Gore Sells Out Idaho's 10,000 Seat Taco Bell Arena "Faster Than Elton John"

[NYCGirl]

From Huffington Post's Melinda Henneberger:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/01/23/huffpos-melinda-henneber_n_39362.html

This is a big day for Al Gore: this morning his global warming movie, "An Inconvenient Truth", was nominated for two Academy Awards -- and in the evening, he will learn how the guy who got the job Gore always wanted will address climate change in his State of the Union address. (And look who's sighing now, laughing boy...)

Last night finally convinced me that the former vice president really isn't running for anything in '08; he was funny in public again, for one thing, in a way that those truly in the hunt never are. Yet the public has never been more interested in what Gore has to say. Even here in solidly Republican Idaho, Gore not only packed the 10,000-seat Taco Bell Arena, but sold out the joint "faster than Elton John,'' in about five hours, said Garry Wenske, executive director of the Frank Church Institute, who helped organize the event. "We all know how he did as a political candidate, but this is something else.''

Actually, I'm guessing we'll still be arguing about how he did as a political candidate when the last glacier melts into a sno-cone. But the second part of Wenske's statement is as irrefutable as\ the fact that the ski season is in trouble, along with the polar bears and the permafrost, though the jellyfish and the pine beetles never had it so good. And Gore's impact on public opinion on the threats posed by global warming definitely is something else.

So much so, in fact, that when I ask a student at Boise State for directions to the all-day global warming conference that is the lead-in for Gore's talk on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the kid just laughs: "It's where all the people are.'' Oh, so it is.

Much more at link above

[shain from kane]

1. Don't let the sun burn off the ozone layer.

[hippiechick]

2. "Taco Bell Arena" ??

:rofl: That just sounds wrong ...

[Captain Hilts]

6. I'll have a Nachos Supreme and a seat in section 101A...does a drink come with that...nt

[hippiechick]

8. ... and the more important question ...

... are there 'condiments bars' easily accessible to each section?

I mean, c'mon, I'm not walking all the way back down to the main floor to get more hot sauce!

:P

[ReadTomPaine]

15. Yes, these renamed arenas are ridiculous corporate ass-kissery

"BSU Pavilion" was the name once. Candlestick Park is probably the best example of this nonsense, I'm glad that it's reverting to its original name in 2008.

In the fullness of time I hope the rest of these venues follow suit and this "naming rights" BS fades into history. It does nothing but bring a very short term cash boost, and it does it at the expense of whatever history & dignity an arena may have accumulated over the years.

[NYCGirl]

16. Is it really? I'm so glad! I'm a native San Franciscan, and I love Candlestick

Park — chilly winds and all.

(And I'm old enough to remember Seals Stadium, although I was only a kid.)

[ReadTomPaine]

22. Yes, it was put to an initiative vote in the '04 elections

It will revert back after the current contract ends in 2008. Needless to say, I was thrilled when this happened as well!

Here's a story from Common Dreams about it...

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- November 4 -- On Election Day, in a victory for the growing resistance to corporate names for civic and cultural institutions, San Francisco voters decided not to sell the name of Candlestick Park to the highest corporate bidder. The stadium is taxpayer-owned and home to the NFL San Francisco ‘49ers.

Proposition H was approved by San Francisco voters by a 55%-45% margin. The proposition states “Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco…. he City-owned sports stadium located at Candlestick Point, at Jamestown Street and Harney Way, is hereby named and shall be referred to as ‘Candlestick Park.’ This ordinance shall not apply to any privately-owned facility that may in the future be constructed at that location.”

“The voters have spoken in favor of tradition and history, and against the commercial takeover of our civic and cultural institutions,” said Matt Gonzalez, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

...

“We want to thank the citizens of San Francisco for taking a stand against crass commercialism,” said Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert. “We hope that other cities will follow San Francisco’s lead, and demand that civic and cultural institutions be named after heroes and history, not corporations with fat wallets.”

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/1105-02.htm

[NYCGirl]

24. Thank you so much for the link! I used to go to the Giants games (opening

day every year, too) with my Dad to see Willie Mays play (and Willie McCovey and Jesus Alou).

