My concern about Hillary's early lead is she'll dissuade Gore

[Alhena]

from running for president. Some media source quoted Gore telling a supporter something to the effect of "we'll see how things develop" when asked about 2008 recently. Well, if he sees that Hillary has a 20 point lead in the polls and a huge fundraising edge then it's a lot harder imagining him entering the race than if things were a lot closer.

I support Obama among the current choices, but I can see the argument that his time is more in 2012 or 2016. But this is pretty much it for Gore, and he probably won't feel much impetus to run if it seems like the Democrats have a candidate picked out already.

[PresidentObama]

1. Hillary doesn't have a huge lead.

In national polls, she does. But look at the polls in Iowa. Plus, it's a year out. Things change, national polls are pointless.

If Gore is planning to run or thinking about it, I think he knows he'll have more then enough support and money to come after Hillary.

[EndElectoral]

2. What early lead? She's 4th at this stage in Iowa.

[cgrindley]

3. Gore had his chance

If he didn't trust himself to be Al Gore back when it actually counted (including the utterly asinine choice of VP), why should he get a second chance now? He's responsible for letting Bush get in. If Gore had been the Gore of today, he would have kicked Chimpy's ass. I fail to see why we need to reward Gore for helping to wreck the USA by losing to such a retard and then folding like a pair of deuces.

[NYCGirl]

4. In case you forgot, Gore got half a million votes more than Bush.

And fought for six weeks all the way up to the SCOTUS. But then don't let facts get in your way.

[cgrindley]

11. I know Gore got more votes, but it shouldn't have been that close

Gore should have won by a landslide. He should have beaten Bush so conclusively that recounts and SCOTUS would have been utterly unnecessary.

[NYCGirl]

20. Should. Coulda. Woulda. But he did win. And he came back from being behind

by about 22 points. And he fought like a tiger for six weeks, even after the party turned their backs.

Edited to add: I suggest you read Somersby for some perspective on that "bad campaign":

http://www.google.com/custom?q=Al+Gore+2000&sa=Google+Search&cof=AH%3Acenter%3BAWFID%3Ac32a032061318778%3B&domains=dailyhowler.com&sitesearch=dailyhowler.com

[cgrindley]

21. Bush was close enough to steal the election QED Gore's campaign sucked

It's really that simple. Look at Bush. Anyone could beat him. He's an idiot and he's surrounded by a thick cloud of absolute evil. How could anyone lose to him?

[NYCGirl]

23. Bush is not running again, BTW. What did we know about Bush in 2000?

Read Somersby.

[cgrindley]

37. Let's see now

We knew that he was a dangerous right wing nutjob who managed to do some serious damage to an oil company, trade slamming Sammy Sosa, and liked executin' crim'nals. We knew that he was incoherent, had poor command of the English language, and that he was entirely surrounded by dangerous, quite possibly satanic minds. I think we totally knew enough.

[NYCGirl]

38. Most people thought he'd be an ineffectual one termer, like his dad.

If you thought otherwise, I'd suggest a career with the Ms. Clio Psychic Network.

[cgrindley]

40. I am a Canadian

I knew Bush jr was an idiot, but I was only in the US every now and then at that point. I didn't have a dog in the race as to Canadian Liberals, the Clinton Dems seemed pretty right wing. I was mostly concerned with the US getting a president who would be good for Canada. Unfortunately, I didn't think for a minute that I would have moved here permanently by 2003, and Bush, as it turned out, was an awesome president for Canada. The problem is that with Canada's growth and success comes a horrible exchange rate. When I started working here, the CDN dollar was at 70 cents, and now it's at 90 cents. Plays havoc with student loan payments and Canadian child support.

Whatever happens, the US has to regain its footing and the only way it's going to do that is by a combination of fiscal responsibility and progressive social programs. The US has become a pariah nation and it really needs to change course. I hate being broke all the time.

I probably could have foretold the future well enough to be worried, but not much more. It was clear that the election was going to be way closer than it should have been and it was clear that Bush was a drooling, harelipped village idiot--well, I can't really say that. I don't think he's necessary stupid. Unfortunately, that means that he's done most of this horrid crap on purpose.

[catgirl]

42. Because HE CHEATED

[cgrindley]

44. If it had been a landslide, cheating wouldn't have helped

Gore lost the election by not winning it enough. I wish people would face the facts. Gore's campaign sucked. He was feeble and his running mate was and still is a Republican idiot. It was a better campaign than Kerry's, but to think that it was anything other than an absolute failure is to seriously ignore history.

