Gore’s campaign: Already a loser

By Jon Dougherty

The more Vice President Al Gore tries to distance himself from
President Clinton, the more he seems like a clone — at least
politically — of Clinton. The most recent of his campaign policy
speeches, given a couple of days ago in Boston, proves that. Gore’s
legislative agenda continues to embody every worn out liberal slogan,
ideal and notion of a utopia we will never achieve in this world.

But that’s OK because such agendas in today’s political climate are
proven losers.

Witness the failure of socialized medicine a la
“HillaryCare.” Witness the demise of Bill Clinton’s attempt to allow
open homosexuality in the military. Witness the outrage over Gore’s “no
controlling legal authority” White House fundraising excuse and his
abuse of a Buddhist temple for campaign donations in 1996.

Witness also the plethora of executive orders issued by Clinton
because he could not get popular support for things like huge federal
land grabs, making war on sovereign nations, expanding anti-gun and
pro-abortion legislation, and federalizing a new range of crimes.

If, as the mainstream pundits insist, our country is “moderate” to
“left-leaning,” then how come all these dripping liberals have to be
dishonest and disingenuous just to get their legislative agendas passed?

Gore’s recent speech, designed to stake out his position on crime,
was a liberal propaganda show from start to finish. Delivered in Boston
on Monday, it was complete with the customary photo-op backdrop of local
police officials, adoring crowds and sound bites over truth and factual
substance.

For the entire world it was less a political speech than a blueprint
for Nazi America.

Here are the speech’s major problems:

  • Gore wants to make it a federal law that all handguns “shall be”
    licensed and registered, with owners being forced to submit to a
    photo-type ID issued by government. He reasoned, “We require a license
    to drive a car in this nation in order to keep unsafe drivers off the
    road. Now we should require a license to own a handgun — so people who
    shouldn’t have them can’t get them.”

    Someone should tell the vice president — for the 1,000th time —
    criminals with guns don’t register them, are never going to register
    them, and aren’t paying attention to laws requiring them to register
    guns now. Also, his comparison between automobiles and guns is worse
    than lame. While Americans are guaranteed the right to travel freely,
    the mode of transportation is not constitutionally guaranteed.
    Driving a car is a privilege; owning a firearm, in this country, is a
    right. Government is allowed to regulate a privilege; it is
    supposed to protect a right. Firearm ownership, by comparison,
    is explicitly spelled out in the Second Amendment.

    Finally, someone should also tell Mr. Gore that while all states
    require driver licenses, there is no federal law requiring persons to
    have one. As usual, Gore’s solution to this problem is more
    intrusive government regulation and less freedom.

  • Gore tried to blame concealed carry of weapons laws on the recent
    high school shootings, which was so misleading it borders on the
    criminal.

    Never mind that these kids are getting their guns illegally
    and as such conceal them illegally. In fact these kids who shoot other
    kids at school violate somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 laws
    regarding firearms when they commit their crimes. So where is the
    justification for adding new gun laws when there is obviously no
    indication that new ones will even work?

  • Gore openly and brazenly lied about the National Rifle
    Association’s position on concealed handguns.

    He said of those advocating more concealed gun laws, “… they can’t
    conceal the fact that they’re just doing the NRA’s bidding.” The fact
    is the NRA has been a leading advocate for safe, responsible and
    legal firearms ownership in regulatory environments, though most
    in the NRA membership rightfully advocate little restrictions and
    regulations of firearms ownership. Gore committed an obvious lie in
    order to create ill will and thus garner votes.

  • Gore also said he will work to pass new “hate crimes” legislation,
    adding, “When a killer on a rampage picks Jews, blacks and
    Asian-Americans as his victims, I do not understand how some can still
    argue that hate crimes are no different than all other crimes. They are
    different.”

    No, Mr. Gore, they are not “different.” People who are killed
    because of their race — or their religion, political beliefs or just
    because they were in somebody’s way — are just as dead as others who
    are killed regardless of the reason. Your rhetoric is designed to stir
    emotions, create division among the electorate, and obfuscate (that
    means “to lie about”) the real issues surrounding crime. Only a scumbag
    would seek to garner votes in this dubious and dishonest manner.

There was more.

At one point regarding the licensing of guns, Gore said, “… To me,
it’s worth it. And I am sure the decent people of America will agree,
because too many illegal guns are flooding our communities and too many
precious lives are being lost.” In other words if you oppose him on
this measure, you’re not a “decent” person.

The VP called for an end to “the hateful practice of racial profiling
in America.” He said, “If I am elected president, the banning of racial
profiling will be the first civil rights action of the new century.”
Hypocritically, however, Gore — along with Clinton — has been
“profiling” conservative religious figures, gun owners, property owners,
tax protesters, pro-life advocates and families as wacko kooks for
nearly a decade. Only this time, Gore obviously wants to do that
as president instead of merely vice president.

“I want to see the day when America’s police, prosecutors and public
defenders reflect the full diversity of our nation,” Mr. Gore also said.
In other words he’s announcing that he still favors giving jobs to
unqualified people just because of their race — an unconstitutional and
illegal use of the law.

While on the one hand it disturbs me to see a fellow American trash
the founding principles of this country, it also makes me happy because
such a political agenda these days is a sure loser.

On that note, Mr. Gore, I say please — don’t change your message one
bit.

Jon Dougherty

Jon E. Dougherty is a Missouri-based political science major, author, writer and columnist. Follow him on Twitter. Read more of Jon Dougherty's articles here.