The day after his documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' received two Oscars, Al Gore's political stock is high - unlike the stock market which took a beating today.
From NBC's 'Today' show as reported by ABC News' The Note
NBC News' Andrea Mitchell on "Today" explored the possibility that Vice President Gore, the "inconvenient candidate," might run for president, calling him "Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare."
Said Mitchell, "the new Al Gore: he is suddenly cool, and coy about keeping his options open."
What are other reporters, columnists, and politicos saying about this possible matchup and Al Gore's political future?
UPDATE - I just received this article 'Draft Gore effort prepares for big push' from the Seattle Times in an email. It elaborates upon behind-the-scenes efforts to draft him.
----------------------------------------------
What is the reaction to the possibility that Al Gore might indeed jump into the race. Here's a sampling of what columnists, reporters and politicos are saying
James Carville earlier today on Don Imus' show repeated what he told a group in North Carolina a few days ago. I'm fully aware that many here on Daily Kos dislike Carville and, indeed, some rather strongly and perhaps deservedly so. It is, nonetheless, noteworthy because he is a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton. And while some have raised the possibility that he (Carville) is simply promoting Gore's candidacy to 'freeze' donors from drifting towards Obama, Edwards, and others, I just don't buy that argument anymore. We are well past that point now in the campaign.
- "I think he's gonna run," James Carville told Don Imus today about Vice President Gore's potential candidacy, repeating a number of things he has said in the past. "Running for president is like sex, Don," said Carville as he repeated his Gore talking point. "You don't do it once and forget about it."
Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) sent a note of congratulations to Gore on his award and made it public, as reported by the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire . Dingell, a staunch supporter of Michigan's automobile industry and its dislike of federal standards to curb auto emissions, specifically noted that Gore is helping to change public opinion about the issue of Global Warming
- The Oscar, he wrote, "is a tremendous accomplishment of which you should be proud, but if we succeed in solving the climate challenge, the grandchildren of our grandchildren will not only know your name but will think of you as a hero for what you’ve done." The film, Dingell said, "has now created converts in the business community, the international community, and the Congress."... The note signals that times are indeed changing when it comes to the debate in Washington over fossil fuels emissions.
And how is the Clinton Camp reacting to all of this great coverage for a potential 2008 rival?
Glenn Thrush wrote today in Newsday that both camps are keeping an eye on each other. And if, according to a friend, Gore is a highly competitive person, how can he (Gore) not see that the stars may well be aligning perfectly for him in 2008?
- Some members of Clinton's team, concerned that the global warming warrior might jump into the 2008 race despite his denials, have been monitoring the former vice president's girth... That opinion was confirmed by one of the former vice president's closest friends, who also requested anonymity. "When Al Gore decides to do something, he gets into physical shape," the person said. "When he was campaigning in 2000, he would have a treadmill in his room ... Gore is a former athlete. He's a very competitive man. Just ask anybody who's ever played a game of pick-up basketball with him." But one Gore insider cautioned against waistline-gazing, saying Gore was watching Clinton as closely as she is watching him.
Richard Cohen (as mcjoan pointed out in her FP post) wrote in the Washington Post that he is unsure if Gore will run in 2008 but greatly admires Gore the man
- After all, Gore -- the son of a senator himself -- was raised for the presidency... His movie and his speeches are -- to paraphrase what Clausewitz said about war -- a continuation of politics by other means... With an Oscar in his fist and triumph on his face, Al Gore is a man you can tell your kid about. That, maybe, is even better than being president.
Donna Brazile, Gore's 2000 Campaign Manager and another one of those DC types not admired on these pages, wrote in an op-ed in the subscription-only Roll Call
- Gore would "win both the nomination and the presidency" should he run.
Noted Neocon Bill Kristol, a favorite whipping boy here and on other liberal/Democratic blogs, wrote this in the Weekly Standard
- David Geffen spoke truth to Maureen Dowd last week. And he may have triggered a series of events that will set the Democratic party free from its Clinton captivity... Hillary Clinton was cruising along, raising big money, triangulating on Iraq, rounding up supporters who felt they had little choice but to sign on... [If Obama's campaign falters] then the experienced, antiwar-from-the-start, and environmentally prophetic Al Gore is waiting in the wings. It was a bad week for Hillary.
I am certainly no fan of Bill Kristol. He does, however, raise an important question: should we as Democrats feel a sense of political obligation towards the Clintons?
Is Bill Clinton, the first Democratic president since FDR to win two terms, widely admired in Democratic circles? Yes, for that and his exceptional political skills, personal charm, and maintaining relative peace abroad and prosperity at home. Was he a good president compared to the buffoon who currently occupies the White House? No question. Should Hillary Clinton's candidacy, historic in nature as it is, be judged on those factors? Perhaps. But mostly on its own merits. In spite of the fact that most public opinion polls show her in the lead and qualified to become president, the inevitability of her capturing the 2008 Democratic nomination (along with the ability to raise tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars to politically intimidate her rivals) was punctured to a large degree by Geffen's comments. Her entire candidacy is based on this assumption: we, the Clintons, were successful before and we will be so again in the future.
Clintonism, as we are painfully aware, is a double-edged sword. It should not detract us from viewing the Clintons objectively. When it comes to Bill Clinton's (mostly) successful tenure as president, we should never forget this fact: it was during Bill Clinton's two terms that the Democratic Party was devastated at the state and national levels. It took the party over a decade to regain its Congressional and gubernatorial majorities. Was it entirely their fault? Probably not. But there is no denying that in the 1990's, when it came to choosing between their own political fortunes and their party's, we know what choice the Clintons made: to further their own political careers. And we're supposed to be grateful for that?
It is this ambivalence and unease that many of us feel towards Hillary Clinton amidst doubts (which may well continue to grow) about her feasibility as the Democrats' standard bearer in 2008. That, combined with growing admiration for Al Gore, is why I think this contest is far from over. In fact, Obama's popularity notwithstanding, I don't think it has really started as yet.
It won't until Al Gore makes a decision.