Clark wouldn't be running if Gore were running (so he said on Letterman)

[Baconfoot]

Transcript with comments edited from original post by Mike_F at http://www.draftgore.com:

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Letterman: "Would you still be running if somebody like Al Gore were also running?"

Clark: (without hesitating) "No."

That statement speaks volumes on the strength of a Gore candidacy and why we are fighting so hard to get him in the race...

For the purpose of full disclosure, the conversation continued:

Letterman: "What about Hillary?"

Clark: "Probably not..."
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http://www.goreabc.com
http://www.draftgore.com
http://www.algoresupportcenter.com
http://www.draftgorene.com
http://gore2004.meetup.com

[Renew Deal]

1. I think he saying the field is weak and...

it is respect for Gore who deserved it. He is the honorary head of the party.

[w4rma]

10. The field is extremely strong, IMHO.

Your anti-Democratic rhetoric is weak.

[Bread and Circus]

15. I think Clark was basically saying if their had been a clear...

front runner (broadly supported by dems) he wouldn't
have stood in the way.

Kudos to Clark.

This is not about personal ambition, it is about being called
to serve and helping the country.

That's one of the many reasons I support him.

The rest of the field is fine (with some exceptions), it's
just that none of them had really galvanized the party.

[xultar]

2. I think it has more to do with respect than anything....OK you guys are

going to be mad at me but. I think Gore has had his chance. I voted for Gore. But I must admit that I wanted another candidate to win the primaries. I also don't like Tipper.

Other than the fact that Florida was stolen Gore was the only viable option next to Bush. Who here @ DU supported other Democratic candidates in 2000?

[mikehiggins]

4. Can anyone remember who contested with Gore?

I could look it up, but offhand I couldn't name anyone who ran a legitimate primary campaign against Al Gore. It was pretty much a done deal from the very first, right?

[msanger]

5. Bill Bradley

ran against Gore. And for my money, the way Gore trashed Bradley turned off alot of activists, and made us a lot less enthusiastic for the Gore canadicy.

My sense from Letterman was that Clark was being respectful of Gore, not that he thought Gore was a better candidate than Clark himself.

[kang]

14. I remember that and I thought Gore would be able to do

the same thing to Bush. But two things happened, lowered expectations for Bush and Gore just didn't have that personal charisma that people gravitate towards. But Bradley should've fought back a little more I thought. When you're in the political arena, you've got to fight to survive.

Man, I still can't believe we were one state away (or one Supreme Court justice!) from winning it in 2000!!! How far we have fallen since then.

[xultar]

6. I was trying to think who else was in 2000 also. I thought it was

age that caused me to forget. Yes, the other candidates were a unimpressive bunch.

So, let's see Bush wins and in 2008 we get Hillary and Clark

Bush loses and we get Clark and ? for 8 years then Hillary and ?

[JI7]

7. clak/hillary ?

do you think clark will get hillary to be his vp if he wins the nomination ?

[Claire Beth]

11. nope

I think Clark will ask "Bob Graham" from FL to be VEEP. We need Hillary in the senate and she wouldn't consider VP anyway.

[Claire Beth]

13. nope

I think Clark will ask "Bob Graham" from FL to be VEEP. We need Hillary in the senate and she wouldn't consider VP anyway.

[mikehiggins]

3. What does he have to say?

How many times does Al Gore have to say he won't run before people take him at his word? Similarly, Hillary?

There are very good reasons why they are sitting this one out and people ought to listen to them when they say "NO"!

[CMT]

8. I would probably not be supporting Dean if Gore had run

but he isn't, and now if Gore got in the race--I doubt very much I would leave Dean.

[w4rma]

12. Al Gore is the only candidate I would support over Howard Dean in 04 (n/t)

[Kahuna]

16. Al Gore is the only candidate I would support over Clark...

Let's be for real here. There could be no better president for America than Albert Gore.

[NNadir]

17. This is exactly my position.

Gore would remain an excellent candidate, but he chose to opt out. I think he was quite honest about doing so, but now, even if he accepted a draft, he would be seen as being duplicitous. (That's incredible in itself, especially given the breadth of the Bushian will to lie: I'm hard pressed to think of an occassion on which he told the truth. But that's our media and our culture.)

[thebgrkng]

9. He said no because...

...he was drafted by the people to run for President. He went on to say that he never planned to do this. It was only after people kept asking him to that he took it seriously.

Gore and (probably) Clinton would have been the solid Dem candidate and there would not have been the draft movement. I think that is all he meant by that.

-TheBgrKng