Book Description
What sort of a man is Al Gore? What's his real political record? This is the first unsparing look at the man whom his parents raised from birth to be president of the United States. Inside these pages, you will find:
* How Al Gore and his father got on the payroll of one of America's most ruthless tycoons, Armand Hammer
* How Al Gore has relentlessly exploited his sister's death and son's accident for personal political advantage
* How Al Gore violated the most basic journalistic ethics by helping the cops run a sting operation on a black politician in Nashville
* How Al Gore played midwife to the MX missile
* How Al Gore became a soul brother of Newt Gingrich
* How Al Gore race-baited Jesse Jackson and introduced George Bush to Willie Horton
* How Al Gore shopped his vote in support of the Gulf War to get prime-time coverage for his speech
* How Al Gore pushed Clinton into destroying the New Deal
* How Al Gore plotted to stop Democrats from recapturing Congress in 1996 in order to keep his rival Dick Gephard from becoming Speaker of the House
* How Al Gore leached campaign from nearly every corporate lobbyist in DC, and broke pledge after pledge to protect the environment
Customer Reviews:
Did any one who gave this book a high rating even bother to read it?.......2007-06-09
Did any one who gave this book a high rating even bother to read it? Not only is it poorly written, but it relies on unsupported theories, misinterpreted half truths, and gross fabrications to support it's allegations. There's very little substance to the book, not surprising given the author's lack of credentials and the convenient timing of this books publication. But hey, anything to sell a few more copies right?
I'm all for pointing out the hypocrisies of political figures. But please try to make the allegations atleast slightly based in fact.
Dilemma of Conservative Democrats.......2006-01-03
I read this book with a sickening feeling inside of me. Liberals and progressives like me are compelled to support the Republican-lite wing of the modern right leaning Democratic party politicians. Clinton and Gore were not progressives or true men of the people. They did not promote the common good or enhance domestic welfare. The authors forget to mention in their very excellent book that Gore wrote to the airline industry executives and told them that his airline safety initiative would not harm their financial base. Proper airline safety,profiling, baggage checking and secured cockpits would have diminished the probability of Sept.11. Gore is a typical dixiecrat, son of the South, rich man's spoiled son who pandered to defense,nuclear and corporate interests who bankrolled him. The book is truthful,intelligent and compelling. We liberals must stop electing rightist Southern "democrats" who support militarism,intervention and the gutting of the social safety net. The liberal renaiisance of the Democratic party must develop and conservative social darwinism must decline in our nation. Gore is Bush without neoconservative advisors. Let us demand democratic politicians who promote health care,nursing home reform,consumer rights,affordable housing and safe environments. I want to thank the authors for their courage and integrity in writing this painful and troubling book.
A good biography of a cheap politician.......2001-06-03
Find out in this book how Al Gore while vice president helped companies loot millions of acres of our forests, fastened the extinction of the spotted owl, blocked efforts to make companies pay more than little or no royalty fees to loot taxpayer owned resources, helped increase contractor fraud at the Pentagon, helped strengthen the racist and civil liberties destroying criminal justice system, supported drilling off the coast of Mexico and in the National Petroleum reserve in Alaska, supported stripping mining, especially that of the mountain top removal variety, supported the setting of emissions standards well below that of the Kyoto protocol which were never met, helped George W. pollute Texas by his support of Nafta, helped strengthen fossil fuel producers, helped weaken Affirmative action in government, supported the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, supported what will perhaps one day be the destruction of the U'wa people in Colombia through his very extensive relationship with Occidental Petroleum and support for the death squad government there, supported Monsanto's crusade to dump genitically modified foods on Europe, presided over an economy of stagnant and declining wages and greater insecurity for American workers. The list can go on and on.
They give a good outline of Gore's congressional career. They portray him as pro-gun (not too different than Mr. Cockburn's views of course), pro-tabacoo, pro-Reaganite arms buildup (he was a prime mober for the midgetman missle), a consisten support of the Jesse Helms line on the homosexual question, someone who while occasionally roaring against the more blatant corporate criminals turned a blind eye to the radiation tests that gave children leukemia ( killing at least one) at the Oak Ridge nuclear lab in Tennesse and helped establish a precedent by getting a waiver on the Endagered species act against the snail darter species for a worthless dam that only benefited construction and cement magnates. In the 88' campaign he campaigned as right wing demagogue because that is what Patrick Caddell, the pollster, told him what the "silent majority" were looking for. Actually a not insubstantial part of that group was inclined to support Jesse Jackson and Gore did very badly in the primaries but not before travelling to New York for the party elite to help ruin Jackson's canidacy along with the demagogue Ed Koch.
