Note to Bob Shrum: No One in Politics is Ever Inevitable

[Samantha]

The always unpredictable Al Gore has been quietly mentioned. The man who for a long time has warned us about the perils of climate change, panned the Keystone pipeline, wrote the legislation creating the Internet for we the people, who openly assertively states corporations are not people too - that's my kind of Presidential choice. Elizabeth Warren would make a great Vice Presidential choice to run with Gore. So would O'Malley.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/16080513-could-al-gore-re-emerge-as-a-presidential-candidate-in-2016

"Besides, Gore is one of those rare public figures who could compete without needing to throw a lot of money into the fight. He could also afford to take an outside-the-box approach to fundraising. In October, Gore – looking far more presidential and statesmanlike than he did in his younger days – told Bloomberg that “corporations are not persons, money is not speech, (and) big anonymous contributors should not call the shots,” in US politics.

Gore may be wealthy, but he also has populist credentials and the experience that would allow him to, at the very least, be taken seriously as a presidential contender. Gore could make a simple pitch for something like 10 million people to donate $20 apiece, and $200 million ought to be more than enough to give him a fighting chance at the nomination. Mitt Romney spent a little less than $80 million in winning the 2012 GOP nomination, CNN reported in April 2012.

Just as Gore surprised the political world in late 2002 by stating he wouldn’t seek the Democratic nomination in 2004, it would be a welcome surprise to hear him say in early 2014 that he’s not ruling out another run for the White House in 2016."

I read a couple of months ago he had quietly been approached and asked to run. And yes, it would be a welcome surprise should he choose to do so.

Sam

[Pretzel_Warrior]

1. Bob Schrum has been irrelevant for well over a decade

who cares what "I'll say anything for a paycheck" Schrum believes? That being said, I seriously doubt Gore will run.

Although the primaries would be fun especially if Al challenged Clinton to a kissing contest. But sans Tipper.

[Samantha]

2. He is looking for a job in the "inevitable" Clinton presidency

Never really a nuanced kind of guy....

Sam

[Pretzel_Warrior]

3. yup. and I fully expect former Governor Richardson/Horatio Sans lookalike to be offering his service

at any time.

[Samantha]

4. Probably inevitable as well!

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Bob Shrum

...that's funny.

[Samantha]

6. Probaby everyone has certain words that reflexively push their buttons when spoken

So and so is inevitable impacts me that way. During the 2000 election campaign, Bush* people constantly said that about him. Say it often enough, strategists think, and you can make everyone believe it. Not so fast. Politics itself is a very unpredictable sport.

Sam

[Samantha]

7. A bump for the morning crowd

Run, Al, run.

Sam

[ananda]

8. I'd vote for Gore over Clinton any day.

..

[TinkerTot55]

9. And I second that choice.

Run, Al, RUN.

[Samantha]

10. I have been thinking a lot recently about what a President Gore would do for climate change

issues and his dedication to this problem over decades I think is tremendously needed at this time.

Also the fact he has spoken out against other debates, corporations are not people too, and condemning the Keystone pipeline shows me he is not afraid to step out and confront the Koch Brothers. The fact he could easily handle the financing of a campaign without incurring obligations to special interests is particularly of value.

I can only hope, I guess.

Thank you for posting on my thread.

Sam

[KoKo]

11. I was a hold out thinking he would run in 2004.

He seemed to be signalling he would do it...then it all shut down. I don't know whether he was told to step out of the way or at the last minute felt he just didn't want to go through it again.

His life has changed so much since then and the separation from Tipper. I don't know if he would even think about it. And, I don't know what his current political views are. He may be more in line with Hillary these days. But, I would hope if he cares about the division in the Democratic Party and Democracy in America he would at least try to run to bring opposing issues to Hillary into the race. But, if he agrees with the Clinton policies..then there's no point.

[Samantha]

12. I don't think he is in sync with the Clinton policies

He is a lot more to the left. For instance, when he was criticized for assisting with NAFTA during the Clinton years, he publicly remarked, words to this effect, "The biggest mistake we made was not negotiating labor standards."

He was in 2002 surveying the political landscape, was interested in running, and the DLC publicly came out and discouraged his entering the race. There was an article in the Washington Post where members said, words to this effect, "While we do not choose the actual candidate, and we have a lot of influence over who is selected." I posted that article here, I was quite livid about the arrogance of that organization. If I can find it in my old Journal, I will share it again.

Gore is a different man today. If he made up his mind he had to jump in to prevent further damage to the nation and the planet, he would not back off despite what anyone publicly said.

Again, I can only hope.

Thanks for posting on my thread, KoKo.

