What future role will Albert Gore Jr. play on the national scene?

[TennesseeWalker]

General Clark has certainly excited everyone today (including me), and Governor Dean is certainly an interesting and welcome addition to the Democratic Party. I believe both men are re-energizing the party of the people to levels unseen among the left in over 30 years, and both fine men will draw new voters to the Democratic Party. In fact, all the candidates running, including Senator Lieberman, are all good, decent men who love their country.

Having said the above, my first loyalty has always been to my home state hero, Albert Gore, Jr. I have cast votes for this man since he ran for the House, and cheered when he defeated current Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe for his first Senate term. I wanted him to win the presidency badly in 1988, when he carried the South on then-Super Tuesday. When Bill Clinton selected him as his running mate in 1992, I knew they would win, and told a friend that we had sixteen years of Democrats in the White House to look forward to.

When Clinton and Gore won the day, I felt like it was REALLY "Morning in America" again, and it was. Their administration was peaceful and prosperous, and allowed normal people to believe in the American Dream again.

Following the 2000 election, which was indeed manipulated in favor of corporate interests, I wondered what our fine public servant would do. I've been hoping and praying that he would run again, simply because I wanted him to lead our country. I still feel no one out there could do it better. However, I am finally starting to believe that Al will not claim his office, and that he meant it when he said he wasn't going to run.

So, for the first time, I'm wondering how he should fit into the national picture, if not as President. I understand the "liberal radio" quest, but is there something else? Something I've overlooked?

What do DU'ers think about Albert Gore's future?

[searchingforlight]

1. If he would announce - and soon - I would support him in a minute.

[election_2004]

2. cabinet position, or DNC chair

Secretary of the Interior or EPA Administrator would enable him to really focus on environmental issues as his primary policy area.

Otherwise, some people suggested not long ago that Gore should chair the DNC.

[gristy]

3. First, he should be a spokesperson

for the democratic/progressive viewpoint during the upcoming campaign. This would include the primaries, where he and all the candidates have a wonderful opportunity to gang up on the BFEE. And since he isn't running, Gore would be particularly able to take angles of attack that might be too risky for a candidate. Like his speech in NY recently, but crank it up a notch or two, and keep harping on those themes. HE SHOULD NOT LET UP FOR A MINUTE!

[salin]

4. He should run against Frist - and

take over as Senate Majority Leader - as he helps energize other dem candidacies that leads to taking back the Senate.

Or he could become Secretary of State.

But I would rather see him still in the political arena.

[legin]

5. Absolutly not Secretary Of State

which I recently saw suggested by a Hearst newspaper, 'cause he is a 'so pro-Isreal it hurts' person.

Anything else, great.

[never cry wolf]

6. How about VP again??

He certainly has the experience and could advise well any rookie prez. I don't think the veep has to be a primary candidate, Cheney wasn't was he?

[Ediacara]

7. I think he should run against Frist

or perhaps Lamar! and get back in the Senate. I don't at all see Gore's carreer in politics over, and I think he will become president, although in 2012 or 2016.

[TennesseeWalker]

9. Thank you, Dinoboy!

Optimism. I like it. We need more of it.

[wrkclskid]

19. Frist is out in 2006

He is self termlimited and is going to follow them, prob so he has freetime to run for Prez. Harold Ford Jr. seems to have already laid claim to the nomination for that race. My question, for Tennessee DUER's is, can Ford win? He is a blue dog so that may help but Tenn. is fairly republican. Ford is a rising star and I would hate to see him to fizzle?

[gristy]

8. Frist isn't up for re-election until 2006

And Lamar Alexander (R) isn't up until 2008.

re: He should run against Frist - and take over as Senate Majority Leader

[salin]

10. let me add then

and inbetween he should stay on the speaking tour and give the republicans hell! (And then knock Frist on his ass in 2006!)

[tsipple]

11. Secretary of State

It's his if he wants it, when a Democrat wins the White House. And he'll do a great job repairing all the damage done to international relations.

[legin]

12. Not a great source but

<<snip>>

Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee for president, comes across as totally committed to Israel. Arab Americans and American Muslims who have called on President Clinton to discuss Middle East-related affairs have found the president approachable and willing to listen. Gore, on the other hand—always present at these meetings—appears quite unbending. His long-term foreign policy adviser, Leon Fuerth, is constantly by Gore’s side.