[catgirl]

48. What a load of crap

[blm]

32. WRONG. The DNC should have SECURED the election process and countered all

the tactics and ploys that the RNC employed to suppress the vote, purge voter rolls and effect the way the votes get counted.

Terry McAuliffe did not do that in 2000. And after the hearings into election fraud, he had alot of information to direct his next actions. He formed an Office of Voter Integrity which proceeded to do NOTHING for the next four years, and the problems WORSENED for Dem voters and candidates in 2002 and 2004.

At the same time he let GOP tactics go uncountered he also neglected the party infrastructures in every red and swing state, concentrating the DNC's focus and funds on DC-centric activities like schmoozing with powerbrokers and readying a huge DC headquarters.

Now McAuliffe goes around the country and blames all the candidates when they would have been CLEAR WINNERS if HE had done his job.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

5. You're Joking, Right?

Gore wrecked the USA? Are you actually a Democratic Party member?

He's responsible for letting * get in? My mistake, I thought it was the Supreme Court.

My memory says that Gore won the popular vote, and he would have won the Electoral vote if they had let the votes be counted, and had investigated some of what went on in Florida.

[Straight Shooter]

6. Gore is responsible for letting bush get in?

I didn't know that Gore was the deciding vote on the Supreme Court. Will wonders never cease. :eyes:

[PSPS]

9. I think he has a point

Gore had no business letting the SC decide the election. That's not their role. He should have demanded that all the votes be counted. Instead, he gave up.

But this is beside the point. This is way too early for anyone to be starting a presidential campaign for an election almost two years away. I think the eventual nominee will be someone other than any of those who have announced their bid. And Gore won't be running anyway.

[Alhena]

14. Your recollection is faulty ...

"Gore had no business letting the SC decide the election. That's not their role. He should have demanded that all the votes be counted. Instead, he gave up."

Ok, so Gore should have blown up the Supreme Court to stop them from granting certiorari on the appeal from the Florida Supreme Court ruling in Gore's favor? The Florida Supreme Court said "count the votes." The US Supreme Court granted cert and reversed, saying, "no, don't count the votes."

At that point what exactly was private citizen Gore supposed to do? When the highest court in the land says "don't count the votes" there's not a lot you can do. Nothing in fact.

[cgrindley]

15. Pretty much and...

Like I've said a hundred times before. Gore ran a lousy campaign. I was guest lecturing at Cornell for one of the debates, and I watched it in Teluride House which is the dorm for the really bright kids at Cornell, and it was pretty obvious to all and sundry in the room that Gore hadn't actually won the debate, or if he did, it wasn't by much.

Now look at it this way... the Gore of today, the real Al Gore, the committed, opinionated one, would have wiped the floor with Bush. But he was playing it safe. Look at the moron he chose for VP. What a hopeless choice--playing the middle right was a foolish move. With a good VP choice (for Christ's sakes not some Edwardsesque moron but a real democrat) and a bit more bravado, Gore would have kicked Bush so hard that no one would have suggested a recount, let alone an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Gore lost and lost hard. It never should have been close enough so that Bush was able to steal it.

You know, it's a whole lot easier to rob me if I leave a big pile of cash on my front lawn.

[catgirl]

45. Put the blame where it belongs

The blame rests on all the IDIOTS who voted for Bush
in the first place. "he didn't win by enough"...give me
a break. He won the debate, but not by much???? Just
listening to Bush speak should have been enough evidence
that he'll be a disasterous president.

I repeat, the blame rests on all the idiots who voted
for Bush in the first place.

Gore won. Kerry won.

[Pirate Smile]

30. "Gore had no business letting the SC decide the election" ????

As Gore said himself,

“In our system, there’s no intermediate step between a definitive Supreme Court decision and violent revolution.”

How exactly was Gore supposed to stop the SC from hearing and deciding on the case?

[niceypoo]

13. cgrindley is partially correct...

Had Gore demanded a full recount of the entire state of Florida he would have become president. Instead he only had select countys counted. I do agree that he would trounce any republican out there in 08 as he is the only politician with presidential ambitions who actually cares about the people who have to live on this earth in the future. Global warming is way more important than terrorism as a threat to humanity.

[cgrindley]

16. But why couldn't Gore have had a pair back then?

It's not like he's suddenly become aware of global issues. It's not like he's suddenly become informed or developed his own opinions.

I just don't think that we should reward Al for letting Bush come close, cheat and win.