Sam

[KoKo]

13. I have a video of an incredible speech he gave after we invaded Iraq

when many of us Democrats who opposed the invasion were at our wits end. It was so inspiring and gave me hope that he would be voice working for us somehow in the background through the Bush years. But, then something happened and he got involved with some business venture and folks said he sold out to Apple or something. I stopped thinking about him much after the Tipper separation. It was too painful for me thinking about what might have been..

I wish we could get a buzz going to find out if there's a possibility he could be alternative to Hillary, though. Maybe one of our DU'ers who was wired into to what he was up to ("NashvilleBrook" I think it was) will see your post and make a comment. I haven't seen her around here in a long while, though.

[Samantha]

14. I saw that speech and I cried when I heard it

He was one of the first prominent Dems to step out and condemn that war. Byrd and he were completely in sync.

I was looking through my older threads, and did not get so far as to find that literal Washington Post article. However, I found one thread I wrote in 2004 when the Stop Dean movement was in full bloom. It alludes to the Dems who did not want Gore to run. Here are some quotes from that thread:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/...
Sat Jan 17th 2004, 11:05 PM

If you do not have the time to review the thread, here are some egregious points:

* * *

"This thread is intended to be a thought-provoking question about who runs our party, develops our strategy and manipulates the results. Once you have arrived at your answer, think further about these questions: how much does the collective preference of the Democratic base count as opposed to the will of those who control this party; and, if you are idealistic enough to think the sheer will of the Democratic voters determines our candidate, are the following points mere coincidence?"

* * *

" ... A public split has occurred between our former candidate, and actual winner of the popular vote, Al Gore, and the Democratic Leadership Conference. The latter is a Democratic think tank gently moving the party to the right for some time now. The DLC encouraged its membership to speak out against a Gore run in 2004, thus discouraging a candidate who previously garnered 74 percent support among Dems, to not run. "

* * *

"The Clinton element of the party (Hillary in 2008), the media, Republican shenanigans, conservative Democratic elite -- these all comprise components of Stop Dean. These are the same elements that contributed to eliminating Gore, who some argue had the best shot at taking out Bush*, having done it once before. Eliminate Gore, eliminate Dean, keep eliminating until we get the one WE want. "

* * *

"Is all of your political passion focused on your candidate of preference, or do you ever stop to wonder: do we have some of that same Rehnquist mentality within our own party, the mentality that dictates we the people are just too stupid to make this all-important decision so the elite among us must do it for us?"

(End of quotes)

I am going to keep looking for that literal Washington Post article throughout the day. It clearly demonstrates the unabashed posture the DLC took in proclaiming its influence over who should be the candidate and who should step aside.

Run, Al, run.

Sam

[KoKo]

18. Agree it was the DLC who was responsible

for his not running. I can't get your journal when I click on it...but reading your snips from your Journal jogged my memory back to that time it's clear that DLC was running the show and their newly named "Third Way" (or whatever it's calling itself these days) is still in charge.

I also remembered that Gore started "Current TV" which was at least an attempt to bring some kind of progressive media forward. But, the format didn't work out. He was ahead of his time with trying though.

[Samantha]

19. Here is a link to the original thread itself

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x129153

That article was more about Stop Dean with references to Gore I previously cited. That Washington Post article is older than my older archives section, so I do think I will be able to unearth it. What a shame, I should have saved it.

Sam

[KoKo]

21. Thanks, Sam! Looks good and will read it! I love going back to DU History

We who have been here have "History" and knowledge that we don't want to lose.

It's our Legacy Footprint for Justice we leave on this Earth...How hard we worked for our Democracy. And us over 20 Something have a sense of URGENCY!

[magical thyme]

15. Run Al, please run.

He would have my vote over Hillary any day.

[Samantha]

16. Political choices I believe should be made on who is the right person for the job at this time

Gender and skin color are subservient factors. I truly believe this might be right hour for Al Gore, and this Country desperately needs him. Perhaps we can get a drum roll going and he might pay attention. He has divested himself from Apple (pretty sure of that) and no longer is running a television station, so perhaps he might think of his children and his grandchildren and what the right-wingers are doing to the future of this Country where they must live. I think he is a patriotic guy and perhaps that one thing might move him to run.

He is well respected around the world.

He has also been favorably vocal in the past about a woman's right to choose.

Thanks for posting on my thread.

Sam

[closeupready]

17. I like him, and would love to see him run, but

I'm seriously not going to get excited about this possibility based upon mere rumors, or speculation.

Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just my opinion. Peace.

[Samantha]

20. There is still plenty of time to think about it for him

So I am not going to get seriously excited either and hope he decides to go for it.

Sam