LaSalle on Fat Al

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The San Franciso Chronicle's Mick LaSalle on Fat Al...Gore, that is. And La Salle's odd attraction to the idea of Gore running again for President in '08. It would be great if Gore were to run a campaign as a way of keeping environmental concerns in the forefront, but c'mon...he's said over and over and over that he's not running, and if he did he'd look like yesterday's news standing next to Barack Obama. The only way a Gore run could possibly ignite would be if he dropped 30 or 40 pounds. I've always felt there's a slight disconnect between a guy preaching prudence and caution in the consumption of dangerous fuels when it's obvious he's needs to practice more prudence and caution a when it comes to rich foods. Gore's weight doesn't exactly undermine the message of An Inconvenient Truth , but it kind of fiddles with it on some level.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 17, 2006 at 11:09 AM

comment #1

Mike Schaefer says ...

Clearly somebody at the SF Chronicle wants Mick LaSalle to be their version of Frank Rich. Which is laughable if you're familiar with LaSalle's body of work. Ain't gonna happen.

Posted by Mike Schaefer at November 17, 2006 11:48 AM

comment #2

adorian says ...

If this thread is going to be about presidential politics, I think the Democrats should run a team of Edwards-Obama in 2008. That gives South and North as well as white and black.

Posted by adorian at November 17, 2006 12:05 PM

comment #3

Rich S. says ...

This is the best political post Jeffrey has done in a long while. I was afraid when I started reading it that Jeffrey was going to give Al a pass on his girth because he agrees with the politics. I'm glad to see he remains consistent. Okay, so his analysis is still a little squirrelly, but it's not hypocritical.

Posted by Rich S. at November 17, 2006 12:43 PM

comment #4

Jeremy Smith says ...

Agreed, adorian, but only if the Dems enlist the master, Sammy Cahn, to pen a catchy campaign jingle.

Posted by Jeremy Smith at November 17, 2006 12:55 PM

comment #5

Nate West says ...

Of course, physical fitness is no guarantee of fitness for office. Witness the slim exercise nut we have at hand now, ruling over the worst foreign policy debacle in American history. Pass the peanuts.

Posted by Nate West at November 17, 2006 1:01 PM

comment #6

jeffmcm says ...

Wells's Obama-mania is almost as bad as David Poland's Dreamgirls-fever.

Posted by jeffmcm at November 17, 2006 1:30 PM

comment #7

Joshua Mooney says ...

Just how fat is Gore, anyway? He HAS put on some pounds. I guess it matters. No way Grover Cleveland or Bill Taft would be elected in today's media-centric world. You know, the shrinks would say Gore's been trying to fill the void in his life with chocolate eclairs.

Posted by Joshua Mooney at November 17, 2006 1:31 PM

comment #8

Rich S. says ...

Agreed, Nate, but Jeffrey has gone on record many times in the past as asserting that being overweight is a type of character flaw. Of course, he also doesn't like red ties, as evidenced by his distaste for Daniel Snyder. I was just pointing out that Jeffrey is sticking by his guns on this issue even though he likes Al Gore otherwise.

Posted by Rich S. at November 17, 2006 1:32 PM

comment #9

L.B. says ...

Good point, Nate. Given the exercise freak's record, I'd take Taft back in a cholesterol-caked heartbeat.

And, yeah, standing next to Obama, Gore would look like. . .someone with a great deal more experience with national and international politics than someone who hasn't finished their first term in the Senate? Just a guess there. (Remember how well that fresh-off-the-vine thing worked for Edwards and he was running for the #2 spot.

Al Gore can do what he likes. At least he's comfortable with himself. It's not like he keeps a blog with a picture of himself from a couple of decades ago on its masthead.

Posted by L.B. at November 17, 2006 1:41 PM

comment #10

storymark says ...

"Wells's Obama-mania is almost as bad as David Poland's Dreamgirls-fever."

Now you're being intellectually dishonest.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Posted by storymark at November 17, 2006 1:43 PM

comment #11

Nate West says ...

I will concede that Gore's weight is an inconvenient truth. But Barack Obama's "lack of weight" will also be revealed, in due course, as a metaphor for his lack of experience and gravitas. Obama, as we all know, has not been in any sense "tested." If he runs, you will hear plenty about how he grew up as "Barry" and adopted "Barack" as an affectation. You'll hear about his drug use, including his coke consumption. You'll hear about his mother, who is white, an academic, and a non-religious person. Eek! The liberal elite personified. And, of course, there will be surprises. There are always surprises.

"Hope" is good. I like hope. Some of my best friends are "hopeful." But hope is not enough.

Posted by Nate West at November 17, 2006 5:27 PM

comment #12

nemo says ...

"[Al Gore would] look like yesterday's news standing next to Barack Obama."

Richard Nixon looked like yesterday's news in 1966. He lost his run for President in 1960 and for Governor of California in 1962. He hadn't held elective office since 1960.

Ronald Reagan looked like yesterday's news in 1978. He lost the 1976 primary run to Ford, and hadn't held elective office since 1974.

Posted by nemo at November 17, 2006 9:32 PM

comment #13

nemo says ...

Of course, the big difference between Gore now and Nixon and Reagan back in 1966 and 1978 is that Nixon and Reagan were still devoting their energy every day to pursuing the presidency. Gore does not seem interested anymore.

Posted by nemo at November 17, 2006 9:37 PM

comment #14