...And another that makes a VERY good point:

[lildreamer316]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/30/2330/66974

What is CBS up to?
by mrmyster
Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 08:26:08 PM PDT

<small irrelevant snip>
It is extremely interesting, and ever moreso upon reflection, that CBS television chose this time of deadlock and ill-feeling among the Democrat front runners in the presidential nomination race, to visit Nashville with its 60-Minute cameras. They give an engaging portrait of the present day financially successful, articulate, overweight, sometimes silly Al Gore. But in context, an Al Gore who is doing profoundly fine things for America and putting his own money where his beliefs are in the great issue of climate and environmental crises. And not one cent is being spent on personal politics. It is spent on principled beliefs.
I could not escape (much as I might wish to), making comparisons between Vice President Gore and Senators Clinton and Obama. Gore is balanced, clearly at peace with himself, composed and competent. I found his discussion of working through the anger and frustration of the 2000 election touching and true to human nature. I was astonished and pleased that he took his earnings from 'An Inconvenient Truth' and his honorarium from the Nobel Prize (and matched it with his own funds), to use in his environmental campaigns. The little preview given of Pat Robertson and Al Sharpton (my god!), making a TV commercial together on behalf of Planet Earth was wonderful! I can't wait to see the series as it unfolds as television 'commercials.'
The point was made that tomorrow is Gore's 60th birthday - a fact Gore handled humorously --- but the point is made: he's exactly the right age for a President. He carefully said he does not expect to run for public office, but he equally carefully did not rule it out. I sense green lights everwhere. And I also sense that CBS/60 Minutes just may have had all that in mind as they scheduled this up-date on Mr Gore.
Wouldn't it be loverly - and you know what I am talking about!!??

...more...

[rodbailey]

1. Actually,

both my wife and I didn't think he looked as overweight as he did in the brief clip they showed of him accepting his Nobel back in December. The man seems to have lost more than a few lbs in the ensuing 3-4 months. Is that a sign? That was the buzz quite a few months back, I know, that if Gore started slimming down, it was a sure sign he was going to get in the race.

All things considered, IF, as the British paper suggested, he and his staff had sort of worked out a "possible" strategy last May to hope for a brokered convention, then the "shut-down" of state efforts to get his name on primary ballots makes sense. They were ready (presumably with his approval) to play the long odds that the convention would be deadlocked and need to turn to someone like Gore as a compromise/unifying candidate. If, however, his name had gotten onto state ballots for primaries, he either would have had to get into the fray and get beat up like the rest (and participate in the Snow White and seven dwarf debates) or actively remove his name from the ballot and thereby send a signal that he really was not running and would not accept a nomination. With the relaxed Al Gore we saw on 60 Minutes last night, I think he would have been (and will be) completely at ease with however this turns out so he was willing to sort of play the odds. Furthermore, if as early as last May he and his inner circle could see how this whole thing might develop, he is one very shrewed and insightful politician. Of course he might not have seen which 2 or 3 candidates might roll into Denver without the requisite number of delegates to get the nomination; but, he may have been speculating, against the conventional wisdom of the time, that Hillary was not going to be the anointed one.

[rosesaylavee]

2. Poll numbers for Obama are up by 10 pts today.

I am in a holding pattern with this whole scenario. I of course want a Gore presidency but I think that Obama has a very good chance of pulling it off by the end of the primaries in May. I am very reluctant to 'go there' just now with a brokered convention scenario.

Gore seems very much contented with whatever scenario plays out. He may just be allowing Dean and other senior members of the party use his name to oust Clinton or get her to consent to playing a lesser role in the upcoming administration if she were to bow out now.

oh, and Happy Birthday Mr. Gore! :party:

[rodbailey]

3. The original plan

(assuming here at DU we can actually plan anything) was to wait at least until PA (April 22). I still think that will be a point to make a decision whether to get the web site up with super delegate contact info and other stuff; or, depending on the PA outcome and what things look like for IN and NC (I think those are the next 2) we might hold off a little longer. I just had 4 responses to my "mining" (partial at this point) on the British newspaper article. There is definite interest, although most people responding to the note I send them are also saying it looks early to be writing letters now - which I think we all agree on.