Al Gore describes politics

Taking a break from my normal routine, I wound up watching a bit of Meet the Press before heading off to church Sunday morning. The guest was Al Gore, and one thing that I found amusing was that the host brought up the following quote from Gore:

What politics has become requires a level of tolerance for triviality and artifice and nonsense that I have found in short supply.

I agree with the statement, but, at the same time, is Gore any more credible in his current role as an "environmentalist" than he was as a politician?