Al Gore Continues to Play Coy About Future Plans
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11.16.07
Image courtesy of Kango Traveler
If you believe Washington's political chattering classes, Al Gore's decision to remove himself from consideration for the upcoming presidential election is essentially a fait accompli. Indeed, his recent move to join KPCB's high-powered team seemed to dash any remaining hope that he would stage a late entry in the 2008 campaign. Or did it?
Gore told the Financial Times a few days ago that he had not yet made "a Sherman statement" - conventionally seen in politics as signifying a putative candidate's definitive lack of interest in pursuing an elected position. Whether or not he does eventually decide to enter the race (or clarify his position) - we can at least take comfort in knowing that he is advising candidates from both parties on their environmental plans.
“I have talked to all the major candidates in my party, and a couple in the other party, about the climate crisis. I have given advice and answered their questions and will continue to do so,” Gore told the FT, adding that he had "not decided whether I will endorse any candidate or not, much less who I would endorse.”
So what does Gore think of the plans currently being advanced by the major candidates? As it so happens, nothing much: "None of the [candidates] have proposed what I think we should propose." Which would be?
"I think we ought to eliminate the payroll tax and replace it with a carbon dioxide tax. That would be a smart economic policy and a smart environmental policy. It would put a price on carbon dioxide." He also added that would advocate tax cuts for the green technologies he and his partners at KPCB and Generation Investment Management, the firm he co-founded with ex-Goldman Sachs executive David Blood, invest in - such as advanced solar thermal power plants and "smart grids."
Shame he probably still won't consider running.
Via ::Financial Times: Gore coy on domestic plans (newspaper)
See also: ::Al Gore And IPCC Panel Win The Nobel Prize, ::Video: Al Gore Nobel Speech, ::Al Gore Warns of Crises Facing World's Oceans
anyone else think that Al Gore needs to run again already...? he'd get my vote...!
I would also Love Love Love to see Mr. Gore run in the election 2008....All of my family here in California and in North Carolina are all hoping,waiting, and praying he will run.....He is Revolutionary....we will promote him by the thousands day in and out if he decides to run.....From my college classmates to co-workers, family, everyone would love him to run, he's soo gets it, any oil is bad oil, we need progress today not by 2050....We need Volunteers ready to promote Sustainability and Health now, his ideas are the most well thought out and beneficial for everyone....Hes humble but confident appreciative but sees what we could do better.......Please Run for President.......President Gore 08.....that sounds awesome........Thanks for everything and all the inspired positive change going on worldwide.....your really opening people up to the beauty of this earth and helping us to revere our Mother Earth........peace & inspiration
I would also Love Love Love to see Mr. Gore run in the election 2008....All of my family here in California and in North Carolina are all hoping,waiting, and praying he will run.....He is Revolutionary....we will promote him by the thousands day in and out if he decides to run.....From my college classmates to co-workers, family, everyone would love him to run, he's soo gets it, any oil is bad oil, we need progress today not by 2050....We need Volunteers ready to promote Sustainability and Health now, his ideas are the most well thought out and beneficial for everyone....Hes humble but confident appreciative but sees what we could do better.......Please Run for President.......President Gore 08.....that sounds awesome........Thanks for everything and all the inspired positive change going on worldwide.....your really opening people up to the beauty of this earth and helping us to revere our Mother Earth........peace & inspiration
Perhaps Al should get behind this Australian academic who proposes carbon taxing newborn babies
I live in Thailand and on 22nd, they are going to show on TV for the first time in Asia "An Inconvenient Truth". I'm really looking forward to watching it. I have a great deal of respect for Al Gore, using his position of influence to try to drive home the real problem of pollution.
I don't care if critics complain that Al Gore has jumped on the 'global warming' bandwagon just to promote his future career in politics. What he's doing is great, and I have big respect for it !!!
Al Gore is my hero, we need more influential people like him to push for global environmental reforms.