Gore Not Planning to Run for President

[DoYouEverWonder]

March 20, 2006, 8:43 PM EST

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Former Vice President Al Gore said Monday he's not planning to run for president in 2008 but hasn't ruled out a future in politics.

"I'm enjoying what I'm doing," Gore told an audience at Middle Tennessee State University, where he gave a lecture on global warming.

"I'm not planning to be a candidate again. I haven't reached a stage in my life where I'm willing to say I will never consider something like this. But I'm not saying that to be coy; I'm just saying that to be honest -- that I haven't reached that point."

Gore, a Democrat, in 2000 lost to President Bush in one of the closest presidential elections in history.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-gore-speech,0,4052108.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[unblock]

1. of all the meaningless statements

the most meaningless is the political contender denying his run prior to his announcement.

[SammyWinstonJack]

45. I wouldn't announce my intentions this early either, especially if I were

him.

[Pirate Smile]

2. That is NO Shermanesque Statement.

:)

[fooj]

3. I wish he would reconsider.

Peace.

[wakeme2008]

4. IMHO he has CHANGED from NO I am not running to I not planning to run

big difference. :) :) :) Gore 2008

[Pirate Smile]

6. I know. If anything, I see more wiggle room. heh heh

[NNadir]

5. The perfunctory denial aside, I hope he serves in the office to which he

was elected.

His country needs him. The world needs him.

[pokercat999]

44. He could also serve well in a cabinet post like

head of the EPA of Interior Sec. that is if his ego would let him. It's gotta be tough for anyone to accept what would be seen as a booby prize. I don't think we'll see him run for prez although he would have my vote even against Feingold.

[goforit]

7. I'm am truely saddened.

[Old and In the Way]

8. Who really wants to deal with the mess that this administration has

created? I don't blame him. Clinton/Gore left the boy-king with a pretty good situation. Dimson is leaving a staggering mess for the next poor sap who is stuck with the job.

[Dunvegan]

9. He's not running for anything NOW. In 2006. Which is good.

He's supporting important initatives, like the environment and creating an alternative media network.

This is good.

He shouldn't be running for anything now.

He should be free to not run...once you commit or even hint, it's a full time job.

Let's revisit his position in 2007.

Personally, I think since Gore has not ruled out a place in politics, he's left the door open while insuring his freedom to pursue other activism for the present.

if he's drafted for the presidential candidacy, because that's where people want him, it should make his political service options clear.

[deminks]

10. Wink, wink,

nudge,nudge.

"I remember the night, and the Tennessee Waltz, now I know just how much I have lost..."

My president

[mccormack98]

11. From someone who follows these types of statements closely ...

This statement is EXACTLY the same as all the ones he has made previously on the subject.

Other lines he likes to use ...

"I consider myself a recovering politician," Gore joked. "I'm on about step nine."
Source: Los Angeles Times July 19, 2005


“Basically, the answer is, I do not expect to ever be a candidate again,” Gore said. “I really don’t. The second part of the answer is, I haven’t ruled it out completely." Source: The New Yorker 2004-09-06

=========================
But how's this for a view - check out Ezra Klein in the latest American Prospect where Gore graces the cover.

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=11299

"And it could be Gore, if he wants it. Here’s the scenario: Hillary Clinton continues rolling forward, amassing establishment support and locking down the large donors. Anti-Hillary voters prove unable to coalesce around a single champion, so Clinton is able to suck up all the oxygen but, as with most faits accomplis, attracts little genuine enthusiasm. At the same time, her hawkishness and ostentatious moderation sparks widespread disillusionment among the online activist community. Inevitably, the liberal wing of the party begins calling for a Bigfoot of its own to enter the primary, and the obvious prospect is Gore. DraftGore.com, which already exists, amplifies the drumbeat, collecting pledges and holding events. The press corps, sensing a Godzilla vs. King Kong battle, begins covering the events. As Marty Peretz, publisher of The New Republic and a longtime friend of Gore, says, “if he were to find that there was some groundswell for him, I think it would be hard to resist.”

