Jackie Calmes writes in the Wall Street Journal Online on May 8, 2006
Al Gore Might Yet Join 2008 Contender: Former Vice President Keeps Mum As His Movie Sparks Talk of a White House Run Raising the tantalizing prospect of a Gore versus Clinton battle in 2008.
For former Vice President Al Gore, a rash of favorable publicity surrounding this month's opening of his movie "An Inconvenient Truth," and the growing political resonance of its subject -- global warming -- are stoking the most serious speculation about a Gore political comeback since his loss in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
In 2008, that could mean a once-unimaginable battle for Democrats' nomination between Bill Clinton's former vice president and his wife, Hillary Clinton. To some pro-Gore Democrats, worried about Mrs. Clinton's electability, that is part of the appeal.
Any One Who Sees His New Movie Will Demand He Run Says Laurie David
UPDATE: Thanks to HLMungo for correcting my orginal claim that it was Larry David who who recommended this. I will refund ticket prices to anyone who feel misled here. (But inside sources tell me they think Larry liked it too! But I need a second source before I can go to print on this. So investigative reporters get your antenae out.)
Apparently, this movie shows more of Al Gore's real personality. Being relaxed, funny, and misled by professional political consultants.
The demurrals aren't persuasive to some Democrats, including former Clinton-Gore White House insiders. "I do know that he's thinking about it. I know for a fact," a former adviser says. "He's talked to people about the pros and cons."
Among those said to be pushing Mr. Gore are billionaire venture capitalist and high-tech entrepreneur John Doerr and Laurie David, a global-warming activist and producer of the film, and wife of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator Larry David. "When people see this movie, I know they're going to see the real Al Gore, and they're going to demand that he run," Ms. David says. But, she adds, he changes the subject whenever it comes up, and had to be talked into making the movie when she pitched it.
Mr. Gore has begun assembling a Nashville, Tenn.-based operation to help with the demands on his time. He has hired longtime friend and top aide Roy Neel to head the office, and environmental activist Kalee Kreider, from a Washington public-relations firm, to handle communications. Mr. Feldman says their work will focus on global warming, not on maneuvering for 2008.
Unprecedented Favorable Coverage For Gore In Last Months
If he is considering running Gore couldn't hope for better media coverage than he's received in the last few months. Actually, going all the way back to his Martin Luther King Jr. speech.
In recent weeks, he has been on the covers of Vanity Fair, Wired (its headline: "The Resurrection of Al Gore") and American Prospect, a liberal Democratic magazine. Defeated politically, he nonetheless makes Time's list of the world's 100 most influential people; Mr. Gore is featured under the headings "Heroes and Pioneers" and "America Takes a Fresh Look at 'Ozone Man'" -- the derisive nickname coined by the first President Bush in 1992 after Mr. Gore's previous environmental book, "Earth in the Balance," came out.
"His star will never be higher than it is right now with his movie coming out," says Democratic consultant Karen Skelton, Mr. Gore's former political director.
Concern Over Hilary Clinton's Electability: Gore May Be Only Way To Stop HRC Lock-In
Hilary Clinton's greater than 50% unfavorable ratings are a concern to many Democrats. One poll I remember from months ago reported about this many people would not vote for Hilary Clinton under any circumstances. Yikes, this is a tough way to start out a presidential campaign.
The Gore buzz reflects a sense among even some pro-Clinton Democrats that Mrs. Clinton, considered the prohibitive favorite for the nomination given her support in the party's base of activists and donors, can't win the general election because she is a polarizing figure to many voters. These skeptics believe only someone such as Mr. Gore with the celebrity and fund-raising potential to match Mrs. Clinton could stop her.
Like Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Gore remains a negative figure to many voters, says a Democrat who has seen private polls. For both, that might only increase with the spectacle of a Clinton-Gore brawl. Even insiders can't fully account for the bad blood that has built up since. At bottom, they say, it reflects contrasting views of what cost Mr. Gore the 2000 election: Mr. Clinton's scandals, or Mr. Gore's decision to so fully separate himself from a president who remained popular amid peace and prosperity. Several insiders say Mr. Gore is more likely to run if Mrs. Clinton does than if she doesn't.
Global Warming Issue Heating Up
With public and scientific concern heating up over Global Warming, Al Gore's early concern about this issue and passionate speeches seem truly visionary, courageous and timely.
On stage and in the film, a deadpan Mr. Gore opens, to laughs and applause: "I am Al Gore. I used to be the next president of the United States of America."
Mr. Gore, who turns 60 in 2008, could remain noncommittal and enter the presidential fray late, given his fame and fund-raising potential -- unlike lesser-known Democrats already stumping in the early-nominating states to be the Clinton alternative, such as former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh. If Mr. Gore ran -- or were drafted, as Ms. David suggests -- the longtime Washingtonian would run as an outsider, Democrats expect, helped along by his relationship with Internet-savvy MoveOn.org activists.
There would be no small irony in Mr. Gore re-emerging with a crusade against global warming. In 2000, he played down the issue he had so long been identified with in Congress, on his consultants' advice. They feared the younger Bush, like his father, would use the issue to reinforce an image of Mr. Gore as a bloodless wonk, and make it a jobs question for voters in swing industrial and coal-mining states. "The campaign took this issue off the table and robbed him of seeming 'big' and visionary," says former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta. "I think he regrets that."
Conclusion
Al Gore is one of the smartest, most progressive, most committed, and honest politicians we have. His passionate and visionary campaign to raise public awareness about the dangers of global warming and the need for greater global cooperation on environmental issues is greatly appreciated by scientists, environmentalists, globalists, and many others.
He has more experience and more relevant experience than any other likely candidate from either party. He has shaken off the unfair "loser" image as well as dispelled the Rovian "stiff nerd" image he got unfairly tagged with by Turdblossum. Who will soon be going to jail it seems.
What a fitting symbolic next chapter of this poignant story.
Can you imagine how different the world might be today if we had received a valid election count in 2000?
But now after the Bush Administration has made such a mess of things and the majority of his Administration seems destined to prison or shame, how fitting to send Gore back to the White House to show us by contrast how the Democrats would do it.
I hope Al Gore will run and will vote for him if he does. And right now I'm thinking Gore/Clark. Or Gore/Feingold. Dang, even Gore/Clinton might have a nice ring to it. The first woman VP?
Hey what About Al Gore/Barbara Boxer? With Wesley Clark as either Secretary of Defense or State. Which ever he wants. Now that's what I'm talking about! An truly exciting 2008 Democratic Ticket.
UPDATE: I'm honored and flattered that the famous NeuvoLiberal himself asked me if I could help spread the word about Al Gore's much talked about new move The Inconvenient Truth. I'm delighted to help out so here's goes my first try to use these powerful new internet link commands.
This link
A Crisis Looms
Pledge to See The Truth!
Gore Portal: Draft Al Gore for 2008! Ned Lamont for US Senate in 2006!!
BTW, This is the same movie the lovely Laurie David recommends above. It's apparently like that sci-fi movie on TV what was its' name? (The Ring?) -- the one they spoofed on Scary Movie 4.
If you see this movie you are immediatelely tranformed into a totally committed Al Gore Fan. You don't even have to wait seven days. I've been calling General Cinema to see if we can get a group discount for Daily Kos readers. LOL