Sorry for the vulgarity (title updated to something hopefully less crass) but it seems that any and all actions taken by the former VP are now being scrutinized as possible signs that he will/will not run for President.
I'm taking the opportunity to bring us all back from the brink of hysteria (seriously, some of this sounds like a 13-year old who walks, talks and eats the Cheetah Girls), and make some modest suggestions about some things that can make a real difference in the lives of ordinary Americans.
Yes, Gore running and winning the nomination, and eventually the Presidency, would likely be good for the country. At this stage in our history, a potted plant running and winning the nomination, and eventually the Presidency, would likely be good for the country, or at least better than what we have now.
But even a Gore Presidency will be limited in its immediate effects on the nation. I know this is an "elect Democrats" site, focused on electoral politics, but it's important to remember that without grassroots action on the ground, it doesn't much matter if Gore runs or not. Thankfully, many people on this site are doing fantastic and valuable work on the ground, and I'd like us to take a moment to be inspired by them, and take action ourselves.
Here are a some things that we can do, now, if we ignore peripheral issues like Gore's activities, get off the computer, and get to work.
- Organize a union in your workplace, or work to support union organizing drives in your community/city/state. One of the few consistent measures of a just, equal, and democratic society is the level of unionization. When less workers are in unions, democracy and social/economic justice suffers. When more workers are in unions, democracy and social/economic justice increases. There is simply no better solution for the problems we face as a nation and as workers than a strong, democratic labor movement. Giving money to candidates is good and necessary, but giving money to an organizing campaign will have a far greater effect on your immediate community.
- Register people to vote. Get the f*ck out there and do it. If they aren't registered, they can't vote, and there's a lot you can do, even outside the party structure, to get folks registered. Offer to drive them to the Secretary of State. Take the time and do it.
- Find an organization that gets little or no attention, working for people or a cause that flys under the radar. Who is representing the unrepresented, the voiceless? Here's one idea: The Sentencing Project, working for a "fair and effective criminal justice system," reforms in sentencing laws and alternatives to incarceration. Give to them, or find out how you can volunteer.
I know many will read these and think "uh, right . . . I know, and I'm already doing it or something else worthwhile." That's wonderful. Please use the comments to let us know what you're doing, with links to organizations (national or local) doing good work with people on the ground.
I probably don't have to say this, but if we aren't active, and limit ourselves to scrutinizing Gore's bowel movements, and complaining about sociopaths like Malkin and Coulter then whether Gore runs or not won't make a dime's worth of difference. Make today about our involvement, our action.