Seven years ago tomorrow, I read my own political obituary in a judgment that seemed to me harsh and mistaken — if not premature. But that unwelcome verdict also brought a precious if painful gift: an opportunity to search for fresh new ways to serve my purpose.
Unexpectedly, that quest has brought me here. Even though I fear my words cannot match this moment, I pray what I am feeling in my heart will be communicated clearly enough that those who hear me will say, 'We must act.'
Al Gore, accepting the Nobel Prize
As Tim Grieve reminds us on Salon's War Room, "On the night of Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000, a divided Supreme Court issued its opinions in Bush v. Gore, assuring that George W. Bush would become the 43rd president of the United States."
It's almost too painful to think about how things might be different today if things had gone differently seven years ago, but at least Al Gore is getting some karmic justice today.