CE Week #12: “Gore will be honored at, yes, the White House “
Peter Baker
Washington Post
November 17, 2007
WASHINGTON – Maybe he’ll bring the slide show.
Former Vice President Al Gore plans to return to the White House after Thanksgiving, apparently for the first time since leaving office, to be honored by the man who beat him seven years ago.
President Bush will host five American winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes in the Oval Office on Nov. 26, including the winner of the Peace Prize, who fell 538 votes short of hosting the event himself. No word on whether the Supreme Court will be on hand to mediate in case of trouble.
The president regularly invites Nobel laureates for a handshake and photograph and decided this year would be no different, even if they include his vanquished rival from 2000. The Gore camp said the White House went out of its way to accommodate the former vice president’s schedule, even moving the event when there was a conflict with the first proposed date. Bush telephoned Gore on Friday to finalize the arrangements.
“The president wanted to call him and lock that in and make sure he’s going to be able to come,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. “He also offered his congratulations and said he looked forward to having him here.”
A Gore adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged the awkward nature of the event. “It’s unusual, that’s for sure,” he said. “But the conversations were good, and the White House has been very gracious about it.”
The situation is not entirely unprecedented. Bush invited Jimmy Carter to the White House to mark his Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, even though the former president had been lambasting the march to war in Iraq.
President Bill Clinton honored defeated challenger Bob Dole with the Presidential Medal of Freedom three days before taking the oath of office for the second time in January 1997.
But Bush and Gore, while together at events such as the opening of Clinton’s library in 2004 and Gerald Ford’s funeral last year, have never reconciled the bitterness from their showdown, and the adviser believes that Gore has not been back to the White House since leaving as vice president.
Gore has been a vocal critic of Bush’s policies, while the president has been dismissive of his former opponent’s work against global warming. Asked once whether he would see Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth,” Bush had a curt response: “Doubt it.”
This could be the chance to change that. “I’m sure he would love to give the slide show to the president,” the Gore adviser said.
There have been a few times in my life where I have met the guy that stole from the girl I had been crushing on for a long period of time. There have been times where I have had to hang out with people that I have lost to in a debate. There have been times where I have hung out with people I have crushed in a debate. And it is almost always awkward and uncomfortable.
Of course I am not a professional politician like these two men nor have I spent eight years in the white house. But, it is interesting that Bush and Gore are reunited at last. Of course some might assume that Bush will be able to be smug and have the won up on Gore. But I disagree a bit. In the last seven years Bush’s name has sunk to the level of dirt, his approval rating is at a whole time low and the international community holds him in the highest disdain. Flip everything around; add a Nobel Peace Prize and you have Gore. People love that Bush can’t run for reelection and people hate that Gore isn’t running for election. So who exactly is the loser in this situation…?
haha Mr. Kautzman I see why you put this in the FOR FUN section. It’s a pretty funny article given the circumstances in it. However the article seems to make it out that Bush and Gore absolutely despise each other and are going to start a fist fight the second that they see each other in the white house. Although this would be very entertaining and would be the highlight of American Politics for the rest of time, I highly doubt it will happen. What I found most entertaining though is Bush’s response to the question of whether he would ever watch An Inconvenient Truth..I really wish too that Gore would get the opportunity to show the slide show though..that would be special.
For some reason, I guess I’ve never really thought as Bush and Gore as enemies, or even just guys who despise each other. It all makes sense though. After the 2000 election, I’m sure if it was me, I would have difficulty being nice to the person who won in the end. This evening with the two, Bush and Gore, could potentially be interesting. I find it fascinating that even though the two despise each other, Bush worked around Gore’s schedule and even rescheduled to make sure Gore would show up. It could either be a potentially awkward and uncomfortable evening, or one where the past can be forgotten, or at least forgotten momentarily. I’m sure it would be a rather interesting and incredible experience for Gore if he was to be able to show his slideshow to Bush. After staying away from the White House for that long, what an awesome way to be invited back: whether by Bush or not, a presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize and a potential for the slideshow appearance, I’d take it.
For the first time in eight years, a man will enter the White House who actually won the public’s popular vote. Now I am not a strong Gore supporter, but I am a Democrat and not exactly Bush’s fan club president. So I see this as a bit of irony. Not only has Bush managed to continually do worse over the past eight years, but Al Gore has somehow managed to do better. He is now banking on his new reputation as a Bono-like award winner. But I have devised an evil scheme for Mr. Al Gore that would surely rock the foundations of the next election. When would be a better time to unveil his plans to run for president than the one moment over the last eight years where he is receiving more attention than President Bush? Better yet, the media is sure to be gathering in large quantities, waiting for such an announcement. So give us all what we want Al, show us how ignorant we were for stopping the recount. Make us regret giving up on you. If Al Gore announces his candidacy, he will not only have no problem raising the money, but will almost certainly have a cake walk into the one office that he desires most. Congrats President Gore!
Connor Christeson
Life is so weird sometimes isn’t it?
The world of politics is one of the craziest parts of our American way! Still, I don’t see why this is such a big deal. Like Derrick said earlier we all have moments in our life where we have to be around people we don’t necessarily agree with or get a long with. You just do and you do it with a smile. Really, Derrick is right who is the loser here? Let me add another question: Why does it matter? President Bush is just carrying out the tradition that has always been done. Why shouldn’t Al Gore be honored at the White House? Just look at all the things he has given us: the Internet, An award winning film, umm….you know stuff like that?
This whole situation – no matter how awkward for the people involved, just isn’t a big deal.
To me it seems odd that Bush has to honor the man that he beat just about seven years ago. It will actually be this monday that this Nobel Prize winner will see his old competition again. He might go there and be happy about his award, but also somewhat sad again about losing to President Bush. Who knows how history would have played out with Al Gore as the leader. It might be very different right now. I think that it isn’t very funny to say that there has been “No word on whether the Supreme Court will be on hand to mediate in case of trouble”. Its not like Gore didn’t admit defeat after it was all over. He licked his wounds and left the dog fight. It seems that maybe since all of this Al Gore may run again in 2012 or later. I really hope that he does because he is really the only one now (next to Hillary) that could really win this thing. I don’t see why George Bush is so nice to Al Gore. I mean he never to me seemed like the kind of man that would be nice to someone after dominating them in one of the most remarkable Presidential races of all time.
To honor the man that you defeated seven years ago could be very hard. But then again, it could be harder for the man you are honoring to be honored by you. Not to steal Derrick’s analogy, but it can be hard to look in the face of the girl that stole your boyfriend and smile sincerely. But we must do it, especially if the even was seven years ago. Bush and Gore will no longer have to run against each other for the presidency – Bush is done. So I think that it would be the most prudent thing to put on a happy face (no matter how hard that may be) and get through the event. It is not like they have to be the best of friends for the rest of their lives. And it sounds like Bush has made the conscious effort to be pleasant and accommodating to Gore, while Gore still seems wary, like Bush is trying to trick him or something. We all lose at some point. Get over it. And while Bush’s answer to whether or not he would actually go see “An Inconvenient Truth” was terribly funny, it sounds to me quite honest. It is the answer that I know a few of my friends would give. I think that everyone needs to lighten up a bit. Maybe the ice will break.
~Liz