Posted on 03/28/2007 5:24:56 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton faces a possible new threat to her presidential ambitions.
Former Vice President Al Gore has again been entertaining offers to run for president. Gore has been discussing a run for a third party nomination with family and close aides.
"Al Gore has been energized by the attention he's been receiving as America's leading environmentalist," a political source close to Gore said. "He believes this might present an opportunity to become president or at least try again."
Sources close to Gore said Ralph Nader has sought to recruit the former vice president to run as the candidate for the Green Party. They said Gore has not rejected the offer and was consulting with family and friends to determine the feasibility of such a candidacy.
At this point, Gore stands behind Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama in any race for the Democratic presidential nomination. But the polls report that many Democrats who support Clinton could switch their support to Gore.
Still, Gore, largely estranged from former President Bill Clinton since 2000, is said to have concluded that he stands no chance of beating Hillary for the Democratic presidential nomination. But sources close to Gore said the former vice president believes that he could present himself as a genuine liberal in any general election that would include Clinton.
For her part, Clinton has been monitoring Gore's feelers regarding a presidential race. The sources said Clinton has expressed concern that a third party effort by Gore could hurt her chances in the general election.
"Gore is invulnerable on several issues," a political strategist familiar with Gore's consultations said. "Unlike Obama, he can't be attacked as inexperienced; he has much more experience than Hillary. And, he was Bill's vice president."
Nader, a harsh critic of then-President Bill Clinton, was for a time the leader of the Green Party. Nader has used the movement for previous races for the presidency. Nader's campaign was believed to have spoiled Gore's efforts for the presidency in the 2000 election, particularly in the state of Florida where George W. Bush won by only 537 votes. In 1996 and 2000, Nader was the presidential nominee of the Green Party.
Over the last month, Gore's profile has skyrocketed in the wake of his Academy Award for his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," which examines global warming. On March 21, Gore testified to two congressional panels that global climate change marked the greatest danger in U.S. history and issued a 10-point plan that included an immediate freeze on new emissions from cars and power plants.
"This is not a normal time," Gore said in his first appearance on Capitol Hill since 2001. "We are facing a planetary emergency. I'm fully aware that that phrase sounds shrill to many people's ears. But it is accurate."
Although a handful of Republicans criticized and questioned his research and the factual basis for many of his claims, many Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee viewed Gore's appearance as a homecoming. The Democrats, with Sen. Hillary Clinton sitting on the committee, said Gore was leading a nationwide movement that sought drastic changes in the environment.
"You have acted for us," said Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer, California Democrat. "You have acted more than anyone else."
The sources said Gore, who also serves as an adviser to Google, would quietly test the waters in a series of polls in the spring of 2007. They said his high profile will probably be maintained over the next few months when he publicizes his latest book, "The Assault on Reason" in May. The book is said to be an indictment of American politics.
Run, Al, run! Pleeeeeeease? :-D
Manbearpig ping!
Not only that, but Algore can then try on the Dem ticket in '12 if he likes. Hollywood will love him, he'll surely keep up his environmental-savior role, it's cashing in with the rich Hollywood types. He would conceivably 'win' in another way, even if he loses in '08. Everybody loves an underdog, a lovable 'loser', and after his 'valiant' attempt in '08, and no doubt his dire warnings about the 'worsening' environment, he'd stand a good chance of getting even more votes. Heck, he'd even have time to make a movie sequel, 'The Even More Inconvenient Truth', to replenish his coffers. Yes, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
And think of it - he trumps Bill Clinton. He gets what Bill has been wanting since 2000, lots and lots of media and leftie-elite attention. Win again.
Nice touch!
He's got OXY stock, how much I don't know, but what else ?
I think Gore might threaten this in order to force the Democratic Party to be nice to him.
OMG .. this would cut Hillary off at the knees!
Well .. nobody deserves it more after what they did to Bush I.
No, it's a CONVENIENT Candidate. If he runs that is.
So please run Al!
PLEASE!
I just don't see him running third party which only would spoil Hilary's chances...wait? Is it that simple? Well?
Echoing...you GO, girl!!!
(oh, pleeze pleeze pleeze pleeze...!!!)
AACKKK!!! We AGREE on something!!!
Algore needs to watch his back. Folks don't cross the clintoons and survive the experience.
Run Al Run!!!!!
I'd throw a C note towards his campaign . GO AL GO. The Dems would be all over the place and we'd slip right in again .
Fat moron he is .
Imagine what he'll weigh in 2012 ?
There is NO way this is true. He knows all too well what Nader did to him in 2000. IMO, Algore is simply wanting the dims to beg him to run as a Dem. But I will still hope and pray that this does happen.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is...
...but would this be nice or what?
Do it, Algore!
Even though I don't agree with Algore's politics, the environmental movement deserves to have its voice heard in a national election. I support Algore's idea of running in 2008. Let's see what the population really thinks about global warming when push comes to vote.
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