OK, How are we going to do this thing -- I mean get Al to run?

[HamdenRice]

It's no longer really Al's choice. There comes a time in the lives of some great women and men when a responsibility to their people, to their country and to the world is thrust upon them.

Martin Luther King was a 26 year old playboy preacher who landed a plum job at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama when the idea of the bus boycott came up. He did not volunteer to lead the bus boycott. As he once put it, the community's decision to put him in charge "happened so quickly that I did not have time to think it through. It is probable that if I had, I would have declined the nomination." Several weeks later, on the evening of January 27, 1956, after being jailed and after receiving phone death threats, when he realized the magnitude of his responsibility, he had something close to a nervous breakdown, and tried to figure out how to bow out of the movement. But he had some sort of religious epiphany and assumed the mantle of leadership of the civil rights movement.

Similarly, when Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, he did not expect to be imprisoned for almost 30 years. This is not at all to take away from his heroism, but at the time, the African National Congress leadership had seen the leaders of movements in countries like Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria briefly jailed, before being released, with elections called on the basis of majority rule. Only in prison did Mandela and other leaders realize that the responsibility had been thrust upon them to stay in prison for decades rather than renounce their principles.

It is no longer Al Gore's choice. If he doesn't run, it appears that the Democratic Leadership Council, the party hierarchy, the political consultants, the pollsters, and above all the mainstream media which does not want the Democrats to win in 2008, will choose Hillary Clinton or Barak Obama for us. These forces will hand us as our candidate a woman with terribly high negatives, an unelectable Latin American style, Isabel-Peron-wife-of-the-former-president-candidate. Or they will give us a well meaning, charismatic, but inexperienced, first serious Black presidential candidate -- and I'm saying this as an African American -- whose name sounds depressingly like a combination of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

The Democratic Party, in other words, is determined on suicide in the one election season in years in which it is possible to sweep the House, the Senate and the presidency -- and most importantly restore the constitution and hold the current criminal occupants accountable.

Most importantly, as a result of a presidential election having been brazenly stolen from him, Al Gore, almost alone among mainstream politicians, "gets it." There are others speaking out about the threat posed to the constitution, but these leaders are not running, or don't have a viable chance of winning. Only Al Gore can save the party, the election and the country.

At this point it is not Al's choice. This has to be thrust upon him.

And on line petitions, web sites, and letters won't do it. Why can't we be like the Burmese, the Mexicans, the Europeans or even the undocumented Latin immigrants of this country who make their demands known through massive physical manifestations in the streets?

The way to draft Al Gore is to go to his house. To go to his house in our massive numbers, and sit there. To sit there at night with candles, to sit there during the day, until he accepts the mantle that has already be thrust upon him, but that he hasn't yet recognized or acknowledged.

[juajen]

1. Leave him alone! If the man wants to run, he knows how.

I love Al Gore and voted for him, and rooted for him to run in 2004; however, enough is enough. I am sick to death of hearing these countless threads. Do you magically believe that all would be smooth sailing for him if he ran? The swiftboaters are alive and well. I believe he needs to enjoy the rest of his life, not be ruled by politics.

[cali]

2. Amen.

This is getting slightly nauseating, and I too think highly of Gore. If he had run, he would have been my choice.

[Richard Steele]

4. Hear hear! Mr. Gore is not our slave to command. nm

[HamdenRice]

5. What's more important? Him having time off or saving the world?

Sorry, but history shows that in many critical junctures, responsibility has been thrust on reluctant leaders. That's the point of the MLK and Mandela examples.

If the choice is the Democrats going down in flames with Hillary or asking Al to sacrifice a few years to save the Constitution, the environment and the country, I have no compunctions in demanding that he run.

That's the point. That's what we have to do.

[Libby2]

10. Amen!!

I love the man dearly, leave him alone.

He's doing what he loves and is wonderful at it.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Hon, really, you need to give it up.

I truly lov(ed) Al Gore but he has chosen not to come to the aid of his country and countrymen at this time and for that, I've lost some respect for him. He was the ONLY person who could have pulled us out and reminded the Democrats of what they're SUPPOSED to be doing as opposed to shilling for the predator class.

[HamdenRice]

7. The future is always an open book of unwritten pages

I always find this fascinating -- like there are two different ways of looking at the future. There's "oh well, that's a done deal, get over it and move on," and "we are active agents in the making of history, let's make it happen."

Clearly, there is some ambivalence in Gore's mind. If we do nothing, obviously you are correct, he won't run.

If hundreds of thousands of people who want him to run make that known in a dramatic way, he will run.

[Le Taz Hot]

9. It's only 3 months before the Iowa

Caucuses and there are no on-the-ground organizations in any of the states. Petitions and letters have been going out to him for 3 years now and there have been NO indications that he's going to run. Really, I've been doing this for a LOT of years and none of the signs are there.

[jpgray]

6. Make sure we tailor that Cincinnatus outfit appropriately?

If he doesn't want to run, he won't.

[book_worm]

8. DU is only one small component and it alone won't convince him to run

He has many people who for months, years have been pleading "Please Run!" But he has other interests it seems other than being president. He seems to reconciled that part of his life and is working on other things for the good of our planet. I say let him alone. He knows many people want him to run but he has said repeatedly that he isn't running. If he changes his mind in the next month (and it will have to be soon because there are filing deadlines for delegates--and you still need delegates to win) he will change it. As for me I would welcome his running, but if he doesn't fine. I wish him good health and much success. In the meanwhile I will support Dennis Kucinich.