[niceypoo]

28. Gore has been fighting against global warming since the 1970s

IT hasnt been until this year that the public has bothered listening to him.

[Apollo11]

46. Back in the real world ...

"Had Gore demanded a full recount of the entire state of Florida he would have become president."

Are you an expert in election law in the State of Florida?

I am not, but from what I have read it is not possible for a candidate to simply "demand a full recount of the entire state". They have to convince a judge on the case for recounting votes, one county at a time.

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore! :)

In Gore We Trust
www.algore.com
www.algore.org
www.draftgore.com - Sign the petition!
www.draftgore2008.org
www.patriotsforgore.com

[still_one]

17. Gore has grown quite a lot since then, he not part of the carville elite

and for that alone, he has a good chance to win

2006 showed us it could be done

Incidently, the situation is very similar to what happened to nixon, except there is NO SIMILARITIES between nixon and Gore

[Jackpine Radical]

26. A good campaigner isn't necessarily the same thing as a

statesman.

Anyway, as has already been pointed out, Gore won the popular vote-and presumably was simply cheated out of the electoral vote.

Beyond that, you give your own refutation: "If Gore had been the Gore of today, he would have kicked Chimpy's ass."

The Gore of today is who would be running today. If he chooses to.

I support Gore because of his combinatin of intellect and integrity.

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. Hillary has *tremendous* liabilities.

Gore knows this. He also knows that her high nat'l numbers at this early point in time reflect little more than celebrity and mindless media buzz.

What might be more risky is entering the race, shredding Hillary to bits as he did to Bill Bradley in the primaries and debates, and then getting the formidable Clinton apparatus to stay in the DEM camp.

Can he win as the DEM nominee with Billary INC. tacitly assisting the GOP?

[MannyGoldstein]

12. Tacit? Not exactly.

Did you hear Carville's frothing attacks against Dean's alleged incompetance in running the DNC? This was almost certainly a proxy attack by Mrs. Clinton - she hasn't decried the attacks.

[cgrindley]

18. Hilary's dirty laundry has been out for a decade

There are no more surprises, nothing new to learn. If she gets attacked, it'll be for her personality, but that'll hardly fly. If she asks Obama to be VP, they'll be unbeatable (well, except by a Guiliani/Schwartzenegger ticket).

[MannyGoldstein]

19. How About Hillary/Zell?

Might even be a better ticket.

[Smarmie Doofus]

31. I'm not talking about the scandals and psuedo-scandals ....

of the Clinton administration.

I'm talking about her tenure as US Senator from NY. Few of the 45% who say in polls that they support her for president have the *remotest* idea of what she has, and has NOT, been up to in the last six years.

>>>>If she asks Obama to be VP, they'll be unbeatable (well, except by a Guiliani/Schwartzenegger ticket).>>>>

Good god. Mother of Jesus. What a prospect.

[hijinx87]

25. echo! echo! echo!

I love this argument. it is, of course, standard fare in candidate
threads . . . . you see it 20 times a day.

"my candidate's support is genuine and from the grassroots. your
candidate's support reflects little more than celebrity and mindless
media buzz. and besides, your candidate is a rethug toady."

:eyes:

[Smarmie Doofus]

27. In this case, "A Choice, not an Echo", I'm afraid. Also,...

...' celebrity and mindless media buzz' is, as far as I know, my own creation; though I hereby relinquish all rights to same.

The rest of that verbiage is not mine... and I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. My Concern is That Hillary is Too Good For Us

We really don't deserve someone that great.

[PresidentObama]

10. Pardon me if I laughed at your post.

:eyes:

[Straight Shooter]

35. Pardon me, but I bet I laughed even harder than you did.

:7

[Warren Stupidity]

22. What lead?

The only sure lead Clinton has is money.

[Ninja Jordan]

24. This is a very astute post; I worry about this too.

[northquest]

29. This is the Right year for AL GORE to run

Hillary's lead will not matter if there is large enough movement to Draft Al Gore to run.....He will immediately have backing in many quarters of our society. I feel people and money to wage a great campaign will be readily available. A MOVEMENT to get AL GORE to enter the race is already underway and a firm foundation, and GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION is being put in place. If he runs he will win. The Passion of those who want AL GORE is unmatched. JOIN a DRAFT AL GORE MEETUP near you or if thers not one start one. Go to Meetup.com and become part of this MOVEMENT ! ! ! ! Bob North (Organizer- Baltimore Draft AL GORE Meetup Group)

[TheDebbieDee]

33. I hope Al Gore throws his hat in the ring for 2008, too..........

But sometimes I wonder if it is fair to ask/draft him, or anyone else for that matter, to start the decoades long process of cleaning up the absolute MESS that W and the neocons have made.

