Gore: Nation Hungry for Obama’s Thoughfulness

America is hungry for thoughtfulness, former Vice President Al Gore told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria yesterday, encouraging President-elect Barack Obama to treat critical issues in long, thoughtful speeches during the early part of his White House tenure.

The Internet and new media, Gore said, have enabled larger audiences to access Obama’s full speeches, rather than the sound bites clipped for radio and TV. Gore was asked what advice he would give Obama on how best to consolidate the political shifts of the 2008 election.

“I feel, you know, me offering him advice doesn’t feel right, because he’s doing so well. But if I did offer him advice I would say, make more of the thoughtful, long, expository speeches, because in this new media age, people are listening,” Gore said.

“I think people are now hungry for a thoughtful treatment of how we can solve the problems that we face. And I would go back to that strength,” Gore said, noting the high ratings earned by Obama’s 30-minute infomercial as evidence that Americans want long-form discourse.

Obama’s reputation for thoughtfulness grew among liberals after he delivered a well-received speech on race in March amid growing criticism of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

See the video below; for Zakaria’s question on the election and Gore’s answer, skip ahead to 4:27.