The Revenge of Al Gore

[illinoisprogressive]

Time to revamp that old line about revenge being best served cold. In the case of Al Gore, it may be best served globally warm. With his crusade on climate change, Gore has won personal, public and political redemption, an Academy Award and, now, a Nobel Peace Prize. And suddenly, he’s landed smack-dab in the middle of a 2008 presidential campaign heretofore dominated by an old rival – Hillary Clinton.

Long gone are the days of the 1992 campaign when the Clintons and Gores barnstormed the nation connected at the hip like lifetime friends on a family vacation. Eight years of the Clinton presidency – and one bitter campaign in 2000 – have left the two power couples estranged and, perhaps, resentful.

The Clintons think that Gore’s decision to distance himself from the administration fumbled away what would have been a resounding affirmation of its record after the tumultuous impeachment of the president. The Gores believe that Clinton’s tryst with Monica Lewinsky combined with a general malaise after eight years of high drama, prevented Gore from winning that razor-thin election easily.

Another eight years later, Hillary Clinton is riding high in her bid to win the Democratic nomination and Al Gore is an international superstar. Now the question is, will Al run? The answer is most likely no, but that doesn’t mean Gore still can’t cause plenty of trouble for Clinton in the nomination fight.

While Gore’s stature would certainly allow him to enter the race at the highest levels, he would face plenty of practical obstacles in organizing a real campaign. He would lose the luster he currently carries and be forced into a process that has been in place for nearly a year. Besides, Gore is basking in the glow of his newfound stardom, not to mention making a very comfortable living in the process. Why give that up for the rough-and-tumble of a campaign?

But the mere speculation serves to take some of the steam out of Clinton’s machine-like march to the nomination. When ads are being run in the New York Times begging Gore to run, it signals at least a measure of dissatisfaction with the field and the front-runner. Even if Gore were to outright rule out the possibility or when the filing deadlines have passed, the former vice president still holds a card – the endorsement. Should Gore publicly and strongly back and campaign on behalf of, say Barack Obama, it could be one of the most important endorsements of the campaign.

Of course, Gore endorsed Howard Dean in 2004 and we know how that worked out. But 2008 is not 2004 – or 2000 or 1992. Plenty has changed since and Gore is almost literally on top of the world at the moment. He’s hot – will he heat up this campaign?

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/10/12/politics/horserace/entry3360298.shtml

[kurth]

1. Al Gore is eclipsing Bill Clinton in international stature

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Gore has this mystique about him now.

[Raejeanowl]

3. Why Indeed Give Up His Acclaim?

Why sell off the attainment of his birthright for a mess of potage?