Gore is not running!!!!!

[BL611]

From American Prospects blog TAPPED:


"NOT RUNNING. Since James Carville has kicked off a new round of speculation that Al Gore may enter the race for presidency, let me just add that in the past six months I have had conversations with five different people in line to get early calls from the former Vice President, should he even consider a run, and every one of them assures me that he is not running, including the two I spoke with (again) about this very topic within the past three weeks. I don't know why Carville said what he did, but it seems to me based on the available evidence that Gore has a wonderful new life and has moved on. As James Cramer told Chris Matthews last Sunday, "He's really a hedge fund manager now. No one leaves that game."

--Garance Franke-Ruta

OK I'm ready to get flamed, injecting reality into the conversation is fun every so often, if just for the novelty of it.

[grasswire]

1. link?

thanks

[BL611]

5. The link

is the tapped blog at American Prospects website
www.prospect.org

This is the entire piece though (I assume because it is so short I can post the whole thing, if I'm wrong I'm sure the moderators will be quick to correct me.)

[Bake]

2. Only Al, and maybe Tipper, know for sure.

Hell, they may not even know for sure yet.

YET.

Bake

[Alexander]

3. Reality check: It isn't so until Gore says it is.

You can cite all the "friend-of-a-friend told me so" stories you want.

They mean absolutely nothing until Gore says "I will not run for president in 2008".

Actually, my mistake. They do mean something.

They mean you are hopelessly biased against the idea of Al Gore running for president.

[WI_DEM]

20. but hasn't he said it numerous times?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

21. With All Due Respect, He's Stated Such A Dozen Times Already.

But each time, there's some word or words that people parse to make themselves feel there's still an opening.

Now who knows, maybe there is. Lord knows there's still a lot of time left. But as it stands right now, there's no reason to believe he'll enter and he has declared such on several occasions already.

[tammywammy]

25. Well,

just because Gore said it yesterday doesn't mean that today he won't decide to run! /delusion

I agree, while there is still a long time left before primaries, there's not any inkling that Gore's going to jump in.

[w4rma]

31. What did Gore say? He said "I have no plans ..." Those words are carefully chosen to leave an

opening. Gore has the largest grassroots support of any candidate or potential candidate on either side of the isle. He's intentionally or unintentionally placed himself in the best position to run and win the U.S. Presidency of anyone in the world. There's much more than an inkling that Gore *will* jump in.

[The Count]

4. Well, if 5 different people said it, that settles it...WTF?

Whatever the outcome, I love all this speculation....Tales away a bit from the Hillary/Obama 3 rings circus.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Yeah! If "Garance Franke-Ruta" says so, I guess it's settled then.

:eyes:

Nice try.

Obviously Carville would like to get Gore out of the way or force him into announcing prematurely -and it still would be premature.

Nevertheless, if Gore wanted to definitively end all this speculation, he could do it with one sentence.

HE HASN'T DONE THAT YET.

Why?

[cali]

23. What???

Gore has said repeatedly that he will not run. I hope he changes his mind, but numerous sources, including his son, have said he isn't running.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. No. Gore has said he doesn't INTEND to run. He's spent more than enough time in DC to know the

difference between that and saying "I am not running".

If he was to come out and say "I am not running, I am not a candidate"- the speculation would end. That's what he did in 2004, and folks left him alone after he said it.

He hasn't done that yet, this time around. Instead, he has said "I don't envision running" or "I don't intend to run" or "I have no plans to run".

That's not just word-parsing. There is a big difference between that and categorically ruling it out.

[tridim]

29. Exactly, if he "definitely wasn't running" there's no chance he'd lead his supporters on..

by giving them false hope. He'd simply come out and say, "I am not running in 2008. Period."

To date he has never said that he will definitely not run.

[helderheid]

27. "no plans" and "will not run" are two very different things

[patricia92243]

7. There comes a time when those in the know will say something like "They are definitely not running.

I remember when that happened with Bob Karry. I'm not sure what triggers the "they are definitely not running," but it hasn't happened with Gore.

[FyurFly]

8. If true, I hope he changes his mind. n/t

[XOKCowboy]

9. "He's really a hedge fund manager now. No one leaves that game."

There's a lot of truth in that statement and as much as Al has done lately for the environment, he does have a history of following the money.

Flame away.

[Milo_Bloom]

10. So why won't he say it?

If Gore isn't running, why will he not say so in the same terms he did in 2002?

Why hasn't he asked the draft Gore people to stop, as he did in 2002?

Why would he continue to allow this speculation when it detracts from his central message and draws resources from other candidates?

Gore is smart enough to say he is not running if he really wasn't running. He refuses to say so, thus, he is running. (that and the other mountain of evidence showing he is running).

[InvisibleTouch]

36. He did say it.

I personally don't see the big difference between "I have no plans to run" and "I will not run." Let's face it, even if he did come out and say word-for-word "I will not run in 2008," there are people here who would still not believe it. The answer would be, "Ah, but he didn't say he'd never change his mind!"

I want it to happen as much as anyone, but I'm not willing to set myself up for such a crushing disappointment. Therefore I'm going to take him at his word. He's not running. If he proves me wrong, I'll be ecstatically surprised - but if I foolishly set myself up to hope, in the face of the guy's own denial, then I have only myself to blame when I'm disappointed.

