02138 is a magazine all about Harvard. The current issue has a feature on the 100 most influential Harvard alumni. Number one on that list is Al Gore. The issue features a short interview with Gore talking about running for President, global warming, and some other personal issues.
A couple of quotes of interest to people here along with a tidbit of wisdom for nominee John Edwards during the summer of 2008 on the other side of the jump.
Pretty quickly on, the interviewer asks about his intentions on running for President.
A recent poll shows that if you entered the presidential race, you would handily win the New Hampshire primary. Isn’t that tempting?
Sure. But I am old enough and have been a candidate enough times to have a very high level of resistance to temptations of that sort. I trust my instincts, and it doesn’t feel like it’s the right thing for me.
He then goes on to say that he will endorse a candidate in the primary, but has yet to decide whom that will be. He did say he doesn't feel any particular obligation to Hillary Clinton in that regard.
At the end of the session, the interviewer once again asks about running for President.
Before we finish, Vice President Gore, I have to ask one more time: You’re completely ruling out a run for president?
I have not completely ruled out the possibility of reentering politics as a candidate at some point in the future. I doubt that will ever happen. But just as it doesn’t feel right to be a candidate at this point, it doesn’t feel right to make a so-called Sherman statement.
So, there you go. The door's open for those that want it to be open and closed for those that want to see it closed. I suppose we'll all know the real answer in relatively short order.
I thought this little gem was relevant to all of the latest controversy around John Edwards' decision to accept public financing for the primary.
What can politicians in general learn from people in entertainment?
If you don’t spend all your time raising money, you can communicate about the public interest.
Being an Edwards supporter, but not an insider, I can't say if this is the current thinking of the campaign. But, given that Edwards' candidacy seems to be very much a grassroots, populist campaign, I wouldn't be surprised to see him spend the summer carrying the message directly to the people eschewing traditional campaign tactics should he be the nominee. Will it work? I don't know, but it could be interesting to watch.