[bunkerbuster1]

32. Oh, what rich irony, if the New Republic's favored son

...became the left-wing insurgent dark-horse candidate for President in 2008.

I'm not sure I could even process the irony, it'd be so thick.

[PVK]

36. Swee-eee--ttt!

Draft Gore!

[DemGa]

12. Gore 2008; I love it.

[MarmiteVarmint]

13. How old is he?

Seems like he's SUCH a young man for just giving up - I sure wish he'd at least rally some!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

20. He's 58 on the 31st.

PLENTY of fight left.

[hollowdweller]

14. Leaves him free to snipe at the GOP and be the head of EPA in '08

[AnnNeedIt]

17. I doubt Hillary would appoint him anyway

They don't exactly spend a lot of time together. He would fare better running against her in a lively primary.

[Lochloosa]

19. Welcome to DU AnnNeedIt

:toast:

[brentspeak]

33. How would Hillary be able to appoint Gore?

Given that there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of her being elected President anyway?

[AnnNeedIt]

42. most everyone I know in VT will vote for her

Perhaps the rest of the country will follow our lead? We led with
civil unions and many other socially liberal ideas.

[Voltaire99]

43. No one I know in MN would vote for her

Too much support for Iraq war, Pentagon expansion, outsourcing; too little interest in abortion, civil liberties, economic populism. Surely there's some cozy corporate sinecure somewhere that suits her better than politics.

[Rose Siding]

15. Thank goodness he hasn't ruled it out

I can't wait to support Gore whenever he decides

[marylanddem]

16. Love Al & would vote for him anyday but perhaps

he'll take more time choosing his next running mate...

[NoGOP]

18. He has plenty of time to be persuaded to change his mind n/t

[Untermonkey]

21. I don't think he's the best choice for us in 2008.

I don't know who the other side might put up as a candidate but Gore is probably not the best candidate we could put up to attract the undecided swing voters. Democrats will, in all likelyhood, vote for whomever the party nominates. Republicans won't vote for a Democrat regardless. The people we need to attract are the 20% who don't have solid party affiliations. We need a candidate to appeal to those who are not yet disgusted enough with the * crowd to vote Democrat.

[Bridget Burke]

24. Which Democrat would appeal to those who still like Bush?

Why, exactly, would Gore not appeal to the undecided idiots? Who would?

[Untermonkey]

25. I doubt any Democrat would appeal to * supporters.

I'm concerned with those who haven't yet decided to support the Democrat or the Republican nominee, whomever they may turn out to be. I think we need someone with a strong progressive voting record who supports worker's rights, womens right's, and gun owner's rights and who isn't afraid to stand up and say so. Anybody who even gives off a hint of supporting gun control will alienate a lot of Southern Democrats who would otherwise jump at the chance to support a progressive candidate. Al Gore is a known anti-gun entity and that probably cost him Tennessee, and the Presidency, in 2000.

It's not the Democrats we have to convince to vote for the Democrat nominee, it's the undecideds.

[Bridget Burke]

27. OK.

I can now understand where you're coming from. Let's ignore every amendment but the 2nd!

[Untermonkey]

29. What other amendments are being ignored?

I don't see a lot of anti-first amendment laws being passed. Ditto for the others, with the exception of the 2nd.

[Robeson]

38. Here's a nice essay called "Shredding the Bill of Rights"....

...written in 1998. It's just as pertinent today.... http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/shreddingBoR.html

[Admiral Loinpresser]

35. A little flashback...

You make a good point. Gun control probably hurt Gore in Tennessee, West Virginia and the south generally.

But let's re-visit the 2000 cycle and how that came up. Bill Bradley was running to the left of Gore on gun control. He proposed registering all guns, both those already owned and all to be sold prospectively. With Bradley making a little progress in late 99, Gore took a more moderate position: registering all new sales only.

