Time Mag Cover: "How Al Gore Could Save The Democrats"

With Democrats beginning to voice fears about a long summer of two candidates sniping over electability, the name of unofficial party elder Al Gore has resurfaced. Gore was tossed around early and often as a potential nominee, complete with his own grass roots recruiting party. However, the former Vice President and Nobel laureate assiduously avoided exhortations to run.

Nevertheless, the Gore question is coming back. Joe Klein is the latest to make the case for Al Gore coming into the Democratic race in the case of a brokered convention:

"Let's say the elders of the Democratic Party decide, when the primaries end, that neither Obama nor Clinton is viable. ... All they'd have to do would be to convince a significant fraction of their superdelegate friends, maybe fewer than 100, to announce that they were taking a pass on the first ballot at the Denver convention, which would deny the 2,025 votes necessary to Obama or Clinton. What if they then approached Gore and asked him to be the nominee, for the good of the party-and suggested that he take Obama as his running mate? ... A prominent fund raiser told me, 'Gore-Obama is the ticket a lot of people wanted in the first place.'"

Meanwhile, Jason Horowitz this week tried to outline the timing of a Gore endorsement:

"If Gore were to weigh in, he would have to do so before the superdelegates begin breaking for either Obama or Clinton," said a former Gore adviser, after laying out the various scenarios that might prompt the former vice president to get involved. "The superdelegates constitute the last true contest in this race. And for many, Gore is someone they talk to, listen to, and whom a lot of them admire and respect. Having him make a closing argument for either candidate would carry significant weight with some of these last-man-standing voters."

And earlier this week, Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) suggested that Al Gore as an alternate coming out of a brokered convention:

"If it (the nomination process) goes into the convention, don't be surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket," Mahoney said.

A compromise candidate could be someone such as former vice president Al Gore, Mahoney said last week during a meeting with this news organization's editorial board.

If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would accept it, Mahoney said.

(Hat tip Politico)

Comments

[DavidK08]

Doesn't this mean that it is more than just Obama supporters moving past HRC?

[pgate127]

Ummmm...only if you can tell me which of the people mentioned above are not Obama supporters. Looks like more of the same to me. I'm still looking at the popular vote (including FL and MI, even if they aren't seated) and I'm still seeing half of us who have voted have voted for Clinton. How does this suddenly become "Gore Obama"?

[DavidK08]

I like Obama to go it alone. But, that is an OK second choice for me.

[Democrab]

Any mention of a Gore/Clinton ticket would invoke the wrath of the Obama piranhas and send the democratic party into a terminal tailspin.

[DavidK08]

There is no mention of Clinton because she has pissed off a lot of people with her desperate, sore looser campaign. She has made herself not viable. Donate her organs.

[WebForce1]

The article does mention a Gore/Clinton ticket...

"If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would accept it, Mahoney said."

But your statement proved "Democrab's" point.

[booshman]

Why would you contaminate another human ?

[fantanfanny]

Deny Barack Hussein Obama the nomination, and watch the major cities burn! I remember the 1960's...well!!

[dajay]

Right, here we go again. More threats of riots from the Barack supporters. This is what we have come down to. We better give OBama the nomination, otherwise the cities are going to burn.

AMEN!

[Sensnbility]

We need Al Gore to save the world more than the Democratic Party. If Al Gore would lead the Carbon Zero Project as Secretary of Energy he'd be doing both.

[TLV]

I don't understand how a close race is being construed as the Democratic party experiencing infighting. It simply is what it is.....two candidates, neither of whom may achieve the number of delegates necessary to win the nomination. All it takes is some clever negotiations and a resolution will be reached. Watch and you'll see that I'm correct. Obama and Clinton will not "destroy" one another in the process. Neither will the party suffer.

[S1m0n]

Zackly. Let's remember that the GOP's candidates were so univiting that "none of the above" finished a strong second in the polling.

Now they have a candidate that no one loves and a third of them really really hate.

[Pleidian]

They're really overselling this guy...what exactly can Gore do to make certain democrats think like adults? Big challenge!

