Fear and Loathing in Al Gore
(Posted 10/30/00)

The sun rises on another day of the Al Gore campaign. As he wakes, he decides which groups he will alienate to garner support for his issues. Fear and envy can be strong weapons when wielded by the right person. Who will suffer from today's attacks? Will it be the religious right, the 2nd Amendment advocates or the wealthy? Only Gore knows which he can exploit to garner support for his views. 

The sun has cleared the horizon and Gore explains why no American deserves a tax cut, especially if the those included in the tax cut make over $100,000. After all, they are rich and don't deserve any more money. They have more than their share and should be forced to give some back. Never mind the fact that those who are the wealthiest have long coat tails and provide benefits for all Americans. They provide jobs and products that other Americans need and use. That's not the way we are supposed to see it. The rich must pay! This will appeal to those who aren't making $100,000 and never see themselves as being that successful. He has made the masses feel anger toward those that have achieved the American dream. 

The sun reaches its midpoint and Gore is explaining the virtues of abortion. It is the right of the woman to chose. It is the only time the big government supporters will use the argument, "Keep the government out of personal lives." Never mind the fact the unborn has a separate DNA code, therefore making it a separate entity. The point we are supposed to take from his words is that we can't have religious morality shoved down our throats. We must fear the Pro-Life movement because they won't stop until we are forced to live by their standards. They must be stopped and abortion is an essential freedom. This will appeal to those who are uninformed or unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions. For those who want an easy way out, Gore has provided the path of least resistance.

As the sun is descending to the horizon, Gore now expounds the necessity of gun control. Even though this right is in the Constitution of the United States, we are to believe that it no longer has merit. Guns kill people. If there were no guns it would be a peaceful society. This will appeal to those who want the violence to stop and believe the weapons are to blame. Never mind the fact that only law abiding citizens follow the laws and guns don't kill people unless they are in the hands of those who belong behind bars. Never mind that gun ownership is a right given in the Constitution. Just trust the government to protect you and your family. If we do this all will be well.

The sun is slipping past the horizon while Gore now about Social Security. He tells us that Bush's plan is a risky scheme and we should trust the government to continue to manage the system. He tells the senior citizens that they will be living on the streets if Bush gets a chance to enact his reform program. This will appeal the senior citizens who don't know how to navigate the Internet and get the information they need. They are afraid of change and will stick with the status quo. Never mind the fact that if things aren't changed the next generation will be paying a 60% tax on their income. 

The day has come to a close and Al Gore puts his head down for a restful night. He knows he has managed to divide Americans. He has portrayed his views as mainstream while getting people to fear opposing opinions and loath those who have more than they do. If he can just keep this up for a few more days he could win. There are plenty of subjects he didn't touch upon today. Education, environment and health care need to exploited before election day. He'll need a good rest tonight, because tomorrow it starts all over again.

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