The section on Tipper's crusade against obscene lyrics is rather amusing--the supposed Gore family encounter with the music of Prince which originally spurred Tipper on her crusade and Gore praising the music of Frank Zappa during a senate hearing.
The authors could have done a little less of the "tell-all stuff"==e.g. how policy was supposedly made and interactions in the white house e.g. Bob Woodward's account of Clinton's alleged reaction to having to break his campaign promises and support Alan Greenspan's neoliberalism--and expanded on some of the more important issues. They say absolutely nothing about a very important issue, about Gore's working to pressure African countries, paritcularly South Africa, into complying with drug company patents which block countries from producing genereic AIDs drugs at very substantially lower cost. They repeat the canard about Gore claiming he invented the internet, that he and Tipper were the inspiration for "Love Story" and so on.
But overall this book is so much more substantive than the book put out by Cockburn's former friend Christopher Hitchens. The latter's book was fawned over by the likes of Chris Mathews, David Horowitz and Larry Klayment of Judicial Watch. Rush Limbaugh called Hitchens, a self-declared hardcore socialist, "our favorite liberal." The authors have gotten no such attention and that is very telling.
Stink, Stank, Stunk.......2001-01-13
I can't believe that I read this book from cover to cover. The very subject of Al Gore, his dishonestness, and his complete lack of integrity, is enough to make one give up their belief in the validity of the American government system.
A Loser's Manual.......2001-01-05
Cockburn and St. Clair did what none of the other books on Gore dared to do: critique the prince of Tennessee from the left. They show how Gore betrayed labor, coddled the big telecommunications firms, sold himself to the defense and nuclear industry, stabbed blacks in the back by supporting tax credits for racist schools and by pushing to destroy the federal welfare system and flip-flopped on abortion. They even reveal how Gore ran away from his pledges to protect the environment. All in pursuit of his sole, all-consumming ambition: to win the White House whatever the cost. Ultimately, Gore was defeated by the very forces he had turned his back on: greens, trade unionists and peace activists. In that sense, St. Clair and Cockburn's book can be seen as a Loser's Manual. Amazon's offering it at a great discount. It's also a fine investment, since if there's one thing we know about Gore it's that he'll be back.
Amazon.com
In the tradition of coauthor David Maraniss's Bill Clinton biography, First in His Class, this solidly researched portrait of Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore assumes readers' familiarity with his recent political activity. A scant 10 pages covers Gore's eight years as vice president, for instance; the rest concentrates instead on filling in the background. Maraniss and Ellen Nakashima both write for the Washington Post, which published portions of the book, and their journalistic experience shows in a readable narrative that smoothly integrates quotes from extensive interviews conducted with colleagues, friends, and the candidate himself. Persuasive detail and careful analysis thoroughly delineate Gore's personality: intelligent, competitive, driven to excel but not to please. Gore's oft-criticized stiffness and perceived coldness, the authors argue, come partly from a Southern formality inherited from his father, Albert Gore Sr., himself a staunch liberal whose bitter 1970 loss of his U.S. Senate seat convinced his son that it was wise not to get too far left of conservative Tennessee voters. Though a baby boomer, admitted former dope smoker, and firm environmentalist, Al Jr. emerges here as a natural moderate, comfortable working within the establishment. This conscientious chronicle of his life and career gives a good intimation of what kind of a president he'd be. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
After losing the closest American election in years, Al Gore remains a fascinating political figure, a man both revered and reviled. Drawing on documents, letters, and interviews with more than three hundred people, including six lengthy conversations with the vice president, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Maraniss and Ellen Nakashima look closely at the forces that have shaped Gore's life and career to explore the man behind the contradictory public persona. Beginning with Gore's earliest years -- when this son of a senator was torn between elite Washington and rural Tennessee -- one is struck by the image of a young American prince burdened by expectations of his likely political fate. With a new afterword written after the election, The Prince of Tennessee depicts Gore as an intelligent and competent man whose struggles with self-doubt and insecurity made him one of our least understood presidential candidates.
