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The Gore Factor
Let us assume for a moment that the Democratic convention commences in August without a presumptive nominee. (Neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama appear likely to throw in the towel before the convention, no matter what happens on May 6, and it also seems increasingly likely that the candidates will be effectively locked in a stalemate, notwithstanding Obama's almost inevitable lead in pledged delegates and probable lead in the popular vote.) If no nominee is selected on the first ballot, the convention will become a brokered one, and (obviously) it is at this point impossible to guess who will emerge victorious on any subsequent ballot.
But imagine this: what if Barack Obama, if unsuccessful on the first ballot, rather than continue to fight for the nomination, meets with Al Gore, yes Gore, and tells him that he would willingly throw his support behind a 'Draft Gore' campaign, and become his vice-presidential running mate. One cannot imagine a scenario under which, with Obama's and his supporters' (and delegates') support, Al Gore would not become the nominee on the second or a subsequent ballot, even accounting for a last-minute furious fight by a Clinton campaign known for its fury.
Admittedly, Al Gore has often publicly said he is no longer interested in the presidency, that he is well over the disappointment of not attaining it, and that he can do better work (on the environment and global warming) as a private citizen. And he has said those things with all sincerity. But it is relatively easy to make those comments and believe them when the presidency is an abstract notion, and when the idea of entering the grueling fray of a long winter of primary politics is a singularly unattractive one to a retired politician. But one cannot underestimate the effect, sitting in the convention hall in Denver and watching the future of his party, and potentially his country, being decided and his being offered, on the proverbial silver platter, the opportunity to likely become the forty-third president of the United States a mere two-and-a-half months later, can have. (And who really believes that as president of the United States he cannot do more for his cause than he can as a tireless, and admittedly often effective, private citizen?) As the saying goes, "show me the money," and such a scenario would surely have to figuratively count for a lot of cash. Nobel prize winner, Oscar-winner Albert Gore would have to possess an unusually small or suppressed ego, something neither he nor any other politician is known for, to refuse the proposition.
But why, one might ask, would Obama make such a suggestion in the first place? Well, why shouldn't he? He is, and would be, understandably reluctant to become the Clinton running mate, a rival he will have arguably beaten; he would understandably be reluctant to become the running mate of a rival whose husband was himself a two-term, and highly popular, president, and he would be understandably reluctant to become the running mate of someone whose campaign at least, if not always herself and her spouse, has engaged in rather vituperative, malicious, and even vulgar attacks on him and his character. But the running mate of the granddaddy (now that Bill can really no longer be considered that) of his party? Barack Obama knows full well that if he cannot become president in 2008, matched with the right candidate (and assuming a good eight years), he will likely become president in 2016. When he is still in his fifties. He also knows that even were he to prevail at a brokered convention, he will be in a tough fight against John McCain, not least because as we have recently re-discovered, race cannot not be factor in these United States, certainly not in 2008.
I have been, and am still, an enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama for President of the United States. I believe that an Obama presidency will be enormously beneficial for the country and will have the potential to revolutionize our foreign policy, to the great advantage of the U.S. and the rest of the world. I am still hopeful, indeed optimistic, that he will become the nominee of the party, and believe he should. But if that is not to be, Obama might do almost as much good as the Vice President, at least in a Gore administration.
A Gore/Obama Democratic ticket would be a hard one to beat by any Republican, let alone the seventy-one year old John McCain, who can hardly be considered one of the more formidable Republican nominees in recent history. Dream ticket? It's this, not Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton. Al Gore and Barack Obama, if they were to seriously consider running together, would be the saviors of what soon will be a fractured Democratic party, and would virtually ensure a Democratic White House in 2009. And as my friend Glenn O'Brien, copywriter extraordinaire, pointed out last year (well before it was clear that Gore would not be running) a Gore campaign would have the ultimate campaign slogan, one that Obama, (even) Clinton, their supporters, and many independents couldn't help but happily endorse: "Re-elect Gore 2008."
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If only this scenario would happen. But alas, Barack Obama is far more concerned with Barack Obama than he is with what is best for this nation, and thus I highly doubt he would initiate the suggestion that Gore be placed at the top of the ticket with Obama as VP. No, that will only come about if the convention is absolutely deadlocked, which I pray it will be, as I desperately WANT that to come about! I hope it will happen, but I doubt it would be at any suggestion of Obama. I just hope that Obama would accept the idea and urge his supporters to get behind it, too, if someone else proposes it at a deadlocked convention.
If Democrats are too selfish to care about the greater good of their party, then Republicans should just take it away from them. Since we are at it, why don't we give it to Bill Richardson. He is the ultimate compromise candidate, and he is very, very, qualified! The Al Gore idea is not going to work nor Bill Richardson given the nomination. Please, people, stop trying to come up with your great ideas to change the rules of the game. The candidate with the highest number of delegates should win.
the left gets dumber everyday. why would you take a strong candidate and then make him the underling to a very weak candidate. the republicans would eat them alive. I would love to see the bloodbath though, it would be very entertaining. please ride out on your white horse sir gore. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahha.
Gore would win 40 states against McCain and you know it. It would be a landslide. The public (except the braindead 28%ers) know the wrong guy got in in 2000. They won't make that mistake again.
Al was never very good with the combat that is a political campaign. He enjoys being the only one in the debate. He does not even permit friendly media into his events these days lest some hint of criticism emerge. He has also gotten into a habit of calling folks that disagree with him not just idiots but evil. If Al was actually in power and was able to implement his kooky ideas, it would destroy the economy. He is much better off where he is now -- he will either be known as a prophet who was much smarter than anyone else or a con man who made an awful lost of money on a scam. In either event, he will always be known as the man who invented the Internet -- just ask him.
