Boy, I really hope this is wrong. Or that something changes it. Otherwise, I see nobody amongst the current crop of Dems that I could perceive of supporting. Again.
Exceptions would be a big “perhaps, we’ll see much much later” in either John Edwards or Wes Clark. But man would it be a shame for both America and the World — whether you’d support him or not — if Gore chose not to run again. Again.
UPDATE: Melinda Henneberger says it ain’t so:
“Absolutely nothing new,” Gore spokesman Michael Feldman said of the report. “He’s been saying the same thing for six years – that he’s not running but has not completely ruled it out – and depending on where he is, it’s reported differently.”
(Hat-tip to BRAD BLOG reader KestrelBrightEyes)
RELATED-ISH UPDATE: Btw, on the Republican side, I might suggest one of the dark horses that Democrats should be most concerned about is Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. His recent appearance on The Daily Show may give you an idea why. That is, if he can make it through the hard right phony “conservative” hurdles of the primary process.
Daily Show’s Huckabee Interview on Vid here: Part 1, Part 2.
Beyond this interview, I don’t know much about him, so I welcome reader feedback — particularly from Arkansans and others with an inside angle on him.
UPDATE RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS RELATED-ISH UPDATE: E.J. Dionne has a similar thought at nearly the same moment. Calls Huckabee “the brightest star among Republican presidential dark horses” and “the Republican to watch.”
if he did run and won ,could he only serve one term ,after winning in 2000 and all ?
mick
Brad…
I’ve spoken to someone who was in that room and they said they heard Al give his patent answer of, “Right now I’m not even contemplating it, I’m involved in a totally different type of campaign”.
That’s the same answer he gives on every show in the US. I think this Japanese reporter just read too much into the statement and Reuters out of Japan picked it up as such.
Al Gore would be my very first pick too. I’ve voted for him on every poll I can. He deserves it and he is one of the most visionary men in America.
Knowing what we now know about Lieberman, it sure would have been awful to have something unfortunate happen to Gore if he had been able to take his rightful place in the white house. Oh oh, there goes that conspiracy stuff again.
But this time:
Al Gore and Howard Dean as the torch bearer Vice President sounds great to me!
Agreed. Gore is the first seed in these playoffs.
Gore v McCain will be the middle v the neoCons and the middle will take back the white house.
We will get rid of those who think neighborhoods are places to fill the streets with dead women, children, and men.
Then, whew, we abort the disaster child of The Dick and The George, and go convince the world neighborhood that the drunken abusers are being dealt with. America can then, once again, turn its good side to the world neighborhood. Healing oils in place of stealing oil.
Nate – Thanks for that input. I hope your friend is right! I suspected all may not be what it seemed here as portrayed by Reuters in this case. Time will tell. But I’m encouraged to hear the info as passed from your friend.
And here I thought I was alone in my Gore for president choice. Glad to see I’m not, but I like Russ Feingold as VP. He is a true statesman in a pack of scared rabbits!
I would prefer Al Gore to anyone in the field myself, but I’m curious, Brad, what you don’t like about Senator Obama? I have my own misgivings, but I’m curious what yours are and what the other commenters here think.
I’ll vote for a turd if they run it (Mister Hanky for Pres)
My first pick would be Gore, then Edwards
I like Obama too, but they’ll tear him up IMO for being too honest about his past, gotta be squeaky clean you know, even if it’s a lie
Obama would be perfect at running with the ‘prison industrial complex’ meme
And I’m curious, Brad, what’s to dislike about Dennis Kucinich? His integrity is second to none. He has consistently opposed the war from the start. He has spoken out against electronic voting machines. http://kucinich.us/node/277
You know, Brad, I don’t think Al would make such an (literally, possibly) Earthshaking pronouncement in such an off-hand manner in Japan. I pray I’m right. He may not like having the role thrust upon him, but he’s exactly the right guy to restore Truth, Justice, and the American Way ion this poor, ravaged planet.
Station Agent asked:
It’s not so much that I “don’t like” him, as much as I’ve so far not been overly impressed by anything he’s said or done. At least enough to get behind him for a Presidential candidate at the moment. A good enough speech at the ’04 convention, but that hasn’t — as of yet — translated into anything I’ve been particularly struck by. I remain open to him as things move forward, of course.
Dolphyn asked:
I don’t “dislike” him at all. Just don’t see him as a viable contender. Not “Presidential timbre” if you will. Even if an incredibly important and integral (and correct) voice. Had Feingold decided to run — with a similar-ish position to Kucinich’s — believe me, I’d have been all over it. As well as remaining terribly disappointed he seems to have decided to not run.
So much for my hopes of keeping this joint an ’08-Free-Zone for very much longer 🙂
Brad, I fear the repugs want us to focus on two years from now. You know, like any good illusionist: “Look! Over there!” Let us instead keep our collective eye on the most important ball, the one about being allowed to vote and have our votes openly and honestly counted and tabulated. The rest will all follow, in good time. But were I voting in an honest election today, I’d happily vote for a ticket like Gore/Feingold, as well as a host of others. The only thing the repugs come up with is the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and such rich, puffy, white trash. Let’s get back to paper and pencil and hands and eyes, and then we shall see what we shall see…
Brad,
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Al Gore chose Feingold as his VP choice, there really is no formal announcement of running just an accepting statement on Feingold’s part. Right?
An intelligent man in the White House. Someone with a brain. That would be so wonderful in itself. Like a draught of clear, cool water after wandering lost and confused in a parched desert for soooo long.
