The Gore Effect

One of the few things the Bushies ever really got right was the smearing of Al Gore. While everything from the Iraq War, tax cuts, politicizing the DOJ, and even winning the presidency eventually blew up in their faces; the smearing of Al Gore is still paying great dividends. And via Carpetbagger, we see that in a mindnumbingly stupid article from Politico called Tracking the Gore Effect

For several years now, skeptics have amusedly eyed a phenomenon known as “The Gore Effect” to half-seriously argue their case against global warming. 

The so-called Gore Effect happens when a global warming-related event, or appearance by the former vice president and climate change crusader, Al Gore, is marked by exceedingly cold weather or unseasonably winter weather. 

Only a braindead numbnut with the scientific expertise of a small chihuahua could possibly give any credence to such an effect existing in reality.  But of course, nobody really does.  As the article says 

Tracking The Gore Effect "doesn’t contribute much to the actual making of policy," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican spokeswoman Lisa Miller. But it "can be fun."

And people say that Republicans don't know how to have fun.  I always get great laughs when discussing global catastrophes of epic proportions.  But of course, that's not what they're making fun of.  They're just making fun of dumb ol' Al Gore, the loser phony liar who can't get anything straight.  And sure, he's now considered far more respectable than Bush, Rove, or any of the people bashing him; but still the braindead gossip mongers just can't leave the guy alone.

The Summer of 2000

And it's truly sad to think that they still imagine Gore as this hapless loser who's still in the dumps.  For as badly as everything's gone for the Bushies, these people still hold on to the belief that Gore is this Charlie Brown character who we all laugh at due to his inability to catch a break.  Reality tells us that Gore was entirely vindicated while everyone associated with Bush is forever disgraced; but for Gore's critics, it's always the summer of 2000 and Bush is the head frat brother dousing the nerd wannabe with beer.

And this is the true Gore Effect.  It was the Bush campaign's ability to so completely smear Gore that reality just can't seep in to change their impression of the guy.  I have no doubt that they realize what a complete failure Bush has become, but all the same, a special "Gore's a Joke" circuit takes over the moment his name is mentioned.  They're simply incapable of wrapping their brains around the new information, and even a Nobel prize won't change that.  

And again, this is the one truly lasting achievement of the Bush Administration.  Long after people forget how Iraq became such a war-torn country, and even after we've all become accustomed to the changes that were required for us to reverse Global Warming; these people will continue to think of Al Gore as a hapless bozo who deserves only mockery and ridicule.  And if that means they have to make complete bozos of themselves in order to have a little fun, so be it.