I have no idea if Al Gore would consider being the Vice President on the Obama ticket or not. After all, he's been the Vice President twice. He's run for President and gotten the most votes. He certainly brings a level of experience and respect to the table that no one else does. To use a politically laden term his credentials are unimpeachable.
more after the break
With Gore on the ticket the Republican charges of lack of experience would evaporate into the ether. Gore has enormous experience getting legislation passed, and with foreign affairs. Plus, he has the name recognition that would appeal to voters who are not deeply involved in the campaign but have positive associations with the Clinton Administration. Precisely those voters that Hillary tapped into.
Then there is the racial issue that no one wants to discuss. I don't think that Al Gore will change the minds of racists by being on the ticket. But I do think he would have a large impact on older voters who still don't think a black man is quite ready. These are the people who don't think of themselves as racist, but might be leery of going to a black doctor. They're not sure. Al Gore could change that by providing a level of assurance that no one else can.
Do I think Al Gore would want to do this? No, I don't. But he might be persuaded. It has been said, time and again, that this is a historic nomination. And it will be an historic event if Barack Obama is elected President of the United States. That's something I think Al Gore might like to be a part of. It would also be historic for someone to be the Vice President twice under two different administrations. Another first.
Barack Obama has said how much Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on the Lincoln Presidency, "A Team of Rivals," affected him . If you haven't read it, you should. Lincoln brought disparate and warring factions together in his Cabinet to help save the Union. This included people who had been personally rude to Lincoln and had snubbed him in the past. Lincoln was magnanimous towards these people and managed to knit them into a supportive and effective working body. Selecting Al Gore as his Vice President would be in a similar vein.
I don't expect this to happen, but it's something that's worth thinking about. It would be, as Barack says, "audacious."