Download Description
With the same meticulous reporting style and narrative sweep that marked his critically acclaimed and bestselling biographies of Bill Clinton and Vince Lombardi, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Maraniss, teaming with colleague Ellen Nakashima, turns his attention to Al Gore. How did a man considered too dull, wooden, and polite to become president become one of the toughest campaigners in recent history, someone clearly willing to do whatever it takes to win? Who is this man who enlisted in the Army and served in Vietnam in a futile attempt to help his anti-war father's political career, then followed his father's path to the House and Senate, and at age forty made his first, premature bid for the presidency, largely to fulfill his father's expectations? The Prince of Tennessee examines the forces that shaped Gore's life and career, revealing why he thinks and acts as he does and what his past might foretell about the kind of president he would be. It draws on documents, letters, and interviews with more than 300 people, including six lengthy conversations with the vice president, to explore the man behind the public figure. From Gore's earliest years -- when this son of a senator is torn between elite Washington and rural Tennessee -- one is struck by the image of a young American prince struggling with expectations and his likely political fate. Yanked back and forth by his competing impulses of ambivalence and competitiveness, creativity and orthodoxy, selflessness and self-aggrandizement, Gore's run for the White House is both uneven and inevitable.
Customer Reviews:
He Failed Because Of His Christian Ethics........2005-09-05
"It's a new day," proclaimed Al Gore on October 6, 1999, in Nashville. It would have been a great day had he stepped out of Clinton's shadow when we learned the truth and not stood by his man. There is such a thing as survival, and Gore was too much of a gentleman to hold Clinton's pecidillios against him. Brought up a Southern Christian, he remembered the Bible teaching that "he who is without sin shall cast the first stone."
Gore wasn't being exactly tolerant of Clinton's absurd behavior (now we know that Hillary ran the White House, so what did old Bill have to do but 'play around'?), he just distanced himself from the sordid affair and tried to pretend it hadn't happened. That's the Tennessee way. Don't get involved in other's dirty laundry, but keep it clean for yourself. His sqeaky cleanness didn't help even when he tried to act like others and do silly dances in public. That just wasn't the real Gore.
Being a private person, as am I, he is introspective and sensitive -- though he didn't show it -- and just not one to turn his back on his 'friends.' Trained by ambitious parents to be a politician, I feel that it would have been better had he been a corporate attorney. Lawyers always exaggerate and fabricate to win their cases, and usually put on a good show. I know, I've worked for some.
Chief Justice Rehnquist overruled the Florida Supreme Court to appoint Bush instead of Gore, even though the public had voted him in. May he roast slowly in hell. Gore deserved that win but he was too arrogant to come down to the normal Tennessean lifestyle. He turned his back on us instead of the fallen hero in the White House. He still acts that way with the press sometimes, so I feel that the job he was prepared for all his life will never accept him. It takes a dab of humility to be the people's choice.
He did go to Viet Nam and that in itself would change an ordinary person profoundly. A V.N. vet told me about the atrocities done to our men out in the field, like the sharpened cane stalks which could gut a person, and the children being used as suicide bombers. Even though Gore wasn't out in the worst of the fighting, he was there, and that matters.
Clinton did not serve any military service and almost ruined all of them during his tenure by 'balancing the budget' at their expense. Both Bushes started wars. Gore would have known how to finish it fast to get on with the world's problems. Because of his not being allowed to take the office he won, Europe has formed their own United States and will be the superpower status we could have kept had Gore been able to take over the White House. He and Tipper are an inspiration to all who know them. He worked hard to inform us of the environmental mess we now find ourselves in; he tried to warn us of the calamity we now endure with the changeable weather and its dire consequences.
Great read.......2003-03-26
If you are looking for a balanced account of a complicated man this is the book for you. Maraniss is one of the best writers of this generation and he simply continues to impress.