[marions ghost]

11. As for thrusting the mantle on him...

The difference between Gore and MLK is that Gore has had plenty of time to think it through, too much maybe. His religious epiphany probably occurred when he decided to work in other directions rather than take on the thankless overhauls needed in Washington. Sometimes it feels better to move on in more positive ways than fighting. It can be debilitating to fight these uphill political battles constantly, as we know all too well.

But I admire your "never say die" spirit. It might be worthwhile to make a last ditch effort. Maybe a group could go to his office and deliver a petition and see what he has to say. It doesn't have to be a huge group. Beyond that, I can't see diverting much more time to it.

We can still follow Gore's lead, wherever he goes with his own agenda.

[youthere]

12. You know what's really been bothering me about this election cycle..

and the current crop of candidates we have? I finally figured it out...There's no doubt in my mind that ANYONE coming in after Bushco is going to have a gigantic mess on their hands, which begs the question WHY would someone voluntarily step into that? So my way of thinking is that anyone who WANTS that catastrophe isn't someone I WANT in there. It makes me think they don't fully understand what they'll be dealing with. That's why I've had so much trouble settling on a cadidate.
SO drafting AL seems like the only sensible solution. I want the guy that DOESN'T want it...if that makes any sense.

[HamdenRice]

13. Well said! That bothers me also

The television spectacle that has become presidential elections has basically created a Darwinian machine that "selects" only the most pathological, ambitious and unqualified people as president.

I often think of Bill Clinton as being a fluke. He was the kind of person the system selects, but he had a genuine desire to do good and think hard about the job. But his pathologies -- in his case a pathological desire to be liked -- led to both the Monica scandal as well as the selling out of his administration to the lobbyists.

No one in their right mind wants to be president in 2008. That's why we have to draft someone.

[xiamiam]

17. interesting dilemna...i wouldnt wish the presidency on my worst enemy but i love my country and the

world so much, i pray Al Gore runs and wins..it appears to be the only solution to resurrect US...

[Apollo11]

14. www.americaforgore.org

Don't ignore the power of the internet. After all - we know who took the lead in creating it! ;-)

If 1 million or 10 million people signed an online petition it would mean a lot.

So we should be encouraging people to sign at www.algore.org and www.draftgore.com

Also visit www.americaforgore.org and send your two cents to Al!

:kick:

[Cruzan]

15. I really think that by now if he was even half considering running there would be some strong clues

and hints about. With it nearly October and his line on not running remaining consistent, things have pretty much firmed up for me that it just ain't gonna happen. At this point people need to begin to accept it because continued hope otherwise is fast beginning to enter fantasy land.

[xiamiam]

16. first, why do candidates need to start campaigning 2 years before the election?

I hold fast to my dream that after Al Gore is awarded the nobel peace prize...oh please let this be so...that he will announce his run...he is a very forward thinking individual...and by remaining out of the fray and actually doing something...uniting the world behind global warming...winning an emmy and an oscar for a monumental film...writing a book...he has set himself heads and shoulders above the rest..Al was burned very badly in 2000...he hasnt forgotten...he will run and he will win...I think he has been brilliant in his strategy...I will attend a fundraiser for Barbara Boxer on the eve before the nobel peace prize is announced ..Gore is a special guest...I am willing to commit 24/7 should he decide to run...I'm not sure how to let him know my personal committment other than pasting signs all over my clothes...but I instinctively know that Oct 12( the peace prize announcement) is an important day...ITS GOTTA BE GORE...

[rosesaylavee]

18. I am still hopeful he will run

and announce later in October. However, I personally do not think staking out his home and pressuring him with a physical presence of a mob of well wishers would work well at all. In fact, that may get a little frightening. (It would frighten me if I were on the receiving end of that.)

Best bet is to write him and work with the draft Gore folks. There is a coalition now of all the groups that have been working on getting his name on state ballots for the primaries. More info here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=260x1815

Peace.

[Uncle Joe]

19. In order to influence Al Gore to run, it's critical,

to support the causes he is most passionate about. Today I believe that to be global warming climate change, the restoration of our Constitution and the crisis in Iraq.

Global warming represents such a grave threat to our way of life and is so huge in scope, that to make the necessary changes will require a President with a mandate to do so. Winning by 50.01% will not get it, because the message sent to the future Congress must be unmistakable. While there will certainly be some ways to profit from these alterations in our way of life, sacrifice will also be required. Even should Al Gore win by a small margin, the future heavily influenced corporate congress will do their best to dilute the message and fight the critical changes to the point of possibly delaying them until it's too late.

I believe this is what Al Gore is trying to do now, cause a sea change in the American People's consciousness and when he sees that, he will run and run well.

[RiverStone]

20. There are all these petition drives

In states like Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio to get his name on the ballot.

Just maybe, if ALL (or almost all) of the states were to manage to do just that - and if Al REALLY had a sense that we would win - that his victory was all but assured - just maybe, he would feel compelled to jump in.

Alas, time is running short for that decision - and I stopped hoping he would run a month or so ago; though I'd love it if he did.

He'd have my vote in a heartbeat!!!!


p.s. sorry Dennis