Al Gore wanted and won the job of President 6 years ago......we allowed the neocons to cheat us and him of the Oval Office. I'm not surprized that Mr. Gore is thinking long and hard about inheriting *'s MESS!

I'd think long and hard, too, if it was up to me!

[stranger]

34. gore needs to stop playing hamlet and make a decision

He could be the strongest candidate.

but he needs to be a man and do something.
either get in or out, dont let Hil make the decision for him

Ditto Clark.

[northquest]

41. Forced decisions are not good

Unlike Hillary he does not have to jump in because he feels pressure from another candidate. He has not announced and still he has a base of voters organizing a grassroots movement for him that will be in place whether he runs or not. He will don't forget, get extensive coverage and therefore much publicity leading up to, during, and after the Academy Awards for Producing a movie that deals with an urgent and pressing problem not only for our Country but the Planet that being Global Warming,and he gets this at no cost.He can wait because he knows the ropes already and has an organization waiting in the wings.It's a matter of Look before you Leap.........Join the Movement.


Bob North (Organizer- Baltimore Draft Al Gore Meetup Group)

[AtomicKitten]

36. Gore boldly came out early and endoresed Dean.

He clearly has the nachos to do what he wants and thinks is right.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. It's not Hillary's lead, it's Hillary's money

People don't seem to have a firm grasp of how much things have changed since 1992. Front loaded primaries make early fundraising almost the entire ballgame.

[trayfoot]

43. I truly do NOT believe that Hillary

will get the nomination. I will support GORE until the process is over.

IMO, he is the ONLY one running with the experience, intelligence, gravitas, common sense, to take this damaged country under his wing. I pray he will decide to run......the nation desperately needs him.

[Apollo11]

47. Gore is keeping his options open

I see everything that is going on right now as creating a "Perfect Storm" for Al Gore.

Hillary has been forced to show her hand a full 12 months before the start of the primaries!!

This means people have a full 12 months to ask Hillary about her position on Iraq, and why has she been so supportive of the illegitimate (p)Resident of the Whitehouse these past 5 years ....

People also have time to get tired of Hillary's campaign. What we might call "Hillary fatigue".

I predict that the race for the Dem nomination will remain wide open thru the Fall.

The field is getting very crowded and it will be tough for candidates to gain traction.

I like and respect both Obama and (especially) Edwards. But the fact is they are both relatively inexperienced and unqualified if you compare them to Al Gore. Obama has been 2 years in the Senate and Edwards was 6 years (but the last 2 of those he was focusing on the 2004 campaign).

I respect the fact that Edwards has come clean about the situation in Iraq, and has admitted he was wrong to co-sponsor the IWR. But I respect much MORE the fact that Gore spoke out agains the Bu$h-Cheney-Rumsfeld policy on Iraq from the beginning - in speeches going back to 2002 - insisting on giving the UN inspectors more time to carry out their mission and maintaining a broad international consensus.

Al Gore is without a doubt the best qualified person for the job, in terms of his experience, knowledge, intelligence and judgement.

There is no hurry for Gore to enter the race for 2008. He is doing a great job raising public awareness about the climate crisis (he spoke to 10 000 people in Boise last week!). Hopefully he might even get on stage at the Oscar ceremony!

Gore is also busy working on his next book "The Assault on Reason" - to be published in May*. The theme of this book - why we need better decision-making in government - is very timely in relation to next year's Presidential election (whether he runs or not).

* see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/16/AR2006091600877.html

Depending on how things pan out, and the reaction to his forthcoming book, Gore can consider his situation over the summer and announce his decision (or if you prefer - "change his mind") sometime in the fall.

I think the best day for Al Gore to enter the race would be November 4th - exactly 12 months before election day. He would still have around 10 weeks before the start of the primaries.

Don't forget that Bill Clinton announced his candidacy in October 1991 - and still went on to win! Al Gore already has nationwide respect and name recognition that other wannabees can only wish for.

And by the way - Gore is younger than Hillary, Clark, McCain and Guiliani! :)

Unless and until Gore endorses another candidate, we have to assume that he is keeping his options open. So it is too soon for those of us who prefer Gore to switch our allegiance.

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore! :)

In Gore We Trust
www.algore.com
www.algore.org
www.draftgore.com - Sign the petition!
www.draftgore2008.org
www.patriotsforgore.com