Forest Gump Goes To Washington w/ Tragic Results.......2002-11-27
I guess the folks in Tennessee were not so fond of the Prince during the 2000 election. Maraniss failed to do his homework because many people in Tenn loathe Gore. I was hoping the author would go into whether Gore's father was a member of the Klu Klux Klan but this appears to have been whitewashed this dirty little secret.
Gore could have done something about terrorism (six Islamic bombings during his VP) but Al was in the bathroom after drinking to much tea at illegal fundraisers.
Explores the Inward Persona.......2002-04-21
Al Gore has been described as a cerebral achiever, a policy wonk with a sturdy propensity to master political minutiae. This is one reason why he has been described as "driven" in a way that his rival in the exciting, close 2000 presidential election, George W. Bush, was not, despite the fact that Bush is the son of a former chief executive.
Maraniss and Nakashima dig out the facts of Gore's boyhood and collegiate days. They provide the formative clues which enable readers to determine what makes Al tick and prompts him to respond to political challenges with a dogged intensity.
Like the now President George W. Bush, Gore had strong political roots of his own, Albert Gore Senior, who was an intense achiever in the same tradition as his son. Gore attended law school by night, romanced Gore's mother and married her during that busy period, then ultimately was elected first to the Congress, then the Senate. He would ultimately be defeated in his bid for a fourth term in 1970 as a result of his opposition to the Vietnam War, which was frowned upon in conservative circles in his home state of Tennessee.
From early boyhood Gore was groomed by his father to achieve the highest pinnacle of political success. This commanding sense of duty would ultimately do him in during his debates with Bush. Despite his command of political facts, and in some measure because of this trait, many voters became nervous by his intensity. As a result this uncomfortable feeling saw these voters gravitate toward Bush and his offhand "ah shucks" manner. Gore was seen as the class smart aleck determined to impress with his encyclopedic command of facts.
This intensity to strive, propelled into Gore early by his father, is explored in great depth extending into his political career as well. Maraniss and Nakashima note that on many occasions, due to this intensity to strive successfully, Gore has been given to exaggerations which his political enemies would seek to extrapolate into untruths. A classic case was Gore's statement that he "invented the Internet." When his qualification is examined one can see that this is an exaggeration rather than a falsehood since he was one of the farsighted Senators to recognize the potential of this soon to become American communications revolution. He became one of the first Washington insiders to propose federal government funding for the new daring project.
Successful biography answers questions by presenting the backgrounds and actions of subjects, making them more comprehensible as people. Maraniss and Nakashima succeeded in this endeavor in the case of Albert Gore.
To understand Al Gore, you must read this.......2002-04-20
I was a huge Al Gore supporter, and then I read this book... and I still am a Gore supporter. It was great to finally understand the man and why he acts the way he does. This provides a very in-depth look at his character and personality, and why he has that tendency to "stretch" the truth a bit.
The section about Gore's service in Vietnam also answers many questions. Gore actually was affected by the experience, and that's no lie.
I have decided from reading this book that Gore will definitely run again in 2004, and the reason I think so deals with his father. Read the book and you'll agree.
Book Description
A Skeptical look at Vice President Al Gore and his bid to become President. Information not found in other books that comes complete with footnotes. This is the most complete and timely book about Al Gore and the facts that are needed by voters before ballots are cast in the critical 2000 Presidential Election.
Customer Reviews:
BUllSH**.......2007-05-29
don't waste a minute with this moral majority TRASH. it's sad to live in a country where brains don't net you a thing...votes, respect, the right to preside over the MAJORITY who voted you in as president.
I miss the old Al Gore!.......2005-08-30
Yeah I miss the old Al Gore. The Al Gore that would exploit his sisters death to win votes on a campaign trail then totally reverse his opinion (sorta of like John Kerry eh, Flip/Flop) when on another campaign again to gain votes and saying what he knew the people wanted to hear. That old Al GORE would speak out for or against abortion based on his audience. Hey John Kerry was not the first or only Flipper in the democrat party. But I liked that Al Gore. He kept you wondering. He ven claimed that he invented the internet. But then said he didn't invent it, he just created it! (HUH???) He would say a Zebra can't change it's spots and in front of USA Today reporters while in France on seeing busts of Jefferson, Adams and Washington, asked :Who are those guys."
I liked that Al Gore. He was sorta of like a real life Al Bundy.
