At 6:45 PM CDT, Al Gore will be addressing the Economic Club of Chicago at the downtown Hyatt Hotel following dinner. From where I sit, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that's approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from now.
Many Chicago area business leaders will be in attendance at this event. This is former Vice President Gore's first public event after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for his contribution to universal awareness of Global Climate Change, on Friday, October 12, 2007.
The reason that I feel that this information is newsworthy is because it provides Al Gore with a forum to comment, one way or another, about his intentions, or lack thereof, to jump into the fray of the 2008 Presidential Election. To date, over 250,000 people have signed the Draft Gore petition (both on line and in person), and the call for him to run has reached a fever pitch. If Al Gore plans to deliver a Sherman-esque statement saying that he has "completely" ruled out running for president in 2008, this would be an excellent opportunity to do so. Although a quarter of a million Americans (and come on, we know there are many more of us than that out there - they just haven't signed the petitiion - yet) would be sorely disappointed, at least he'd put the clamp down on the anticipation that has been flying around at the grass roots level in recent weeks.
Personally, I think the Draft Gore movement is a breath of fresh air because it is fueled by People Powered Political Activism, and it gives those of us who despair at the state of our nation hope that maybe we can be some small part of a greater good to stop this train wreck and turn things around. I really want Al Gore to run, and I want to work for him and I'd ultimately love for him to be the next POTUS, but I'm realistic, and at this point, I'd just like to know if he's shut the door on running for president. Or if he's going to open it and invite a flood of us in to make sure that he secures the nomination.
It really is time, Al Gore, for you to tell us - one way, or another.
So head's up - look for news about his speech sometime later this evening.
UPDATE NO. 1 - If you'd like to sign the petition, go to Draft Gore.
UPDATE NO. 2 - Go vote in the Democracy For America Poll.
UPDATE NO. 3 - My little, happy, gift to you.