is some resentment of U.S. power. So I think that the idea of humility is an important one. But I think that we also have to have a sense of mission in the world. We have to protect our capacity to push forward what America's all about. That means not only military strength and our values, it also means keeping our economy strong. You know, in the last, or two decades ago, it was routine for leaders of foreign countries to come over here and say you guys have got to do something about these horrendous deficits because it's causing tremendous problems for the rest of the world, and we were lectured to all the time. The fact that we have the strongest economy in history today is not good enough. We need to do more. But the fact that it is so strong enables us to project the power for good that America can represent.[11] | ” |
He also stated, "One of the criteria that I think is important in deciding when and if we should ever get involved around the world is whether or not our national security interest is involved, if we can really make the difference with military forces. If we tried everything else, if we have allies."[15]
Domestic
Federalism
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- According to Breitbart, in September 2013, at the Social Good Summit in New York City, Al Gore said that climate change dissenters should have to pay a political price. He claimed:[16]
| “ |
Within the market system we have to put a price on carbon, and within the political system, we have to put a price on denial. It is simply not acceptable for major companies to mimic the unethical strategy of the tobacco companies in presenting blatantly false information in order to protect a business model. There needs to be a political price for denial.[11] |
” |
Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- In May 1999, Al Gore cast the deciding vote as vice president in support of a gun control measure that called for more extensive background checks and restrictions on automatic weapons. The measure also sought to expand juvenile crime prevention programs and crack down on violent crimes committed by young Americans.[17]
- In an April 1999 memorial speech for the victims of the shooting at Columbine High in Colorado, Gore said, "In a culture rife with violence -- where too many young people place too little value on a human life -- we can rise up and say no more. We have seen enough violence in our schools. We must replace a culture of violence and mayhem with one of values and meaning. It is too easy for a young child to get a gun -- and everywhere we look, there are too many lessons in how to use one. We can do something about that."[18]
Crime and justice
- In 2000, Al Gore said that he was in favor of the death penalty. He was also quoted by the Washington Post as saying, "if you're honest about the debate, the death penalty debate, you have to acknowledge you're always going to be [sic] some small numbers of errors." When asked by the interviewer if that meant he thought it was justifiable to take the lives of a few innocent for the sake of the majority who are guilty, he answered, "No, I think the only acceptable approach is zero errors, but in all commonsense [sic] you have to acknowledge that since we are all human and humans are imperfect, even a jury system with all the many procedural appeals and safe guards, may in spite of everybody's best efforts sometimes produce a mistake. It has been my impression that such mistakes are exceedingly rare."[19]
Natural resources
Keystone XL Pipeline
- In 2013, Al Gore called the Keystone XL pipeline "ridiculous." He said, "This should be vetoed. It's an atrocity, it's a threat."[20]
Fracking
- In 2013, Al Gore said in an NPR interview, "When methane leaks during the fracking process, each molecule of methane is more than 70 times as powerful as Co2 in trapping heat, and that means you wouldn’t have to have that much of the methane leak into the atmosphere, before you completely wipe out the advantages of having less Co2. So these challenges are real, they have to be addressed, and I think that we need more regulation." He also talked about the potential effects of pollution, saying, "Six million gallons on average for each new fracking well. And the water that’s used is mixed with very toxic chemicals, and that sometimes pollutes the groundwater. The industry claims it doesn’t, but there are too many examples that shows that it does — often when they re-inject the poisoned fracking water back deep into the earth.These and other issues are ones that I think are deserving of careful exploration."[21][22]
Energy production
| “ | Well, the Earth’s atmosphere is completely full. And we’re going to have to make a shift to renewable energy sources. We have the ability to do that. The report came out recently that last year the largest new additions to electricity production in the U.S. came from wind — 42 percent of all new energy production from wind. In Australia, wind energy, a report says, is now cheaper than electricity from a new coal plant or a new gas plant. And solar photovoltaic energy is spreading far more rapidly than anyone thought was possible. In 2010 the world’s cumulative investments in renewable energy for the first time exceeded the world’s investments in fossil fuel energy.[22][11] | ” |