Perhaps Gore should be a shoe salesman.
The new Al Gore is a boisterous, bellowing, loud mouthed 50+ punk who acts like a teenager at a high school football game. The new Al Gore makes Teddy Kennedy sound timid and is just about as clueless. The new Al Gore is obviously filled up with hate, but then again this is the man who in his hierarchy of values put himself first and his country last. So why be surprised?
This is an excellent book about the real Al Gore. All Americans need to read it and all democrats definitely need to read it to see just who you have running, actually make that ruining your party and the United States of America!
Also recommend 100 People Who Are Ruining America (Al Gore made the list) and At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried To Steal The Election. If you think this guy is a saint, think again!
The real Al Gore is showcased here...............2004-09-12
I discovered the real Al Gore during his debate with former VP Dan Quale back in 1992. Quale completely dominated that debate and punched holes through Gore's claims about what the democrat party could do for America. Quale also pointed out that any economic gains that might happen if the democrat party came in would be due to the republicans, most notably the late Ronald Reagan who created the polices that would make that growth possible coupled with the fact that the republicans still would control the house even if Clinton won.
Gore seemed unprepared and outclassed. He looked like a teenager who had no clue what was really going on. Unfortunately, the Clinton/Gore team did win back in 1992 (thanks to the media which were even so bold as to claim that Gore won that debate!) but I never forgot that old debate or the one that followed when Gore debated Ross Perot when Clinton refused and once again Gore was clueless.
Prince Albert will tell you things about Al Gore that only FOX NEWS would release and the rest of the media, the mainstream media will ignore.
Also recommend At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried To Steal The Election by Bill Sammon.
More people should have read this prior to election '2000.......2004-08-06
To all the people who think that Al Gore is a paragon of virtue and a champion of truth. To those of you who think that Al Gore would have made a great President, pick up a copy of Prince Albert and then get down on your knees and thank God that the right man won in 2000 and that hopefully we are finally rid of this pathetic human being called Al Gore, Jr.
udderly ridiculous.......2004-07-08
I wish I could get my money back for this book. Bossie is clearly trying to rise the ranks of right wing distorters by throwing blames everywhere. This book is chuck full of nonsense and is intended to distract readers from the real problems. I recommend this book to all the Rush Limbaugh wannabees, but to all who realize the ridiculous partisanship and distortion on both sides is not helpful, then read a book a someone who has actual experience in the political realm!
Average customer rating:
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Clinton Websites: Five Official Archived White House Websites from 1993 through 2001 ¿ President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Speeches, Reports, Overseas Trips, Initiatives, Programs, Impeachment, Histories, more - Core Federal Information Series (Two CD-ROM Set)
Clinton Administration
Manufacturer: Progressive Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 1592480616 |
Book Description
This incredible set of two CD-ROMs provides a historic collection of five representative archived Clinton websites maintained by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The first White House Web Site was developed in 1994, during the Clinton Administration. The White House took "snap shots" of each version. These versions are historical materials, "frozen in time," which means that they are no longer updated and links to other sites will not work. Some images were not provided to the National Archives and Records Administration and may appear as broken images or links. Version 1 is representative of the first White House web site. The information contained within this snap shot is as it existed in November 1995. Version 2 is representative of the second major release White House web site. This generation of the White House web site introduced the White House as the "Gateway to Government." The information contained within this snap shot is as it existed in August of 1999. Version 3 is representative of the White House web site as it existed in July of 2000. Version 4 provides examples of Audio (July through December, 2000), Video (August through November, 2000) and other online documents (August) as provided for by various features on the White House web site. Version 5 is the final version of the White House historical web sites. It represents the web site as it appeared during the last days of the Clinton Administration. See the Table of Contents link for a thorough list of documents and topics on these site reproductions; the files are illustrated with dramatic color photography, charts and graphs. Here is just a small sample of the material included here:
Includes texts of speeches and remarks by President Clinton, 1993-2001. Major speeches include State of the Union Addresses; Remarks on the Death of Prime Minister Rabin; Speech on Race Relations October 16, 1995. Press Briefings, Frequently Asked Questions, Radio Addresses, and Press Conferences are also covered.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's Speeches and Remarks, 1993-2001, are included as well as First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's Health Care Speeches. Also featured is The First Lady At Work On Issues.