And Al, we agree that fossil fuels are påollutoing the Earth in many ways, incl. CO2. But SIR, if I may, there's also this kind of powerful star right in the middle of our Solar System, which is heading for peak output in 2012...and it's being tidally perturbed by our proximity to the galactic equatorial plane.....perhaps THESE are parameters to include in your computer models. If you want the projections to be of any other value than political of course.

[bluesoul]

I'll have some of what Pleidian is smoking.

[HowietheScreamer]

Its being sold by the Oil companies... you STILL want some?

[jimdog1954]

No. Gore endorses Obama. Game, Set, Match.

[okAcomputer]

is this really on the cover of TIME??? this would be the worst idea yet.

[mach]

Vote progressive....vote for Nader.

A vote for Nader puts a tater in your pocket, which is more than the hope Obama preaches.

[HowietheScreamer]

Fuck Nader. Self centered asshole. It is HIS fault we have had 7 years of Bushies destroying the country. However you Naderites want to spin it, the number of votes that Nader got in FL was MORE than enough to have pushed Gore over the top. Even with the Repubic machinations. It was NADER who gave the election to Bush.

Nader is for NADER only. All ego, no sense. All hat, no cow.

[ron071]

mach hasn't yet learned what spoilers like Nader can do. Just look at the past 8 years. How many times does Nader have to appear? The vasr majority of voters hae learned what Mach clearly has not.

[richardgordon]

Did you see the documentary on Nader on PBS? Nader DID NOT cause Gore to lose the election. He simply tried to provide the American People with an alternative. In fact, there were quite a few thousand more independents that voted in the Florida election that voted for a whole variety of candidates that could have voted for Gore and would have given him Florida. To suggest that Nader cost the Democrats the White House is COMPLETELY FALSE. Nader was no more responsible for the Democrat's loss than any of the other independent candidates. That's the reality of the situation.

Moreover, Nader was making a statement, that essentially the Democrats and Republicans were identical parties who are prepared to kiss the ass of big business on all the major issues. Why are Democrats so afraid of real democracy?

[rosal]

Nader is not a liar like Hillary. He is a spoiler. I rather have a spoiler than spoiler AND a liar.

[lataet]

There is a lot of kool-aid being pushed here. Sad. This is women's history month. We should recall awesome accomplishments of some very strong women. Yet those women are constantly put down. But not kept down. Strong women are called the B word and worse. Everyone focuses on Obama from a racial standpoint no one is looking at how Hillary has been trashed far worse thatnObama. But she's a woman so no one cares.
Well behaved women rarely make history!
We need a president who can show history of taking action for the country - not for themselves. Clinton, Edwards and Gore all have that history. Obama's history shows committing to those that line his pockets and campaign, thinking of himself not thecountry. IF there was some positive EXPERIENCE and HISTORY to show there might be reason to look at him. But he's arrogant, watching what people say, if its popular he parrots it. We dont need a republican-democrat in the WH, nor do we need a puppet (paid for by the lobbyists / corporations) or a parrot who can't accomplish anything or speak for himself.
We need someone who is real. Not a charismatic false prophet appearing as a cult leader.
A part of the dream team works-Clinton/Edwards/Gore/Kucinech/Dodd Any of this combo would be wise. There is no room for the O cult in this great country's leadership. Otherwise, our founding fathers will pack their bags and return to their originating countires!

[pakaal]

You complain about Clinton being trashed far worse than Obama, then you go on to do the usual; call Obama a "cult leader", "arrogant", "parrot" and "false prophet" (that last one is particularly far out there). Obviously respect only works one way in your world. Good luck with that.

[IslandGyal]

lataet,
Are we women to be in line to vote for Hillary Clinton BECAUSE she's a woman. She's a bad representation. I am certainly not voting for me BECAUSE she has stoked the racial divide and not it has been proved that she's a serial exaggerator. I have given her a vote of no confidence and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with her gender. It's integrity and character and she has none.

