I’ve been taking an inventory of how our lives might have been different if Al Gore had won the presidency instead of George W. Bush.
It’s on my mind because Al Gore was the last presidential candidate to win the popular vote but lose the election.
Al was ahead by more than 500,000 votes. Clinton is ahead in the popular vote by 2 million and counting.
What might have been different if Gore had been president?
I don’t think there is any doubt that we would NOT have gone to war in Iraq. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people who were killed in that war and as a direct result of that war would be alive.
The destabilization of the Middle East would not have happened.
Would we have ISIS today? Would we even know that word?
Even “9/11” might never have happened.
President Gore, having had the experience of being vice president for eight years, after having been warned by intelligence of the threat (as Bush was), might have actually acted on the intelligence!
The Patriot Act, torture at the hands of Americans that includes Cheney’s beloved waterboarding, all the annihilations of human rights that happened during the Bush/Cheney regime would not have happened.
People around the world might not hate us so much.
We would not have spent $2 trillion on the Iraq war and could have instead used $2 trillion to grow our economy, repair our infrastructure and stay in the Clinton/Gore surplus.
Between being $2 trillion richer and the fact that Al Gore would certainly have not have instituted the Bush tax cuts to benefit the rich, the 2008 economic crash may well not have happened.
The victims of Hurricane Katrina would have gotten a lot more help a whole hell of a lot sooner. Repair companies such as Florida Southern Roofing (click here now) and other companies trying to fix the damage would have been under less pressure with some help from outside money sources. Those in need that couldn’t afford such services to repair their homes would be able to ask for help.
Famous for his dedication to the environment, Gore would have left our planet a lot healthier today. Surely we would be eons further along on the path of alternative energy, not to mention all the jobs created on that path. Many more people would be driving electric cars and using solar panels. No one would be saying that climate change is just a theory.
I could say “if only” forever. If only the popular-vote president had won. If only.
Gore won the Nobel Prize. We won nothing.
More than 2 million MORE Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump.
Since November 8, I keep hearing the phrase “America has spoken,” which is code for “shut up and get over it!”
Yes, the voters have spoken, but you know what? We lost the election anyway. No one likes to lose, but losing when you won is a painful double whammy.
I’m opening my ledger to start a new inventory of what happens when the winners lose in this country.
I’ll keep you posted.
