Bob Herbert knocked one out of the park with today's op-ed. He's thinking about Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize and the connection to the presidency, starting with the upcoming election.
The first thing media types wanted to know was whether this would prompt Mr. Gore to elbow his way into the presidential campaign. That's like asking someone who's recovered from a heart attack if he plans to resume smoking.
Then a look back:
Mr. Bush came to mind because, for all of the obvious vulnerabilities he exhibited in 2000, it was not him but Mr. Gore who was mocked unmercifully by the national media. And the mockery had nothing to do with the former vice president’s positions on important policy issues. He was mocked because of his personality.
In the race for the highest office in the land, we showed the collective maturity of 3-year-olds.
… and back to the present, after quoting a nuanced thought from Gore:
That's just the kind of thoughtful comment that can’t get a real hearing in our sound-bite politics. The result is that reality, untidy and complex, is almost always trumped by well-crafted phoniness.
Which brings us to Mr. Giuliani.
Inside baseball (metaphor continued): Ten points to the first person who can pick up the subtle dig that Herbert delivers to Maureen Dowd (hint: not listed in any of the above excerpts).
And if you're really into inside baseball, Gail Collins has a great quiz for you, right on the same page. (Thanks for vanishing, TimesSelect!)
More Gore Lore, from Jon Chait (h/t: TPM).
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