[richardgordon]

I find it interesting that you call Obama "arrogant". From what I have seen, this is the very quality that he DOES NOT display. Look, I realize that Hillary is an exceptional candidate for president. But the reality is that Obama is leading in delegates. The PEOPLE have chosen him. And it is nigh near impossible for Hillary to win the nomination unless she twists the arm of every super delegate. Thus, it would be a HUGE mistake if the Democratic party's elite went contrary to the will of the people. If the super delegates overturn the will of the people it will guarantee a win for the Republicans. The fact is, that if Hillary really wanted to serve her country, she would recognize the inevitable, deflate her ego and support Obama as the nominee for the Democratic party. Besides, I cannot fathom why anybody would want to be the next President of the United States. The job is going to be a total nightmare for who ever becomes the President. Bush and his Administration, the Republicans and the Evangelicals have literally ruined a superpower. It is going to be very, very difficult to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. And I can guarantee that the Republicans are going to turn around and blame the mess they have made and the incredible incompetence on the Democrats.

[PaxMundis]

I've heard the quote "well-behaved women rarely make history" several times in regards to Hillary, and I have to say that in all the "right" ways, Hillary is in fact the epitome of a "well-behaved" woman. She bowed to the HMOs on health care, she said nothing when her husband fooled around, and of course she VOTED FOR THE IRAQ WAR.

[Stumpjumper]

Al, I am a fan, but I think your ship has sailed. I, for one, am sick of Bill Clinton yammering on about who would be the best Commander in Chief. I keep picturing Hillary in one of those Soviet-era Russkie general's uniforms with a zillion medals hanging everywhere. Now I can't sleep at night. What a nightmare. Anyway, if Barack wanted to shove a rag in Bill's pie hole he could announce that his running mate would be Wesley Clark. That's General Wesley Clark. Why, that would even trump former Capt. McCain. Two birds, one stone; works for me. Maybe I can get some sleep now.

[jotunloki]

Wes Clark has endorsed Hillary.

[Bobzmcishl]

Gore/Obama would have been the Democratic Party "dream ticket" had Gore chosen to step up, but he has now been co-opted by Hollywood and Silicon Valley and become a very wealthy personage. He would be out of his mind to seek the presidency at this point in his life. I doubt Gore misses the political world. I still have my Gore/Obama dream ticket bumper sticker though just in case.

[karela]

Never Happen.

[FirstShirt]

It would be a dream. For republicans.

[IslandGyal]

As Joe Scarborough said yesterday, when Gore ran, he couldn't beat a man - Bush - who couldn't string a sentence together, now the Democrats are sending out this imbecilic message about him being a savior, geeeez.

[dajay]

This is ridiculous. Like OBama, Mr. Pompous, will ever concede to Gore, which makes no sense anyway, and not to mention Hillary.

Boy, does the media not have anything credible to ever write about. Ridiculous.

[mamamay]

Why would Al Gore be at the top of the ticket. We want Obama to be named the nominee in a timely manner and we want Al Gore's support, but why wont the big daddy of this campaign step up and call a caucas for the benefit of the Democrats? We need folks to be adults. stand up and name the candidate with the most delegates, the highest Positive rating, the one most electible,most credible, most likeable, most congenial, one most likely to unite and unify folks for producing solutions that will benefit America by restoring the values and respect to many people. This in itself will unite the party. We need Obama, and we need the folks to come together and make this nominee happen.

[thatvisionthing]

I wouldn't mind an Obama-Gore ticket, in fact I would love an Obama-Gore ticket, and I wonder if Gore wouldn't want to be VP again. He seems not to want to be president, and he above all people must know what can be accomplished from the VP position. Pretty much I think Obama needs a bright, collaborative VP that he has a personal rapport with, and that may or may not be Gore, but I hope it is. All the oak trees are dying around me because of drought and climate change, and the sooner Al gets on the job the better.

[dgscol]

Mortar forker!

[bish66]

It is a pity and a real tragedy that the election was stolen from him in 2000. The world would be a different place today... I remember that back then, one of his people, a black woman said "Let Bush have the election. Gore will beat him easily in 2004. Anyone will beat Bush in 2004." Does anybody remember who that woman was?

If he had run in 2008, the race would have been over for a long time, but I guess that you can not run with an Oscar in the right hand and a Nobel Prize in the left one.