I know many of you do not like Donna Brazile and have often criticized her appearances on CNN and other tv news networks. But, whatever your opinion of Brazile, here's what she told a group of students at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania last night
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are the hot early front-runners, while 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry has already bowed out.
But could former Vice President Al Gore be waiting to make a dramatic entrance into the 2008 presidential race, especially if he wins an Oscar next month?
His former campaign manager, Donna Brazile, strongly implied that possibility while speaking at Moravian College in Bethlehem Tuesday night.
"Wait till Oscar night," Brazile told an audience of about 100 people at Haupert Student Union. "I tell people: 'I'm dating. I haven't fallen in love yet.' On Oscar night, if Al Gore has slimmed down 25 or 30 pounds, Lord knows."
Now you could say that it really doesn't matter what Donna Brazile says. But don't forget she was Al Gore's Campaign Manager during the 2000 Campaign and wouldn't utter anything like this unless she had some idea of what Gore's thinking was. Rarely, if ever, anything happens randomly in the political world. Certainly not news of this magnitude.
In 2001, when Al Gore was thinking about running in 2004, Brazile was one of the first people he contacted and sounded her out about his plans. That summer, she went to Nashville, TN to help him train young political activists at Vanderbilt University. That proved to me that Gore still held her in high regard. And during the time I worked for the Gore Campaign, I did get to know Donna a bit. And I felt then (and still do) that Gore respects her political and organizing skills a great deal.
Here's what the article in the Morning Call newspaper says about Gore's appearance at the Academy Awards next month
"An Inconvenient Truth," a film built around Gore's presentation on the effects of global warming, is one of the Oscar nominees for best documentary feature. A red carpet turn for the former vice president could make him as much a pop culture star as former first lady Clinton or Obama, whom Moravian College Democrats President Maria Smith compared to John F. Kennedy in terms of charisma.
I think Gore was already on his way to achieving a status rare for former politicians. Given his numerous media appearances since the movie and book were released several months ago, speculation about his political future will simply not go away unless he makes a Shermanesque Statement. And very importantly, he has not.
Brazile - the first African-American woman to head a national political campaign - strongly believes that Gore won the 2000 Election and added
"I believe [Gore] is ready for this moment," Brazile said in an interview after her speech. "He is a good leader. I think he can be one of the few leaders who can bring this country together."
She acknowledged it will be a tough decision for Gore, noting Kerry's announcement last week to bow out of the race. Gore believes he is now doing his life's work, Brazile said. However, she conceded that Gore might be able to do more about global climate change from inside the Oval Office. He has already made an impact by forcing President Bush to talk about the issue, she said.
Compared to previous election cycles, I think the 2008 Democratic Field is particularly strong. But, as one who really wants to see Al Gore in the race to succeed Shrub, I can only say that the very best political consultant could not have designed a better rollout for this non-campaign campaign. Gore has managed it brilliantly.
I don't have any inside information on Al Gore's future plans but I hope he decides to run in 2008. I'm not suggesting there aren't other credible candidates but the country needs Gore now more than ever.