Hi Ancient – I don’t think Gore would name a running mate until the convention, but I’ve been wrong about most things most of my life. In fact, back in the 60s I learned that everything I knew was wrong…
Hey Arry! Ditto!
Hey CZARAGORN,
You’ve been dead on right about everything I’ve seen! Thanks.
Hi Ancient – that’s probably why I don’t work for Reuters. Thanks backatcha!
This is encouraging…looks like it was reported wrong?
MORE
And what do y’all think about this?
FOX Affiliate Shows Video Of Obama Rally During Sex-Offender Story
Isn’t this tactic being overused just a teensy bit?
(I’m sure it was another accident…)
Ancient asked:
Yup. That’s pretty much it.
KBE – Thanks for the update and pointer to Henneberger. Have updated the original post to reflect it!
To KESTRELBRIGHTEYES
It would be interesting if someone had the number of these “accidental” mistakes fox has made in the past let’s say six years, and then asked the FCC’s chairman weasel Kevin Martin how many is too many? (He looks like someone right out of a CIA handbook) I watched him on Cspan over the weekend and just about all he could talk about was digital tv crap. Meanwhile lies abound on the MSM and no one is held accountable.
I think Huckabee was recently on the Thom Hartmann show also.
For what it is worth, I’m with Brad on this. Feingold and Gore were my choices. I have some problems with Gore’s career support of corporations, and there would have to be some clarifying leading up to the election, but the man obviously educates himself and thinks deeply, and who else is so knowledgable and passionate about the very issue people should be knowledgable and passionate about? (Global warming) Of course, we would need a national dialogue about solutions. Will we get it with anyone else? (I’ve often been a third party supporter, but the global warming issue is so urgent that we have to get down to business right now, like it or not.)
Obama? — why? Any particular reason? Because Newsweek and Time think they may have found a “star”? Hillary Clinton? I wouldn’t vote for her with a ten-foot pole.
A personal favorite of mine is Barbara Boxer, but when I mention her as a presidential candidate, all I get is blank stares and silence. I guess that means something. Maybe she couldn’t win. Maybe she would never run.
Dennis Kucinich should be our first Secretary of Peace. He’d make history and change the world.
Nader should be Secretary of Democracy and Economic Reconstruction.
Obama must be mad to think he can master the art…if the dems had any balls they would have fought the election of 2000 by fighting for another election and we wouldn’t be in this mess today.They were so spineless by not winning the election in 04…these guys never stick together (see how they run) and that’s where the shit unravels if you ask me…long live the great Al Gore.
robert
Al Gore/RFK, Jr. or Edwards/McKinney, either ticket with Wes Clark for Secretary of defense.
I don’t hold with any Congressional Democrats running in ’08. We need their asses right where they are, and we need them performing for the Constitution, badly… not campaigning.
You see, Al. It’s not your choice anymore. 🙂
Funny darn thing. Al Gore’s movie hasn’t shown up to be rented at the machines outside every McDonald’s where you can rent movies for a dollar. They usually have the recent ones available.
They do however have a special season premiere of “24”, which is heavily promoted by many top Republicans. Also, a couple of weeks before “The Davinci Code” came out, they had two DVD’s which debunked that movie. I’m sure those were big sellers when they came out, (not).
I haven’t seen “24” yet, but from what they showed on Keith Olbermann’s show tonight, it looks like it is produced in exactly the same way as that phony movie ABC made about 911 in conjunction with David Horowitz. Over the top, action-packed, non-stop anxiety.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a calm, thoughtful, intelligent, caring president who, even when he’s talking about global catastrophe, doesn’t try to freak us out and instead offers solutions and calls for needed sacrifice from all of us.
Just dreaming…
Hey 99
I’m with ya on Wes Clark for Secretary of Defense. He’s a great guy and perfect for the job!
Thanks Brad for getting back to me. I really just didn’t want people to dispare because Feingold said he wouldn’t run. I think he’s smart enough to realize too many people jumping on the field causes the infighting dems to further weaken themselves.
And as always,
Thanks for ALL you do!
Arry- at #25
I don’t know if Kucinich would change the world as the first Secretary of Peace, but he certainly would change my mood. I lived in Ohio around the time he was the puppet-master of Cleveland. He has come a long way and relatively gracefully. I generally like what he says and tries to present, but he gets so little support.
Did everyone forget about e-vote fraud?
Brad, what was that report, the EDA report? That said about 3 million votes across the nation were STILL stolen in the 2006 elections???
Also, what was with Lieberman being Gore’s VP??? Now that we know what Lieberman’s like now, what was with THAT??? Were they stacking the deck, in case Gore won? I question Gore’s judgement on that one!
There are problems with Gore — Lieberman, DLC, and so on. And a major problem in being part of the Clinton Administration which existed in a crucial time when it was vital to radically reverse the mechanisms of global warming. Many scientists insisted that we had to change course during those years or it would be too late.
And what did they focus on? “Free” trade, deregulation of the media, corporate globalization — things that assured the focus would be off the causes of global warming as well as national and individual sovereignty. They went for prolonging the party rather than facing the hard facts.
Between now and November 2008, I have to hear Gore say something substantive about these issues, particularly in relation to global warming.
But just electing another free trader (with less understanding of global warming) wouldn’t help, of course. Gore has given some great speeches, written some great articles since 2000, and he has focused on the major issue of our time (who else has?) It’s not 2008 yet, and it essential to keep up the citizen’s movement to pressure legislators and potential candidates to help develop real solutions and keep pulling away the cover that hides the sources of the problems.