Official Staff Biographies of Clinton-Gore Administration personnel are featured. Includes the Official Clinton Biography: A Place Called Hope. Also covered are The First Family, Family Life (including color photos of Socks the Cat and Buddy the dog), Family Life at the White House, and Celebrating the President's Inauguration.
Each of President Clinton's many overseas trips is extensively covered with photography, country profiles, speech texts, and event summaries. Destinations included Russia, Ireland, and Northern Ireland; Southeast Asia (Guam, Japan, Korea); Greece, Italy, Norway and Turkey; Africa; People's Republic of China; France, Netherlands and the United Kingdom; Mexico, Costa Rica, and Barbados; Spain, Poland, Romania and Denmark; Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina; Portugal, Germany, Ukraine; Middle East: Jerusalem, Gaza City, Bethlehem, Masada.
Clinton-Gore Statements of Administration Policy on Legislation throughout the administration's term are provided. Coverage of State and Official Dinners is included as well as White House Recipes is included. Clinton-Gore Administration Initiatives covered include: President Clinton's Plan to Balance the Budget in Seven Years (December 7, 1995); Americorps; Pension Simplification Plan; Goals for a National Partnership in Aeronautics Research and Technology; Rebuilding America for a New Era; Safe Start; Science in the National Interest; From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity; Clinton-Gore Plan to Strengthen and Modernize Medicare; Telecommunications Act of 1996; 21st Century Community Learning Centers; Net Day; Welfare Reform; Most Favored National Status for China; The Clinton Presidency: National Service and Philanthropy.
Major Clinton-Gore Administration Reports reproduced include: The Clinton-Gore Administration: A Record of Accomplishment (By Issue, By State); Improving the Quality of Life for America's Working Families: Progress By The Numbers; Economic Record; A Nation Transformed: Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments 1993-2000.
The documents are reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Apple Macintosh systems. Reader software is included on the CD-ROM.
Our CD-ROMs are privately-compiled collections of official public domain U.S. government files and documents - they are not produced by the federal government.. They are designed to provide a convenient user-friendly reference work utilizing the benefits of the Adobe Acrobat format to uniformly present thousands of pages that can be rapidly reviewed, searched by finding specific words, or printed without untold hours of tedious research and downloading. Vast archives of important public domain government information that might otherwise remain inaccessible are available for instant review no matter where you are. This book-on-a-disc makes a great reference work and educational tool. There is no other reference that is as fast, convenient, comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and portable - everything you need to know, from the federal sources you trust.
Amazon.com
Bill Turque's biography of Vice President Al Gore will probably be remembered mainly for its charge that Gore smoked pot much more often in the 1970s than he has previously acknowledged. Yet this allegation--delivered by apparently credible sources--is just a tiny snippet from Gore's life story, as told by this Newsweek reporter. Turque begins with Gore's childhood years in Washington as the son of a senator and traces his steady climb to become the Democratic Party's favored candidate for president in 2000. The author admires Gore's liberal politics, but is also frustrated by what he considers the vice president's tendency to trim:
Gore is an usually thoughtful politician who has been an important, even prophetic voice on issues like global warming, arms control, and the changes wrought by the Information Age. But his life and career have also been punctuated by separations never quite achieved, and by bold strokes never quite converted into personal or political liberation.
Turque recounts a number of Gore scandals, most notably his questionable fundraising at Buddhist temples and heavy-handed calls to party donors (over which he famously claimed there was "no controlling legal authority"). And these stories clearly trouble Turque: Gore, like President Clinton, plays "games with the truth. But where Clinton's lies have been those of self-protection and survival, Gore's have by and large been ones of self-aggrandizement and glorification." Overall, Inventing Al Gore is a balanced and authoritative portrayal of a man whose most important years may lie ahead. --John J. Miller
Book Description
Why did Al Gore, after angry opposition to the Vietnam War, submit to the draft? What happened in Vietnam that made him sullen and bitter? After renouncing politics, what set him back on the track mapped out for him? What made him claim (falsely) that he invented the Internet? How closely is he allied with the tobacco industry? What is the real nature of his partnership with Bill Clinton? How was it altered by the Lewinsky affair?