[tammywammy]

37. I worry that people are setting themselves up for disappointment

I also don't see any difference. "No plans to run" Yeah, got it, he's not running. It may have crossed his mind, but he's been out of the political world for a while, and I think he enjoys what he's doing now. If he ran and if he won, he would not be able to spend nearly as much time on the environment and global warming as he is now.

[theophilus]

11. I agree! Gore is not running

in the traditional sense. His campaign manager is the planet Earth and it will dictate whether he will be elected or not. If we have some major climaticalogical disasters in the next year and a half (and we will) and if the current misadministration continues to make it worse (and it will) Gore will be compelled to be the President of the United States by the true source of Imperium....the people.

Gore needs to raise to money. He needs only to continue on his mission to save our ecosystem (the one we need to survive).

Anyway, he is a one note man and would be a one note President......saving this country and the world.

He'll get my vote..........when the time is right.

[Nickster]

12. All he needs to do is issue a simple statement making it crystal clear that he is not

interested in running for President in 2008. It's not really that hard. There's a reason to have that door open and allow the speculation. If he didn't want it out there to see what happens, then he'd shut that door. Until he says that, I'll have my fingers crossed that he's my guy for 2008.

[shadowknows69]

17. He has said he has no intention of running

that may actually mean, he has no intention of running. Just sayin. I like to dream too but...

[Nickster]

26. "if nominated I will not accept. I will not run." Just a little clarity is all. Everything

I've heard so far about him not running has been from friends and family. When he says something about it, he says he has no intention, not that he won't run. He knows the speculation is out there, why the skit during the Academy Awards if he isn't toying with the idea?

He may not actually run, neither of us will know for awhile anyways. I'm simply saying, he could end any speculation beyond any doubt if he wanted to. I'm hoping he runs, because right now, he's about the only person I'd gladly vote for at this point.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. It may very well mean that, I agree.

Right now I'd give it less than 50% odds, personally- even though the idea makes incredibly good sense on many, many different levels.

But the previous poster is right; if Al Gore really wanted to end speculation, he's been around long enough to know the kind of categorical denial that would do it in one sentence.

"I don't intend to run" is not that kind of a statement.

[w4rma]

33. ... [currently]. (nt)

[hippiechick]

13. blah blah blah ...

:yoiks:

[dogday]

14. So I asked my Magic 8-ball if Gore was running and it

answered NO WAY :sarcasm:

[WilliamPitt]

15. I was pretty sure this was the case

No reports of fundraising or the collection of staffers by Gore was my canary in the coalmine. Maybe his mind can be changed, but I'm willing to accept this report at face-value.

...and I look forward to all his campaign work on behalf of the eventual nominee. Our own Democratic Dreyfus.

[KoKo]

38. You are REALLY willing to accept this report at "face value?"

your are being "DA" ...no? :eyes:

[Coyote_Bandit]

16. Hearsay and nothing more

When the man himself says, "I will not run" then we will all know he is not going to run. Until then everything on that subject is speculation. And there are LOTS of very practical reasons for him not to let anyone think he is running at this point in time. Hillary and Obama destroying each other is one reason. Money is another. The free hype and publicity he is getting is another. The draft Gore movement is another.

Funny thing I noticed here though is that everybody who is so certain that Gore isn't running seems to be supporting somebody they consider more fashionable or better suited to their idealogy. I fear that once again Dems are going to facilitate their own defeat. Politics is inherently practical. If you want Dems to win in 2008 then vote for the primary candidate most likely to prevail in the general election. Simple as that. IMHO that is not Hillary or Obama.

[Bjornsdotter]

18. I'll see your 5

....and raise you 8. I've heard 8 people say he is running. ;)

It really doesn't matter until Gore says "I am not running for President in 2008."

Cheers

[garybeck]

19. somebody said that somebody said that somebody said that...

wow this is real news.

If Gore says "I absolutely will not run, period" then you can post a headline like that.

[Swamp Rat]

22. LOL!!!!

:rofl:

[Parche]

30. GORE NOT RUNNING

Ok he is walking then.................

[peace frog]

32. Of course, he's not running

Until he does, of course. Yada yada Yada. :eyes:

[AndyTiedye]

34. DRAFT HIM THEN! WE NEED GORE!

Have you noticed that all of our "leading" candidates are losing in the polls to Guiliani by big margins.
They even lose to warmonger, Bush-lover McCain.
All this before the Repiglican slime machine has even shifted out of first gear.

Only Gore has the ability to go around the media.

DRAFT GORE

[LSparkle]

35. ... until he's COMPELLED to based on who we may end up with otherwise

That's the key -- President Gore will not run unless he feels the Democrats are not fielding a strong candidate, or that he senses division in the ranks will doom us in '08. If he feels he can help unite the country/party/etc., I predict he WILL GET IN ... He's just giving the others in the field the chance to prove that they can do the job of unifying us. As the gentleman that he is, he feels he's already had a chance and is letting the others have their shot. But if they disappoint and the public is crying for an alternative, then I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking his rightful place at 1600 Penn. Av.

[shadowknows69]

40. What's to wait for then?

It's going to be Hil or Barack. The media won't have it any other way. And the media will win.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

39. I have no intention of posting in this thread.

And I will not post even if I do get the intention.

[NYCGirl]

41. That's OK, because up until this moment, I had no plans to post in this thread. NT

[DefenseLawyer]

42. Couldn't it be

that a new Gore campaign might be run without the "help" of the usual suspects, i.e. Bob Shrum and his band of perennial losers?