A Case: Al Gore for President .:. grubbykid.com

A Case: Al Gore for President

Gore 2008 by William Drenttel

William Drenttel makes the designer's case for Al Gore:

[A]mong the most prominent issues we face as designers (and as human beings) is the question of sustainability. Ultimately, this single topic is worth changing the way we practice design, the way we think about successful design, and the modes by which we collaborate. Saying something is fundamental, at the core of contemporary design, is a radical shift. Al Gore has embraced this radical shift. There is no compromise on the environment, and one can only imagine the differences in policy if he were President — from the Kyoto Protocols to the EPA's policies on emissions.
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Say what you will, but the very concept of considering an alternate universe is, on some level, what designers do for a living. And at the end of the day, whether you're a designer or not, living is something we all do. Maybe Gore can help us do it better. And I, for one, truly believe he can.

I'm not 100% convinced.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

Jeff says:

I'm simply amazed by how many "progressives" have come around from hating Gore in 2000 to worshipping at the oracle's feet in 2007. My current thinking is that Gore is probably a favorite on the coasts, but is probably a nonfactor right now in the flyover states--it is all to easy to forget that most of the country thinks we're all a bunch of liberal nutsacks even though a lot of the national media outlets play to our tastes in a nod to the size of our advertising markets. So, I too am not 100% convinced that Al Gore is our salvation, but will admit that he looks a lot healthier since he started his campaign diet.

Posted by: Jeff at May 31, 2007 5:40 PM #

Arno says:

The best thing that Gore has done since losing (really?) and then going into hiding is become a human being. He's not a robot politician so much anymore and I think that this dramatic shft in public persona as well as a very clear agenda makes him far more attractive now. I agree with Jeff that mid-america probably has a different position but lets look at the democratic run at the moment: It includes a woman and a black man as the "front runners" - anything is possible!

Posted by: Arno at May 31, 2007 5:49 PM #

sweetchuck says:

As much as I think Gore would be great presidential material (didn't we elect him once?), I have to agree with Arno who is agreeing with Jeff that mid-america just doesn't see him that way. But also, I think he is currently doing the best thing he could be doing at this moment in time. He's taking his status and going after one highly important cause (a broad one to be sure).

Posted by: sweetchuck at May 31, 2007 6:21 PM #

niklas says:

My only concern would be that he has a book out and is in promotion mode. The thesis of that book (and the likelihood that he believes it to his core) will lead to countless moments in debate or Q&A formats where he will rail against the nonsense that people clammer about when there are important issues to focus on. Continuing to drive home the point - or simply refusing to answer low-value questions - will distract him and much of the public from whatever platform he wants to put forth.

Posted by: niklas at June 1, 2007 9:55 AM #

Jw says:

I'm not convinced that Gore would be the right choice. I live in Obamaland, and whatever dem gets nominated I pretty much know that my vote will be just one of the majority in Chicago, rendering its power on a national scale moot. But I wonder if people are exaggerating Gore's "celebrity appeal" a bit too much.

Just because of his PowerPoint movie, everyone's getting all antsy in the pantsy- I don't think that would fly during the debates.

Posted by: Jw at June 1, 2007 10:29 AM #

Grubby's Dad says:

And it's ONLY June 1st, 2007!!

Gore vs Clinton vs Obama?

Get the 10 oz gloves out!