Here is why I think Al Gore will NOT run for president in 2008

[still_one]

In Cupertino, California, there is a lecture series called the Celebrity Forum. One of the speakers scheduled for Monday, October 8, 2007 is Al Gore. I doubt very much that he would be appearing in a lecture series if he was running for president.

Under normal circumstances I would have signed up for the complete lecture series, but since it also includes George Pataki, Chris Matthews, and Bill Frist, at different times, no thank-you

[rzemanfl]

1. And I heard that he has a dentist appointment on October 10th,

So I guess it's a no-go.

[MaineProgressive]

8. Couldn't have said it better nt

[rzemanfl]

15. You're Al Gore's dentist? Wow! n/t

[DaveT]

2. That's pretty thin.

I hope you were being ironic -- if so, it is funnier than the last poster's joke about it.

[still_one]

3. The last poster was funny, but I was not. He is booked for beaucoup speaking engagements

and these have nothing to do with running for president

That along with his comments on larry king how he has fallen out of love with politics

With the primaries moved up sooner, and this screwed up election campaigning moved up sooner, the more time that goes by, those that have committed themseleves to a candidate now, how easy will it be for them to say, lets go with Al?

[DaveT]

4. His window for officially announcing closes

with the filing deadlines for the mega primaries -- still several months away.

As many have posted, he is in a far, far stronger position this summer as a non-candidate. This or that soundbite does not mean anything, barring a General Sherman promise not to run or serve. The continual tease is consistent with a decision to run.

I admit that the tease is also logically consistent with a guy wanting to draw attention to his book, movie, concert extravaganza and personal commitment to fighting against Global Warming.

All I'm saying is that the tease does not prove anything. Saying he is not in love with politics is one of those politically perfect expressions that says a lot about politics but nothing about his real intentions.

And speaking dates are not a big problem to cancel if he has to. Besides, if he runs the kind of campaign that I expect, he will probably keep those dates unless he gets disinvited because of the candidacy. Every bit of free media helps -- and with Gore now in SuperStar mode, the local "news" will cover the shit out of every appearance he makes.

The guessing game will be resolved in a few months time -- but, personally, I've been certain of his candidacy ever since I saw An Inconvenient Truth. It was a campaign commercial, with as much about Al as about Global Heat. I am not faulting this. I respect Gore today as much I have respected as any other public figure since George McGovern.

[still_one]

6. All I can say is that I hope you are correct /nt

[jwirr]

9. While it is a long shot I have never seen a person in better position

of being drafted at the convention than this one.

[Turbineguy]

5. All he had to do was show that the U.S.

made a terrible error in putting Bush in his place. Mr Gore is well on the way to doing so.

[Rosemary2205]

7. Olbermann reported Gore "fired" his political machine.

Though he does have a few of his old campaign people working with him on Global Warming - Olbermann reported months ago that Al Gore told the bulk of his political machine loyalists to feel free to find someone else to work for. Olbermann said Gore no longer has the political machine.

Now granted if he runs they could quit and come work for him - and with his star power it wouldn't take much to get the ball rolling again.

I personally think he has more power to make global changes as a private citizen rather than as president.

[DaveT]

10. The problem with that assessment

is that unless Gore does run, the next president is likely to be Hillary -- or Thompson.

Further, I have a hard time believing that the Presidential Itch can be scratched by anything other than the sheets in White House living quarters.

[Rosemary2205]

11. IMHO Gore's presidential itch has gone away for now.

I think he moved on to bigger dreams and itches. :)

[Lex]

12. He's not going to pull the rug out from under the current Dems running.

That's what I think.

fwiw

[Pastiche423]

13. Pull the rug out?

What a silly thing to say.

Just because most of the Dem candidates decided to start their campaigns two years before the election, it does not gives them any type of special priviledge.

I hope for our country and the world that Al does run.

[Lex]

14. It's not "silly"--it's my opinion. DEAL with it.

You disagree with me, but that doesn't make it 'silly.'


Oh, and PS--I didn't say the current ones running have "any type of special privilEGE." Read much?

[Pastiche423]

16. Hey, I read all of the time!

When I read your opinion that Al would pull the rug out of the already announced candidates, I thought it was incredibly silly.

Tough noogies on those that started way too early.

[Swamp Rat]

17. Right. He's already running in 2007,

By giving "lecture series" instead of "campaign speeches." :D