But that didn't come up in 2004 and wasn't a factor, IMO. Every cycle is different. The 2008 cycle will likely include Iraq, terrorism and the economy. I suspect health care and climate change will also be important issues.

Gore is strong on all those. He did better with independents in 2000 than Kerry did in 2004. No candidate is perfect, it's always a balancing act. But let's not forget that Gore actually won despite tremendous disadvantages (Monica, money, MSM, Nader & being a sitting VP). He probably won't have any of those disadvantages in 2008, maybe even money. Gore has never been defeated in a general election and he is the strongest progressive voice on the most important issues: climate change, the war, national security. Let's run him again!

[Untermonkey]

39. You make some good points.

He might do quite well with the aforementioned baggage further in the past.

[lcbart]

26. Democrats will, in all likelyhood, vote for whomever the party nominates

Not this one.

If the Democratic Party doesn't nominate a candidate with Democratic principles, I won't be voting for them. Or probably not voting at all.

I can't just support the 'lesser of two evils' anymore.

[Untermonkey]

28. I'm with you on this one.

I think the time has come for the Democratic party to stand up, declare it's position on the issues, and nominate a the candidate who most closely fits those positions. No more wishy-washy pandering to any particular group or person. No more evasive answers to reporters questions. I, for one, would like to hear a politician answer a Yes or No question with an actual Yes or a No.

The problem is that all candidates are beholden to the special interest groups that fund their campaigns. Someone who contributes millions of dollars to a candidate expects to see a return on their investment, usually in the form of pork or special legislation in support of the donors business interests. It's long past time we funded elections with public funds and eliminate special interest donations.

[november3rd]

31. forget that centrist stuff

we need somebody who is progressive enough to mobilize our base. then we need to get everybody to the polls. then we make sure the votes are counted fairly.

if we do those three things we'll swamp anybody the republicans can put up to challenge us.

[Canuckistanian]

22. Atrios on Gore:

My take on Al Gore and the presidency is that the 2000 election drove him sane and cured him of the basic level of insanity necessary to actually want to be president.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_03_19_atrios_archive.html#114289651216912165

[Javaman]

23. I see him running in 2012.

He knows who ever is prez next time will have a shit load of fixing to do and will get nothing but hell from both sides of the isle as hard choices will have to be made and thus be a one term prez.

however, if elected in 12, he would have a better chance of looking as someone who will do real reform.

I am saddened though. I really like Al. And yes, the country needs him. I miss our country.

[november3rd]

30. We can force him

Whether he wants to or not, the country needs him in there to undo the damage of the last 6 years and get us back on track.

Someone who doesn't want to be President is really the only kind of candidate worth considering. Sane, well-adjusted, practical, well-balanced and honest people would never want to be President.

Sometimes, your country needs you, though.

Gore '08.

[17yroldtwins]

34. Gore 2008

My dream team is Gore and Boxer. Wouldn't that be sweet?

[wordpix2]

37. I am more and more hoping for Murtha who has his finger on military pulse

I think we need someone who is well respected and well liked in the Pentagon and intelligence services. Also, a lot of conservatives and indies would vote for Murtha and he's a plain speaking guy who doesn't give the impression of an Ivy Leaguer aristocrat like Kerry. He might be able to bring the country together.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

40. John Mercurio of The Hotline,

today on C-Span said he checked with aides close to Gore who said Gore is watching developments for 2008. (About two hours and 16 minutes into the morning program.)

This is a softening of signals from those close to him from a year ago. Gore is definitely keeping his powder dry. It's way to early to tell either way. He is a deliberate politician and he is being heavily courted by big contributors, according to Arianna Huffington. Every cycle since 1988 (except 1996, obviously) he has announced his intentions formally at the time he had made a decision. Likely he will do that sometime in 2007.

[sellitman]

41. Not to worry.....

No Dem will win anyhow.

Diebold will make sure of that.