posted September 17, 2007 01:36 AM            

I vaguely recall reading somewhere that Gore was opposed to civil rights or something, many decades ago, but my memory is too vague on that.

According to liberal Tom Tomorrow (of "The Modern World"), Al Gore has been an opponent of abortion rights and gun control, has called homosexuality "abnormal," voted with Jesse Helms against a bill that would've protected HIV patients from discrimination (and sided with Helms during the Mapplethorpe Controversy), helped undermine the endangered species act in the snail darter case, fought in the construction of a nuclear reactor in his home state, and pushed for a "free trade agreement" on timber with NO conservation measures, an outspoken proponent in the Gulf War, voted for the Neutron Bomb; B-2 bomber; Trident II , MX and midgetman missiles, and backed Ronald Reagan's Star Wars.

The thing that brought this up for me was recently reading about the "hyperconservative PMRC," a censorship group in the 80s started by Tipper Gore with Al Gore's help. And I found this on YT that shows Tipper and Al Gore leading it (especially the last minute):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pvmyNnepTk

That is, the claim is that Tipper and Al Gore were hyperconservatives. Granted, Republicans joined in their crusade, but Tipper was the primary founder and Al Gore was one of the most active politicians in promoting its agenda.

Tipper Gore also wrote a book called Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society, which you can see more about here:
http://www.bookslut.com/propaganda/2002_06_000028.php

Since then, Hillary wrote (ok, her ghostwriter wrote) It Takes a Village, which when I read it looked like something a sunday school teacher would've wrote. Hillary, a good friend of Tipper Gore (at least they get a lot of pix together and they seem to enjoy each other's company), has also banded with arch conservatives in going after video games. (Worth pointing out that Bill Clinton was fast to sign the Defense of Marriage Act into law, too. Plus, he, and I think Hillary, supported Janet Reno's goal of promoting mandatory school uniforms to help in "morality.")

My question is, back in the 80s, were the Gores considered conservatives? And if so, were they seen as unusual Democrats, or were Democrats in general seen as conservative? (Given that I was born in late 82, I didn't pay any attention to politics in the 80s.) Or is my trying to make any sense out of these things doomed to end in insanity if I don't give up looking for what isn't there?

posted September 17, 2007 02:02 AM            

Tipper was a big player in that censorship movement. Bands have tributed her accordingly (if you know what I mean).