Climate Change
- In 2013, Al Gore said of climate change, "The appearance of more extreme and more frequent weather events has had a very profound impact on public opinion in countries throughout the world. You mentioned my movie back in the day. The single most common criticism from skeptics when the film came out focused on the animation showing ocean water flowing into the World Trade Center memorial site. Skeptics called that demagogic and absurd and irresponsible. It happened last October 29th, years ahead of schedule, and the impact of that and many, many other similar events here and around the world has really begun to create a profound shift." He went on to express that he thought the general worldview on climate change was changing and that more companies, governments and individuals were working to address problems related to climate change.[23]
- Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work advocating for climate change awareness.[24]
- In 2006, Gore released his book and documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which discussed the detrimental effects of climate change. The documentary won an Academy Award.[24]
- In 2005, Gore founded the Climate Reality Project, which is dedicated to the study and reversal of climate change. One of its main goals is to promote global awareness about the effects of climate change.[25]
Cap and trade
- In 2012, Al Gore supported a cap and trade system and advocated for a carbon tax in the U.S. He said that this would help the United States avoid crises in the economy and environment.[26]
Environmental protection
- Al Gore supported actions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and President Obama to regulate carbon emissions from industries in America in 2013. "The policies announced today, combined with the rest of the President’s Climate Action Plan, will put us on the path toward solving the climate crisis," said Gore. He also stated, "Today’s announcement by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is an important step forward for our nation and our planet. From now on, future coal- and gas-fired power plants must take responsibility for their global warming pollution by reducing or capturing their overall emissions." The regulations Gore supported required coal-burning plants to capture and store at least 40 percent of carbon emissions for which they were the source.[27][28]
Healthcare
- Al Gore opposed Congress' efforts to oppose Obamacare in 2013. He said, "You didn’t succeed in the constitutional process, by which this was considered, and now you want to threaten to not only shut down our government, but to blow up world economy unless we go back and undo what we did according to the processes of our democracy? How dare you? How dare you?’” He also called the efforts acts of "political terrorism."[29]
- In 2000, Gore outlined a healthcare policy that aimed to create universal healthcare for all uninsured children by 2005. The policy expanded on the Children's Health Insurance Program of 1997 by raising the income ceiling for eligibility and instituting measures to break down barriers to enrolling, such as simplifying enrollment forms and allowing applicants to apply by mail. Gore said of his program, "The approach that I'm recommending is the step-by-step approach, paso a paso, so that we move toward universal health insurance for all."[30]
Immigration
- Al Gore tweeted support for immigrants and the Inside Out project, which featured immigrants in art, on June 20, 2014: "Immigrants make the US stronger. #insideout11M insideoutproject.net/11M/"[31][32]
Education
- In the presidential debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush on October 11, 2000, Gore said:[12]
| “ | While my plan starts with new accountability and maintains local control, it doesn't stop there. Because I want to give new choices to parents. To send their kids to college with a $10,000 tax deduction for college tuition per child per year. I want to reduce the size of the classrooms in this country. For one basic reason, so that students can get more one-on-one time with teachers. And the way to do that is first to recruit more teachers. I've a plan in my budget to recruit 100,000 new, highly qualified teachers and to help local school districts build new schools. I think that we have to put more emphasis on early learning and pre-school. Now, here is how that connects with all the rest of what we've been talking about. If you have -- if you squander the surplus on a huge tax cut that goes mostly to those at the top, then you can't make education the top priority. If the tax cut is your number one, two, three and four priority, you can't do education. You can't do both. You have to choose.[11] | ” |
Abortion
