This will be short. As progressive and intelligent Dems we had better get our act together and fast.
This is no time to support Hillary. Just as Rovian Republicans pushed for a Kerry candidacy by isolating and manipulating the Howard Dean scream, Republican claims that Hillary would be a formidable candidate should make any among us understand that what they really mean is: "Please run Senator Clinton. The ways in which we'll swiftboat you will make our dance with your husband look like a Strauss waltz. The base will re-unite in ways no other candidate could do for us. Your running will make even unhappy moderates forget about King George in order to avoid another Clinton."
That aside, we do not need Hillary. We need the wisdom and fearlessness of Al Gore or John Edwards. We need someone as fed up with political hypocrisy as is most of the country. Someone with little to lose and everything to gain . . .for the sake of the country. That is Al Gore. That is John Edwards. And that could be Barak Obama one day.
What the Republicans would fear is a Gore/Obama ticket. It would be unbeatable and they know it. Though Edwards would also turn the country around, his candidacy is more of a longshot. Do-able, but less likely simply because of funding.
Al Gore is still unconvinced. But he has shown in every possible way that he is a man of integrity. If convinced that his country needs him, it will be hard for him to turn away. So let's use our collective heads and voices to try to head off Hillary by figuring out how we, the people, can get the candidate of our choice on the ticket, not just to win, but to survive.