Matt Drudge v. Al Gore
Matt Drudge v. Al Gore
The Drudge Report is known mostly as a wildly popular online news outlet, but when the site's creator and editor, Matt Drudge, wants to insert his editorial voice into the national debate, he certainly can, and does. Drudge lashed out at Al Gore this Monday after Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," took the Oscar for Best Documentary.
Citing a press release by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, Drudge reports that Gore's Tennessee household uses twenty times as much energy as the average person's home, and that the former vice president's energy consumption has increased since the release of his anti-global warming film. "The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy," the report says. "In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh -- more than 20 times the national average."
Gore shot back at Drudge Monday through an interview with the liberal Web site ThinkProgress:
Responding to Drudge's attack, Vice President Gore's office told ThinkProgress:
1) Gore's family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.
2) Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint -- a concept the right-wing fails to understand. Gore's office explains:
What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gore's do, to bring their footprint down to zero.
The spat has been picked up by news and opinion media outlets across the nation, and it is bouncing its way through the blogosphere. (Scroll down to the "Update" section of this Huffington Post entry for a handy summary of the comments.)
In the eyes of those who already approve of Gore's global warming message, the charges don't seem to diminish the former vice president's stature. On the Huffington Post, for example, a blogger proclaims, "Al Gore is a hero." Conservatives, however, are using the charges to reinforce Gore's image from the 2000 election as a hypocrite and opportunist. Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters writes, "Gore wants the rest of us to downsize and conserve rather than just treat energy like any other market -- and Gore is obviously not doing that for himself."
And then there's this comparison Rush Limbaugh made between Gore and President Bush on his radio program yesterday: "Compare Gore's mansion and Bush's modest 4,000 square foot little house on a ranch in Crawford. Who is it that is actually walking the walk here when it comes to conserving energy? It is not Al Gore."
By Rob Anderson February 28, 2007; 11:29 AM ET Previous: Cross Country: Advice for Presidential Candidates Main Index -->
Comments
Please email us to report offensive comments.
The Republicans are absolutely scared to death of an Al Gore run for President. They continue to try to trash him at every move. Gore won the first Presidential run and he would win again. That is why they attack him at every move.
Posted by: Donna February 28, 2007 12:22 PM
Al Gore is a hypocrite... And if you look up the word 'Hypocrite' in the dictionary it should say - See DemocRAT. Because most of them are. Say one thing, do another has been the DumocRAT motto since the Civil War.
Posted by: Iain February 28, 2007 12:24 PM
The attempts to smear Gore are off-base, misleading and typical of the right wing smear machine. Why bother putting things in context or telling the truth? Credibility hasn't been a concern of the right wing since W rolled into town. The Drudge Report and Rush Limbaugh are pathetic.
Posted by: dan February 28, 2007 12:25 PM
One of the more distressing developments in recent times is the ability of groups to provide a piece of information, present it without any context, and use it to completely misrepresent the situation. I believe this is a perfect example. Assuming that the 221MWh the Gore's used is correct (and I'm not thinking it is) there would have to be more to it than they are just running the A/C all day long with the windows open. I mean really. That much energy would mean an average current of 230 Amps, not something that you can actually do by running ALL of your appliances full out 100% of the time.
So, either there is some significant piece of the picture that was left out, OR it is wrong.
Either way, I submit that in the effort to do what exactly I don't know (are these the Pro-Global warming types or are they just unable to exorcise a personal animus against Gore?) this group has chosen to ignore the simple fact that while Gore could be taken to task for using 50% more power than average, or even 100% or so, 22 times just isn't reasonable to blame on being a glutton.
Posted by: Joel February 28, 2007 12:25 PM
"Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint "Carbon offsets are the biggest scam since snake-oil! What they mean to say is that they aren't about to cut back on guzzling electricity and pumping out CO2 into the environment. They are buying $$$ their way out of not having to do a damn thing!
GWB on the other hand walks the talk with is environmentally friendly awesome home.
Posted by: Mike C February 28, 2007 12:26 PM
"Citing a press release by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research . . ."
A press-release from a phony Think Tank (as reported today by the Post's own Howard Kurtz)that serves as 'news' for Right Wing nut-jobs and journalists like Rob Anderson, worthy of discussion on its own merits. I wonder if the journalism school Mr. Anderson received his degree from is anymore legitimate than the one Jeff Gannon 'earned', because at my alma mater, San Diego State, that would not be called 'news'.
So let me get this straight: The Washington Post was that really wonderful organization that used solid investigative journalism by two intrepid reporters to bring presidential to the light of day?
Wow. What a long way you have fallen.
Posted by: Chad Boyer February 28, 2007 12:27 PM
"Say one thing, do another has been the DumocRAT motto since the Civil War."
This comment is too stupid for words.