The right wing is addicted to lies. They wouldn't know the truth if it bit them on the ass. For instance, Al Gore never claimed he "invented" the Internet. Yet, it is a lie that the right wing never fails to state.
The fact is, the Internet as we know it would never have come into being without someone like Al Gore. He was the main guy in congress pressing for government funding. Meanwhile right wing idiots fought funding because after all "the government can't do anything". They would have left it to "private industry". What a laugh. Gore was the one who fought hardest for funding for DARPA, ARPA, and NSF grants on packet switching technology.
Now, we have right wingers telling Gore is wrong about climate change. The same people who thought the government shouldn't spend money on developing the Internet, who thought invading Iraq was a great idea (Mission Accomplished!), and that W. Bush is competent. You know, morons.
Gore needs to get ready for that all important Iowa Caucus, then New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. He will also need to set up a Campaign, raise money, loose a couple of pounds (you know those judgmental folks will talk) and dust off some speeches. He has a lot of work to do before August! Hurry maybe you and some of the folks here can be volunteers.
The lack of knowledge on this site amazes me, loose a couple of pounds or LOSE a couple of pounds.
Well now that you mention it, your punctuation sucks - but thanks for sharing, anyway.
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That could win.
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It seems a lot of people here are not understanding that this is a last case- emergency scenario..
What I like about it is that it would have the potential to shut Clinton out completely, all the way to 2020.
It also seems that after that awesome appearance by Arianna on CNN yesterday at Wolfey's Situation room, thousands more people are now aware of this blog, so the trolls are running rampant here everywhere. I'm getting a real kick out of it, because just about everything they say seems so hopeless.
Bring it on trolls. Must be lonely in those bathroom stalls.
I would take that deal anytime!
Surely Mr Majd you must be joshing. Have you not heard it said ""Never try to separate two fighting dogs, lest they both turn on you"? I wont even suggest what the spectators at this dog fight might do to you if you interupt their circus.
What a great idea!!!
After nearly three months of this crazy system where only women or african-americans seem capable of getting enough support to win the democratic nomination for President, let's try something different for a change... a white guy! Do you realize that the Democrats haven't nominated a white male for president in nearly four years? And that in the nearly 200 years of the the democratic party, only about 30 white males have been nominated for President. Nearly half of them have won, and yet the party insists on nominating, at most, one token white male every four years. And now, white males have become so disenfranchised, that this year, it appears that party is even going to forego that small acknowledgement.
And why? Just because a couple of members of the power elite, the women and African Americans who run the country, have managed to raise more money and draw more voters to the poles than any candidates in history.
Enough with this bigotry. We've tried letting women and blacks lead the Presidential race for over a year now and yet we're still in Iraq and the economy stinks. Let's give a white guy a shot at it now.
you seem to forget Gore was part and parcel of the 2000 election theft, if only because he rolled over so readily. Now that he's given himself a new virginity with the Nobel stamp of approval & tutti quanti, I see a lot of disingenuous people trying to put lipstick on the pig...you been inhaling sir?
Gore did not "roll over" as you mischaracterize it. He accepted the flawed ruling of the Supreme Court so that the country would not be torn asunder. It was the wisdom of Solomon that he showed, total selfless commitment to the rule of law and to this country. He fought the theft of the election as far as he could, he tried to stop the blatent Republican impeding and obstruction of the process. But once the Supreme Court ruled, that was it. You see, unlike our current administration, Gore respects the rule of law. Yet another reason he would be a great president.
So you're telling me the Democrats, who have had one of the most historic primaries in the history of USA (first woman and black man) will take it away from both of them and give it to another white guy?
So you want to anger african americans and women at the same time?
I guess I'm all for it, might as well give McCain the whole thing right now.
I'd vote for Obama, never vote for McCain, or Clinton and sure as hell, never would I vote for Al Gore.
Can't argue with your title, willie.
Doesn't matter how you'd vote, the man's right, you'd still be outvoted, and Gore would easily win.
I bet by the time the right got through with little Al he would gladly give back his Nobel after finally being discredited. nobody has really attacked him yet because there hasn't really been a reason yet.
OMG, I can't stop laughing...........you dems are priceless! ALGORE/Obama ticket?? You're serious, right??? Bring it on.........
It's called panic, I thought Rush was a moron when he started using the phrase operation chaos but he seems to be right on the money. Dems are now calling for the smugest SOB on the planet.
it would be pretty sweet to see Bush have to hand over the reigns to Gore. what a pathetic 8 years the slobbering manchild has given us. did he do anything good other than pledge aid to Africa? the highlight of his presidency was when stephen colbert reamed him at the white house correspondents' dinner. to say Bush "lowered the bar" is a glaring understatement- the bastard threw the bar away.
I don't think any American would look forward to giving Al Gore a platform where he could whine about global warming 24 - 7.
Just the 80+ percent who actually have a brain and believe in scientific evidence.
Maybe his 24/7 "whining" will save your children's and grandchildren's world, so you'd better open your eyes and mind and pray that he continues with his crucial work to educate humanity about this clear and present danger to us and to the very forgiving, yet ultimately limited, planet that sustains us.
Re your oh-so-true comment that "It would be pretty sweet to see Bush have to hand over the reigns to Gore": it would be poetic justice, nothing less! The universe would make sense again!
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