Al Gore has decided to hand wisdom down from on high in the form of an op-ed piece in Sunday's New York Times. After reading his piece, I'm more than a little relieved that Gore isn't sitting in the White House.

There has always been a debate over the destiny of this nation between those who believed they were entitled to govern because of their station in life, and those who believed that the people were sovereign. That distinction remains as strong as ever today.

It's amazing that Gore, the son of a senator and groomed from a young age for the presidency, would have the chutzpah to write these words.

Unfortunately, too often, it is the liberals who believe that they should run the country because they're superior to the hoi polloi. Liberals push for big government in the form of a "nanny government" because they believe most people are too stupid or lazy to take care of themselves.

Liberals tell everyone that they are victims. Victims of racism. Victims of poverty. Victims of big business. Victims of the rich. Victims of the Republicans.

Conservatives tend to tell everyone that if you apply yourself, you can do anything.

In the past, many of the barriers that liberals championed existed and were ofttimes insurmountable. The civil rights battle of the '60s has been won. While racism still exists -- and, sadly, probably always will -- it is much less prevalent today than it was 40 years ago.

But times have changed.

As much as Democratic political consult Bob Shrum would like to pretend it isn't true, Gore is talking about class warfare. The battle cry might gain momentum if there was no way to change your class. But in America, more than any other nation on Earth, there is the opportunty to move up, to succeed.

Gore's piece is tired, recycled rhetoric from his unsuccessful presidential campaign. He should've waited two more years before re-using it.