If Gore DOESN'T run- will he regret it?

[Guaranteed]

....

[Swamp Rat]

1. Probably, but I certainly will.

[RB TexLa]

2. Al Gore has thought he should be President for the last 20 years, if he doesn't run

I'm sure he will have come to terms with it.

[AlCzervik]

3. i don't know and neither does anyone else except for Al Gore and probably his wife.

[greyshade]

4. Not as far as I can tell...

...from hearing him speak on the subject, he is fed up with the circus of getting and holding public office, and would prefer to work without those constraints. That said, Al Gore would have made an amazing president. The world would be a different place today if the Supreme Court had not ended the re-count of Florida in 2000.

[alittlelark]

5. I will certainly regret it if he does not run....

What part of 'WE NEED YOU TO SAVE THE PLANET !!!' does he not get?

RUN AL, RUN!!!!

[Blue Belle]

6. I don't know if Al will regret it...

I can't speak for him, but his "FDR moment" is certainly presenting itself right now.

[book_worm]

7. of course not. He has had his chance to run again in both '04 and '08

and is passed up both to concentrate on his passionate work for global warming. There is life without the the white house. Carter believes his most rewarding work has been as a former president.

[cboy4]

8. I don't really think so. I believe if he truly wanted to run,

he'd do it.

What would otherwise be stopping him that would cause him remorse?

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. Why isn't there a "He Can Make More of an Impact as a Private Citizen option?

[Guaranteed]

11. Because that is a totally laughable proposition that, frankly, I'm

sick of hearing.

And it doesn't answer the question anyway.

[cherokeeprogressive]

12. I'd be of the opinion that the Presidency of the United States doesn't hold much weight right now.

He's an accomplished world citizen who has the attention of governments and scientific bodies around the globe.

It'd be a step down.

And to address your last paragraph, only HE could answer the question you asked. Unless you'd like to speak for him yourself.

[Guaranteed]

14. Like I said then, if YOU don't think YOU can answer the question,

don't answer the poll.

And the Presidency is what the President makes of it. In fact, Chimpy had greatly expanded the power of the President over the past six years. The reputation of the office itself could also use Gore's lifting up.

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. So YOU know the mind of Al Gore? You CAN answer the question?

Did YOU offer an answer to your poll?

Because I was assuming that you were asking whether HE would regret the decision?

And by the way, I DIDN'T answer the poll, because I find it foolish.

A new President doesn't change the world opinion of our foreign policy. Get that?

[Guaranteed]

16. Yes, a new President WOULD change the world opinion of our foreign policy.

Because our foreign policy would change. I imagine the world would welcome the relief of a new, more reasonable President. Or am I being too presumptuous again? Talk about foolish....thinking the world won't see our country differently when our preeminent representative to it totally changes his approach....

And I'm pretty sure Gore WILL regret his decision if he doesn't run. He's not going to have the power to get the things done that he wants to get done. Unlike many of our other candidates, the man actually has a vision of the way things should be. He won't be able to implement it without the President's powers.

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. Unless you're aware of a different Constitution than I am

The foreign policy of this country isn't in the purview of the president. He/She is merely the spokesperson of said policy. That's why we have this "nightmare with no end in sight", to paraphrase the general who used to be in charge of it.

You flayed me for not knowing whether Al Gore would regret his decision not to run.

Now you're only "pretty sure" he would?

[Guaranteed]

18. I am aware of a different Constitution than you are.

If you'd studied it, you'd know that the President is given very broad powers when it comes to foreign affairs in that the Supreme Court is highly deferent when it comes to what the President does in that area. He is our representative to the world, and because of that has more power outside of our country than inside of it. It does depends on what you're talking about, though.

[cherokeeprogressive]

19. I won't argue the point as it's a little ambiguous about who is the "arbiter" of foreign policy

I've studied it, thanks.

He/She is our public face, to be sure. I'm just saying that simply changing that face (something that the world EXPECTS us to do every four or eight years) will not change what the world thinks of us as a nation. I'm thinking that it'll take three, maybe four presidential cycles to make the world think that WE are serious about making amends for the wrongs we've foisted on the world over the last 20 years.

Peace, and ^5, because in the end we're surely (you and I) are on the same side.

[Kahuna]

21. I agree with you BLG. I'm sick to death of people saying that Gore

can make more of an impact as a private citizen than as president of the United States. That's just ridiculous on its face.

[me b zola]

10. I don't know if Gore will regret it if he doesn't run...

...but I think I will.

[tom_paine]

13. I believe it is very possible the whole human species will regret it

[Kahuna]

20. Regret. If he had not listened to Barney Frank and Bryron Dorgan

in 2004, (they supported a Kerry run), he would likely be presisent right now. If another repuke gets in because of another bad Dem nominee, he will regret it.