- Al Gore's views on abortion have varied. When asked in 2000 if he thought life began at conception, Gore answered, "No. I believe there is a difference. You know, I believe that the Roe v. Wade decision wisely embodies the kind of commonsense judgment that most Americans share." He followed up with, "I've come to the very deep conviction that a woman's right to choose must be protected regardless of the woman's income. Now, I've always supported Roe v. Wade and I've always opposed a constitutional amendment to take away a woman's right to choose." However, in 1987 he wrote, "During my eleven years in Congress I have consistently opposed federal funding of abortion. In my opinion it is wrong to spend federal funds for what is arguably the taking of human life. Let me assure you that I share your belief that innocent human life must be protected and I'm committed to furthering this goal."[33]
- Gore supported a bill that sought to define "unborn children from the moment of conception" as "persons" with full federal civil law protection in 1984.[33][34]
Gay rights
- In 2000, when Al Gore was asked what he thought of the court ruling that allowed the Boy Scouts to exclude gay members, he responded, "I think it depends upon the question of whether it is a public organization or sufficiently intertwined with public activities to justify it. I respect the Boy Scouts but I disagree with discrimination against gays and lesbians. I just think the time has come to end that discrimination. Now it's different depending on whether it's a private organization or public organization." In the same interview, he also said, "I oppose discrimination, and I hope that we can get to a day when there is not discrimination either in public organizations or in private organizations. I will give deference to the opinion of the court pending my review of it."[19]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Al + Gore + 2016
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "GORE, Albert Arnold, Jr., (1948 - )," accessed September 3, 2015
- ↑ MSNBC, "Will Al Gore consider running for president?" August 16, 2015
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Al Gore for president? Don't believe 2016 whispers, associates say," August 14, 2015
- ↑ Commission on Presidential Debates, "October 3, 2000 Transcript," October 3, 2000
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "A Manifesto for Sustainable Capitalism," December 14, 2011
- ↑ CNN, "NAFTA Debate: Gore vs. Perot," November 9, 1993
- ↑ CNN, "Gore launches presidential campaign," June16, 1999
- ↑ L.A. Times, "Gore Casts Tie-Breaking Vote as Senate OKs Clinton Budget : Deficit: 51-50 tally ends bitter battle and gives President a major triumph. Victory was assured when Sen. Kerrey said he was reluctantly backing the plan." August 7, 1993
- ↑ New York Times, "CLINTON'S ECONOMIC PLAN: The Spending Cuts; A Wide Swath, on Earth and in the Sky," February 18, 1993
- ↑ Commission on Presidential Debates, "October 17, 2000 Debate Transcript," October 17, 2000
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Commission on Presidential Debates, "October 11, 2000 Debate Transcript," October 11, 2000
- ↑ New York Times, "Defense Policy Positions," October 22, 2000
- ↑ Commission on Presidential Debates, "October 3, 2000 Transcript," October 3, 2000
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Commission on Presidential Debates, "October 11, 2000 Debate Transcript," October 11, 2000
- ↑ Breitbart, "GORE: CLIMATE CHANGE DENIERS SHOULD PAY A POLITICAL PRICE," September 24, 2013
- ↑ CNN, "Senate passes juvenile crime bill," May 21, 1999
- ↑ American Rhetoric, "Al Gore, Columbine Memorial Address," April 25, 1999
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Washington Post, "Text: Tim Russert's Interview With Vice President Gore," July 16, 2000
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Al Gore: Keystone XL Is 'Ridiculous,'" October 24, 2013
- ↑ State Impact, "New World, New Problems: A Conversation With Al Gore on ‘The Future,’" February 6, 2013
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 KQED News, "Interview: Al Gore on Fracking," February 19, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post, "Al Gore explains why he’s optimistic about stopping global warming," August 21, 2013
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Al Gore, Vice president of United States," accessed September 3, 2015
- ↑ AlGore.com, "The Climate Reality Project," accessed September 3, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Al Gore: 'Cap And Trade' Needed to Avoid 'Climate Cliff,'" November 14, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "Gore: EPA rule puts U.S. on path to solve climate crisis," September 20, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "Coal in Obama's climate cross hairs," September 19, 2013
- ↑ CNS News, "Gore: Efforts to Defund Obamacare ‘Political Terrorism,’" September 27, 2013
- ↑ New York Times, "THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT; Gore Pitches His Health Care Plan for Uninsured Children," August 30, 2000
- ↑ Twitter, "Al Gore," accessed September 3, 2015
- ↑ Inside Out, The People's Art Project, accessed September 3, 2015
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Washington Post, "Text: Tim Russert's Interview With Vice President Gore," July 16, 2000
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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