"Inventing Al Gore" addresses these issues and more as it unveils the true motivations, ideals, and idiosyncracies of one of Washington's most inscrutable men. Bill Turque, who covered both of Gore's vice presidential campaigns and the Clinton White House, draws on extensive access to Gore's key advisers, friends, and family. He unmasks a man who in private can sing and dance to George Strait's music but in public measures every comment and gesture with legendary caution. As Turque details, Gore's great political albatross -- a lack of empathy -- was hatched during his lonely childhood as the product of ambitious political parents who groomed him for the presidency. Turque's keen analysis also uncovers the genesis of Gore's questionable fund-raising and of a political platform laden with worthy but emotionally safe planks such as bioethics, global warming, and the Internet. In addition, Inventing Al Gore illuminates how personal tragedies have shaped his political life and the remarkable influence that women, from his mother to Naomi Wolf, have had on his career.
"Inventing Al Gore" reveals Gore to be one of the most intelligent, idealistic men in Washington, yet one who is repeatedly prone to prevarication, exaggeration, and avoidance of hard issues. Turque offers a meticulously researched narrative filled with colorful, insightful details that sharpen the debate over whether Gore can outgrow his limitations and excel in the office he has prepared for all his life.
Customer Reviews:
Al Gore's Heritage is Top Notch........2005-08-22
Loved the pictures on cover and in the photo section; it's hard to imagine he was ever that young. As a mother of three boys, I can safely say that he was a cute little boy, and was trained to become president of the United States from the age of four. He was too cautious about being called a liberal that he bent over a bit too far the other way. I was called a 'liberal' recently because of my version of the MARCH OF THE PENGUINS movie. I said, "I am not conservative, either; I am not a Democrat (though I do tend in that direction); I am not a Republican -- I am not political.
In 1989, Al Gore traveled to Antarctica to prove his environmental study of global warming and damage to the ozone layer. To not be an astronomer, he still was very believable. I'm just wondering if he noticed that seventy-mile march those male penguins made to 'mate,' and the seventy-mile march the females made to get food for the young. I hope so. He looked good in that parka, with his hair all wind blown. As the young Nashville reporter, he looked like son, Zach.
The 'flower child' Tipper with her first baby was beautiful in 1971. The family photos were just marvelous. I remember when his dad, Al, Sr. was our Senator from Tennessee. It's hilarious that Clinton had the gall to criticize Al Gore after his loyalty to a corrupt politician (that's why he had the impartial 'stare'!) and erroneously made the statement about his co-pilot & friend's "lack of political instinct." Pauline Gore was the real politician in that family even though it was the dad who was elected. Gore has good political genes and training.
Clinton never was the real president; his wife Hilary was, and held the apron strings. He wasn't very smart anyway, but not appreciating Gore's refusal to say nasty things about him is inhuman. Al Gore would have accummulated more votes and there would have been no question at all about his winning the election if he had just turned his back on Clinton after he lied about Monica ("I did not have sexual relations with that woman!") and campaigned on his own integrity.
He and Tipper became much bigger as they aged; I am getting smaller (lost another 1/2 inch due to osteoporosis), but they are still good looking and dignified people. Al Gore does not need "inventing" as he was a wholesome, mannerly candidate, just not Southern enough to carry his home state. He was well-educated in the East (like our mayor and former mayor) but he did turn his back on us here in Tennessee. If it had been the other way, and he had deserted Clinton's sinking ship, he would have been (maybe still could be) the best President of the United States ever.
Review of notes.......2004-12-30
I'll be brief. I have not read the book, I'm not a big Gore fan. I'm commenting on the mention of Gore "claiming (falsely) to have invented the Internet" in the main review. Check the Daily Howler on that. Search for Gore Internet.
Point: Gore never spoke this famous quote. It was made up. Gore said, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." This caught no one's attention because ... IT WAS TRUE. Even Gingrich gave him credit for that.
After the RNC laundered Gore's statement, and spun it dry, the spun-quote was repeated by pundits for 20 months.
That Turque supports this LIE in his book completely disqualifies him from any suspicion of veracity, or pretense to veracity.
