Ya know, when "longtime political strategists" from the Democratic party start offering advice, my first instinct is to duck beneath the desk, stick my fingers in my ears and start singing loudly, "I can't hear you!! Neener neener neener!" Democrats seem to choose strategists like baseball teams choose managers: Experience trumps all. Never mind that the veteran's experience consists mainly of losing. Once you're in the club, you can count on getting recycled ad nauseum, and I do mean nauseum.
So I was a bit surprised to find that this rather cogent '08 analysis, advancing a dream ticket of Al Gore and General Anthony Zinni, came from an apparently experienced Democrat strategist. Extend for details.
Now this Brent Budowsky fellow apparently once worked for Lloyd Bentsen, but I won't hold that against him. He appears to have come through it all with good instincts. And by "good instincts," I mean, of course, he agrees with me.
The first sign that we deal here with a person rooted in reality is the importance Budowsky assigns to early opposition to the Iraq War. None of this "I was for it before I was against" stuff. Budowsky reminds us of these pre-war comments by Gore and Zinni:
On Oct. 10, 2002, responding to those eager for war, Zinni said, "I'm not sure which planet they live on, because it isn't the one that I travel in." Warning that President Bush and Vice-President Cheney were underestimating the difficulty of establishing a new government in Iraq after an invasion, he said, "God help us, if we think this transition will occur easily."
Gore was equally prescient, warning in a speech on Sept. 23, 2002, "that the course of action that we are presently embarking upon with respect to Iraq has the potential to seriously damage our ability to win the war against terrorism and to weaken our ability to lead the world in this new century."
Gore added, "To put first things first, I believe that we ought to be focusing our efforts first and foremost against those who attacked us on Sept. 11. Great nations persevere and then prevail. They do not jump from one unfinished task to another. We should remain focused on the war against terrorism."
No apologies necessary for those comments.
Then Mr. Budowsky gets a bit unfair. He enters John Lennon world, asking us to imagine some of the benefits of this ticket. He croons:
Imagine an American President and Vice President who believe that America is a great national family; that America is a house with many rooms in which we should all treat each other with patriotic respect, where we honor our common commitments and shared purpose, not tear at each other's throats.
Imagine a Commander in Chief who, like virtually all previous Commanders in Chief, treats the Loyal Opposition with respect and takes into account their opinions when crafting security policies that truly make the nation safer, instead of treating opponents with the contempt shown by the current administration toward those who warned against a rush to an unwise war.
Imagine an American President and Vice President who would reject a strategy of using war as a partisan weapon - and instead work to unite the nation the way Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower did or to inspire the freedom-loving people of the world the way John F. Kennedy did.
Damn, Sam, sign me up for that one and I mean now. And if that ain't enough to get your heart a-thumpin', Budowsky clinches the deal with the ultimate tease, at least for those of us sick of watching the other guys screw everything up. He dangles the carrot of victory in front of our collective noses:
A Gore-Zinni ticket also could win politically - and possibly win big. It would have the potential to rally the Democratic base, attract the vast majority of political independents and appeal to many Republicans alarmed at today's course of events in Washington.
A victory for Gore-Zinni would represent a national determination to end the politics of personal destruction and partisan vendettas. It would uplift Americans who are tired of the politics of anger, fear and polarization and want leaders who work together with mutual respect.
There's more good stuff in this piece, even if much of it is preaching to the converted. I suspect that, in light of recent reports that the polar ice cap is melting even faster than feared, few of us need convincing of the benefit of nominating THE guy who has been out front warning of catastrophic climate change. Still, it's nice to hear the point made by a real live pol, if only to whet the appetite for more of the same in an actual campaign.
Of course, Vice President Gore currently disavows any intention of running in '08. Notwithstanding the wisdom of Yogi Berra, who once said, "If people don't want to come to the ballpark, no one can stop them," we must stop Al Gore from persisting in this foolish course of conduct. We like you, Al. We really, really like you. This is your moment. Seize it. Please.