Fuerth, who some observers believe actually dominates Gore, dodges the media spotlight. In the inner councils, however, he aggressively pushes Israel’s agenda. When Gore ran for president in 1988, Fuerth, according to The New York Times, set out a hard-line pro-Israel position for the aspiring candidate. Allowed a seat at the Clinton cabinet table by Gore, Fuerth reportedly argued passionately, though unsuccessfully, with the president that, under the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA), he should punish Russia, France and Malaysia for developing Iran’s huge offshore South Pars gas field. Sympathetic to Israel’s current alliance with Turkey, Fuerth fights any easing of U.S. relations with Iran for fear that an improvement of U.S.-Iranian relations would be at the expense of Turkey.

At the Department of State Fuerth is referred to as “Darth Vader,” the menacingly evil power behind the throne in the movie “Star Wars.” It is widely assumed that if Gore wins the presidency, Fuerth will become his national security adviser.

Israel and its lobby acknowledge that the Clinton/Gore administration is the most pro-Israel in U.S. history. There is little reason to believe Gore/Lieberman would be any better. Therein lies a tragedy.

No Israeli government can make the deep concessions required to satisfy reasonable Palestinian/Arab/Muslim aspirations—and thus be the basis of permanent peace between Jew and Arab—without being able to point to heavy pressure from the United States, Israel’s indispensable friend.

It is impossible to imagine such pressure coming from a Gore/Lieberman administration. For that reason alone, a Bush/ Cheney team is the better hope.

http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/101100/0010012.html

[Kolesar]

13. Secretary General of the UN

Would not that frost Dubya's balls?

[ewagner]

22. At least

Ambassador to the UN

[HawkerHurricane]

14. Elder Statesman

Saying the things that others do not dare say for fear of losing elections.

Or just throw his hat in the ring and run for office again. Senator from TN or President again.

[CMT]

15. he should be Secretary of State in the next democratic admin.

If (God Forbid) the Dems lose in 2004, he could run for president in 2008 like Nixon did in 1968 after losing to JFK in 1960.

[Blue_Roses]

16. I agree

I don't think his political career is over, I just think that he is taking a step back to relax from the political arena.

[StopThief]

17. Footnote of history.

Like it or not, Gore will not run for office. He therefore will not ever be considered newsworthy by the national press corps again.

[Auntie Bush]

18. Al Gore's future

How about if Al was Clark's running mate. Then people couldn't say the Dems didn't have political and administrative experience. However, I don't know if he'd be Clark's best choice. What about Richardson for Clark's mate? He'd get the Hispanic vote in a heartbeat. Plus look at all the exposure and publicity he's getting regarding the Blackout. Having his expertise would be great for Clark who BTW is going to win!

[election_2004]

20. Richardson

Richardson has already said he's going to serve out his term as Governor of New Mexico, and presumably run for reelection in 2006.

[TruthIsAll]

21. Future role? Run for reelection. Save this nation. Heal our pain.

The people will call for Al to run. I will believe this until proven otherwise at the convention..

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

23. Kucinich has energized the party and solidified the base

I know how the pro-corporate wing of the party likes to leave Kucinich out, but he's second on most of the polls here on DeanUnderground.com, and no one is better positioned to keep the progressive wing intact and voting for the Democratic nominee instead of a protest vote for the Greens. Kucinich deserves a lot of credit - I bet he was the FIRST in the campaign to say "NAFTA" - and it's humorous to see the Dean people running to catch up.

It seems to me that Dean could win the primary, but would lose the election to Bush. I'd hate to see Bush actually elected. Clark will have a hard time winning the primary, but could trounce Bush so easily in the general election I'd almost feel sorry for Junior.

Besides, Clark has criticized the Iraq War, just like Dean. Since neither of them hold any public office, they didn't have to vote. So far, their opposition to the war is simply rhetorical. I'd personally listen to the candidate that actually has experience with war, obviously, that's Clark.

Clark could win the primary and beat Bush if he follow's Kucinich's lead, and hammers the GOP (and the DLC) on the major economic issue of the last 20 years - corporate trade, NAFTA, GATT, CAFTA, etc. etc. and outsourcing of American jobs overseas.

Clark may be a brilliant military man, but I want to see if he has what it takes to take on the multinational corporations. Let's hear Clark call Nike for collaborating with Communist regimes. Let's hear Clark attack anti-American corporations that would rather enrich totalitarian regimes than US citizens. If Clark takes some leadership on the economy, he could very well win the Democratic primary - possibly a difficult challenge for a retired general. I certainly hope we have a candidate that can beat Bush in the general election.

[TennesseeWalker]

24. Self serving kick

:)

[AP]

25. He should run for Senate again.

At the very least, it will get people to stop saying "he couldn't even win his own state", which would be a good thing if he runs for president again some day.