Did you get this lame "DumocRat" insult from 3rd grade where you have been held back sine you got there?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/editorialist/2007/02/matt_drudge_v_al_gore.html
The Drudge Report is known mostly as a wildly popular online news outlet, but when the site's creator and editor, Matt Drudge, wants to insert his editorial voice into the national debate, he certainly can, and does. Drudge lashed out at Al Gore this Monday after Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," took the Oscar for Best Documentary.
Citing a press release by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, Drudge reports that Gore's Tennessee household uses twenty times as much energy as the average person's home, and that the former vice president's energy consumption has increased since the release of his anti-global warming film. "The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy," the report says. "In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh -- more than 20 times the national average."
Gore shot back at Drudge Monday through an interview with the liberal Web site ThinkProgress:
Responding to Drudge's attack, Vice President Gore's office told ThinkProgress:
1) Gore's family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.
2) Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint -- a concept the right-wing fails to understand. Gore's office explains:
What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gore's do, to bring their footprint down to zero.
The spat has been picked up by news and opinion media outlets across the nation, and it is bouncing its way through the blogosphere. (Scroll down to the "Update" section of this Huffington Post entry for a handy summary of the comments.)
In the eyes of those who already approve of Gore's global warming message, the charges don't seem to diminish the former vice president's stature. On the Huffington Post, for example, a blogger proclaims, "Al Gore is a hero." Conservatives, however, are using the charges to reinforce Gore's image from the 2000 election as a hypocrite and opportunist. Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters writes, "Gore wants the rest of us to downsize and conserve rather than just treat energy like any other market -- and Gore is obviously not doing that for himself."
And then there's this comparison Rush Limbaugh made between Gore and President Bush on his radio program yesterday: "Compare Gore's mansion and Bush's modest 4,000 square foot little house on a ranch in Crawford. Who is it that is actually walking the walk here when it comes to conserving energy? It is not Al Gore."
By Rob Anderson February 28, 2007; 11:29 AM ET Previous: Cross Country: Advice for Presidential Candidates Main Index -->
Comments
Please email us to report offensive comments.
The Republicans are absolutely scared to death of an Al Gore run for President. They continue to try to trash him at every move. Gore won the first Presidential run and he would win again. That is why they attack him at every move.
Posted by: Donna February 28, 2007 12:22 PM
Al Gore is a hypocrite... And if you look up the word 'Hypocrite' in the dictionary it should say - See DemocRAT. Because most of them are. Say one thing, do another has been the DumocRAT motto since the Civil War.
Posted by: Iain February 28, 2007 12:24 PM
The attempts to smear Gore are off-base, misleading and typical of the right wing smear machine. Why bother putting things in context or telling the truth? Credibility hasn't been a concern of the right wing since W rolled into town. The Drudge Report and Rush Limbaugh are pathetic.
Posted by: dan February 28, 2007 12:25 PM
One of the more distressing developments in recent times is the ability of groups to provide a piece of information, present it without any context, and use it to completely misrepresent the situation. I believe this is a perfect example. Assuming that the 221MWh the Gore's used is correct (and I'm not thinking it is) there would have to be more to it than they are just running the A/C all day long with the windows open. I mean really. That much energy would mean an average current of 230 Amps, not something that you can actually do by running ALL of your appliances full out 100% of the time.
So, either there is some significant piece of the picture that was left out, OR it is wrong.
Either way, I submit that in the effort to do what exactly I don't know (are these the Pro-Global warming types or are they just unable to exorcise a personal animus against Gore?) this group has chosen to ignore the simple fact that while Gore could be taken to task for using 50% more power than average, or even 100% or so, 22 times just isn't reasonable to blame on being a glutton.
Posted by: Joel February 28, 2007 12:25 PM
"Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint "Carbon offsets are the biggest scam since snake-oil! What they mean to say is that they aren't about to cut back on guzzling electricity and pumping out CO2 into the environment. They are buying $$$ their way out of not having to do a damn thing!
GWB on the other hand walks the talk with is environmentally friendly awesome home.
Posted by: Mike C February 28, 2007 12:26 PM
"Citing a press release by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research . . ."
A press-release from a phony Think Tank (as reported today by the Post's own Howard Kurtz)that serves as 'news' for Right Wing nut-jobs and journalists like Rob Anderson, worthy of discussion on its own merits. I wonder if the journalism school Mr. Anderson received his degree from is anymore legitimate than the one Jeff Gannon 'earned', because at my alma mater, San Diego State, that would not be called 'news'.
So let me get this straight: The Washington Post was that really wonderful organization that used solid investigative journalism by two intrepid reporters to bring presidential to the light of day?
Wow. What a long way you have fallen.
Posted by: Chad Boyer February 28, 2007 12:27 PM
"Say one thing, do another has been the DumocRAT motto since the Civil War."
This comment is too stupid for words.
Did you get this lame "DumocRat" insult from 3rd grade where you have been held back sine you got there?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/editorialist/2007/02/matt_drudge_v_al_gore.html
posted by presgore19 at 10:45 AM
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