Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
Randy Tate, vice president of Republican affairs for Voter.com and former executive director of government relations for the Christian Coalition
First he's got to get out the shadow of Bill Clinton, which has been following him like a dark cloud. Bill Clinton's been in town longer than Al Gore has. He also has to deliver his speech tonight in a way that connects with the American people. Unlike Clinton, he's had a lot of trouble there.
It's been the reinvention convention. He's changed his suits, his campaign chairman and the way he styles his hair. The one thing he can't change is his association with Bill Clinton. Gore's even losing ground among other Democrats. Voter.com did a poll after [Tuesday] night's speeches, and his support among conservative Democrats dropped 10 percent. This week he's meeting with his base, trying to secure the endorsement of the Black Caucus and the United Auto Workers. He got them, but that's something you're supposed to do in March, not in August.
Because he's still trying to solidify his base, he hasn't reached out. He's got a 20 point deficit with independents. If he can't secure his base, there's no way he can get the Reagan Democrats back home.
Jodie Evans, Shadow Convention manager, 1992 Jerry Brown for President campaign manager
I would tell Al Gore that what would really electrify people and make them passionate about electing him president is for him to get real about the issues. I know what it's like in the situation he's in. You're desperate, you're hungry, winning is out there and what has gotten you this far is your priority. And for him those are big contributors, big money. He doesn't relate well to activists, to the grass-roots community. It's not something he understands.
He would need to get real about campaign finance reform, about the environment, about the deficit between rich and poor, about the issues that nobody talks about that are undermining our society. And he would need to look at them in a very smart way. He wouldn't need to have the answers but to at least ask the question. He doesn't do so now, he pretends they don't exist. To get real on campaign finance reform he'd have to quit taking money from the big corporations, and say, "I see what it did to Clinton."
But I couldn't have this conversation with him because he doesn't think that way. It's the Democratic Leadership Council. They think that power is with the corporations. That's why they created it. They broke away from the progressive part of the party for just that reason. So I don't think I'd ever have that conversation with him. It's not who he is, it's not what he creates, it's not his vision.
Al Franken, comedian and author of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot"
I think Al Gore should just relax. He can learn something from Joe Lieberman, who has a very relaxed manner that can be very appealing. You know, the president Monday night seemed very relaxed. It demonstrated the benefits of relaxing. There was one telling thing I read in the New York Times profile on him, in which he was in a debate in 1988, and he was giving a great answer in complete sentences and paragraphs. And his father proudly said, "You know, you can just hear the commas." I think there might be something early on where he was taught that when you communicate with people you should take pride in speaking in complete sentences and paragraphs, and presenting ideas in a rational and well-ordered way -- not necessarily what I'm doing right now.
What do I do to relax when I'm nervous in public? It's not very complicated. I say "relax," you know, and I'm not always successful. I wouldn't pretend to tell him how to do it. He's been doing this a long, long time, and he's going to be who he is. Probably what he should not do is take my or anyone else's advice. That would be my advice.
Geoff Garin is president of Peter Hart and Associates, a Democratic polling firm.
The first thing is that Gore has to give voters a much clearer sense that there are important differences on the issues that really matter to them. I don't think the stakes for this election are at all clearly defined in people's minds. One of the barriers Gore faces is the feeling that voters have that they don't have really much at stake or at risk in this election.
Bush has two liabilities in voters' minds that ought to be the obverse of Gore's strengths. People are skeptical that Bush has the experience and background that a president needs. And Bush's other liability is that people will think he will always govern on behalf of well-heeled interests. Gore should say he is somebody who will fairly assess who's right, rather than always come out on the side of the special interests. That ought to be a central theme.
When you ask people: What's the quality that will make Al Gore a good president? there ought to be one a clear simple answer to that. Not a hundred, but one simple answer. My answer would be that this is a person who is able to look ahead of the curve and understand what's right and important to build better future for people.
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