[Captain Hilts]

31. 'Candlestick' is the site of the last Beatles concert, not whatitsname park. nt

[IDemo]

33. It's affectionately called the "Taco Ballerina" here as well...

[hippiechick]

34. LOL!

:rofl:

[baldguy]

3. Do they have that many Elton John fans in Idaho?

I think he'd have trouble filling the back room of the corner bar there.

[htuttle]

32. Well, no.

But nobody thought Gore had any fans in Idaho, either.

[Ishoutandscream2]

4. Al's a rock star now.

People who voted against him are even regretting their decision in 2000. I still think this is a fine time for Al to run in 08.

[LSparkle]

5. Me too ... I'd love him to announce during his Oscar acceptance speech

but I digress ...

RUN, AL, RUN!!!

[Dora]

9. That would be too soon.

Too long of a battle to fight until the '08 election. If he's going to run, and I hope he does (run, Al, run), I hope he waits for a while longer to announce. Let the media lapdogs attack the early announcers, let the infighting muddy the waters, and when all the candidates are bloodied and bruised and walleyed, may Al enter the race - fresh, strong, and ready to do the Will of the People.

[NYCGirl]

12. Won't happen, because it would upstage the awards won by the producers and

director of the film. Mr. Gore has too much respect for them.

[hippiechick]

7. Gore/Feingold

Be still my heart. :loveya:

Compassion, Intelligence and Hope for this country again. :applause:

[OneBlueSky]

11. right on . . . he's definitely the most electable of the Democrats . . .

and his environmental bona fides are precisely what the nation -- and the planet -- need in the White House at this point in our history . . .

please run, Mr. Vice President . . . your country NEEDS you! . . .

[MindPilot]

10. Gore/Clark is my dream ticket...

Please run, Al, PLEEEEEEESSSSSSE.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NYCGirl]

14. Has-been who sells out an arena in a couple of hours?

:eyes:

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NYCGirl]

19. Democrats who sell out arenas in red states are mainstream. NT

[Bridget Burke]

20. Nope, Gore is not a "has-been".....

He's quite popular & has a good chance at being the next President. If he decides to run.

[blonndee]

21. Don't you wish! n/t

[ReadTomPaine]

25. Enjoy your pizza.

[crispini]

29. ROFL! Seven posts!

Well, he kicked the thread. :P

[Hawkowl]

18. Obama has charisma?

Could Obama sell out an arena that fast? I'm fed up with the damn media telling me who has charisma and who the front runners are. Fuck the corporations! We as grass roots democrats MUST INSIST that Gore run for the good of not only the country, but the planet! This guy would win it walking away by just being himself.

[Cha]

23. I'm so happy, YAY!

:D Gore is "packin' 'em in" on their own..no bullies in the building to oust the dissenters.

Congratulations, Al Gore on the Academy Award Nomination for best documenary for 2006. Congrats to Davis Guggenheim and Melissa Etheridge, too!

[Tesla]

27. Go Al, Go Al!!!

He deserves all the kudos he can get!!

[Oleladylib]

26. Ah, the irony of who really has won public opinion GORE or bush!

How sad the American public is so slow to get smart. The loss of American and Iraqi lives never had to happen.

[Catchawave]

28. Gore's a "movie star" ! WOW factor :)

Congratulations on his Oscar nods (I think there were TWO) today!

[Apollo11]

30. Gore is keeping his options open

He doesn't have to make a decision until sometime in the fall.

In the meantime he will bring out his next book -- "The Assault on Reason" -- in May. It's all about how we need better leadership and decision-making in government. People will obviously make the link with the run-up to next year's Presidential election.

Unless and until Gore endorses another candidate for 2008, we have to assume he is keeping his options open. So it is too early for people to start giving up hope of him running again.

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore!

In Gore We Trust :)
www.algore.com
www.algore.org
www.draftgore.com
www.draftgore2008.org
www.patriotsforgore.com

[Trillo]

35. This may be off topic, just noted in the headline "Taco Bell" arena.

It used to be that such things were named after people, generally either well known or for some historical reason, but they generally weren't named after corporate entities.

Why, oh why does corporate have such an EGO? I thought only people had egos.

Carry on. Sorry for any interruption.

[NYCGirl]

36. It's advertising. And if a company wants to foot the bill to build an arena,

especially if it creates jobs for the community, they can call it any damned thing they please.

It's the buying the right to rename an entity that bothers me.