Not that I don't believe Gore has spun things, especially his supposed environmental stance. But it would be bad to point that out, because that would make him out to be LESS liberal, and wouldn't serve the attack machine.
Well, Gore's over, but the pundits lying is not.
Both sides of the story............2003-02-01
seems evident in this book. I feel the author made an honest attempt to write an unbiased account of Al Gore. His strengths are demonstrated as well as his faults. The only weak spot in the book is that the 2000 election wasn't covered.
Excellent account of an enigma.......2002-11-21
Al Gore recently emerged from "mending fences" in Tennessee to launch a media-driven national charm offensive that he hopes will land him in the White House in 2004. Even though the former vice president seems more at ease these days as he exchanges barbs with the likes of David Letterman, Gore still comes across as uncomfortable and at times coached (did handlers teach him to laugh?) largely because he is the enigma Bill Turque describes in Inventing Al Gore: A Biography. For those who love and despise the former vice president, and for the vast majority in whom he inspires absolutely no emotion one way or the other, Turque's biography, written before the 2000 election debacle, remains relevant today. After you finish Turque's fair and balanced account of Gore, you will be pumped full of the substantive and trivial and won't be any closer to knowing who the former vice president is than you were in 2000, 1996, 1992, 1988, or last week on Larry King. This in no way detracts from Turque's biography, and if anything proves the author knew his subject is a mystery. Neither David Maraniss nor anyone else has been able to unravel this complex politician, and unlike Turque they didn't have the insight to know it is impossible.
Good background reading.......2001-01-02
This biography does just give lip service to the politician's childhood. The author explains the world in which Al Gore grew up. It describes pieces of his father's life in a way which shows you where Al picked up many of his mannerisms. You will see where the candidate came from.
After reading through this, I know that Al Gore is not as Green as his book would lead you to believe. He does listen to businesses and has accepted money. This is no different than any other candidate. This book brings all of this to your attention so that you can make your own informed decision.
The tone and flow are good. I had no trouble following the narrative or understanding what point the author was trying to make. Too often, an author has his own axe to grind and steps away from informing the reader so that the reader can make his or her own decision. Turque's style makes this a good read.
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Al Gore: Leader for a New Millennium (People to Know)
Laura S. Jeffrey
Manufacturer: Enslow Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 0766012328 |
Product Description
This up-to-date and informative CD-ROM provides a unique collection of documents about the career of former Vice President Al Gore, who ran for President in 2000 and may seek the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. Material includes speeches, policy statements, and news releases. In all, the disc has over 40,000 pages reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Apple Macintosh systems. Reader software is included on the CD. Our CD-ROMs are designed to provide a convenient user-friendly reference work, utilizing the benefits of the Acrobat format to uniformly present thousands of pages that can be rapidly reviewed or printed without untold hours of tedious searching and downloading. Vast archives of important public domain government information that might otherwise remain inaccessible are available for instant review no matter where you are. This book-on-a-disc makes a great reference work and educational tool for anyone interested in the 2008 Presidential election. As a bonus, this disc also includes a virtual federal reference bookshelf of 18 vital and interesting core federal documents with thousands of pages of extraordinary material: HISTORIC AND FOUNDING DOCUMENTS - including the Constitution of the United States with Index and the Declaration of Independence; Constitution as amended with Unratified Amendments and Analytical Index; Pocket Version; Emancipation Proclamation 1863. GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS AND CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS - How Laws are Made House of Representatives; Management Challenges Facing the New Administration; American Government; Minutes of the Senate Democratic Conference 1903-1964 Minutes of the Senate Republican Conference 1911-1964. U.S. GOVERNMENT MANUALS - Complete reproductions from 1997 through the brand-new 2005-06 edition (nine documents). As the official handbook of the Federal Government, The United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Manual also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees.
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Al Gore (Political Profiles)
Kerrily Sapet
Manufacturer: Morgan Reynolds Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 159935070X |
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Al Gore: United States Vice President (People to Know)
Betty M. Burford
Manufacturer: Enslow Publishers
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ASIN: 0894904965 |
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Al Gore: Vice President of the United States (All the President's Men and Women)
Bob Italia
Manufacturer: ABDO & Daughters
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Binding: School & Library Binding
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ASIN: 1562392530 |
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