Gore: My Fellow Americans…

26 February 2007 |permalink | email article

Maureen Dowd said before the Academy Awards that because of David Geffen’s caustic remarks about the Clintons there would be more buzz about Hillary and Barack than about the film nominees.

Doud seemed to suggest that with Al Gore’s little independent film up for a best documentary award, his name could add to the Hollywood buzz and perhaps electrify the audience with a major announcement. Such anticipation turned out to be a running gag during the show.

In one skit Leonardo DiCaprio complemented Gore on the documentary. Gore dryly said, “I’m here for the movies.” Pushed, Gore started to make a mock statement, “My fellow Americans, I’m going to…,” only to be drowned out by music and applause.

George Clooney, announcing a supporting actor winner, joked that he was drinking backstage with Jack Nicholson and the vice president. “I don’t think he’s runnng.for president.” Gore and wife Tipper laughed in their aisle seats.

Producing an award-winning Oscar for “An Inconvenient Truth,’ a 100-minute slide show about global warming, was a stunning comeback for the Democrat who won the popular vote for president in 2000 only to have a Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision give America George W. Bush.

David Guggenheim, AIT’s director, shared the golden silhouette with Gore and said, “We were moved to act by this man,” again to applause.

Unlike any previous unsuccessful presidential nominee who has lost, the former vice president has rehabilitated his image in record time and vaulted from mere politician with a lifetime interest in climate change to unlikely global superstar.

Described by The Washington Post as “not only totally carbon neutral, but geek-chic cool.” Gore responded that conversations with people convinced him that the film “had a big impact” on the way they “think and feel about our moral responsibility to protect the Earth.”

Despite a headline in The Politico today suggesting activists are urging him to run, the only way Gore would is if the Clinton-Obama-Edwards field capsized.

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