On our front page! "Senior Democrats Mull Al Gore's Nomination"!!

[lildreamer316]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3248467

Source: Telegraph UK

Senior Democrats mull Al Gore's nomination
By Tim Shipman in Washington
Last Updated: 2:23am BST 30/03/2008

Plans for Al Gore to take the Democratic presidential nomination as the saviour of a bitterly divided party are being actively discussed by senior figures and aides to the former vice-president. The bloody civil war between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has left many Democrats convinced that neither can deliver a knockout blow to the other and that both have been so damaged that they risk losing November's election to the Republican nominee, John McCain.

Former Gore aides now believe he could emerge as a compromise candidate acceptable to both camps at the party's convention in Denver during the last week of August. Two former Gore campaign officials have told The Sunday Telegraph that a scenario first mapped out by members of Mr Gore's inner circle last May now has a sporting chance of coming true.

Mr Gore, who was Bill Clinton's vice-president and has since won a Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar for his work on green issues, remains an influential figure eight years after he beat George W Bush in the popular vote but lost the White House after the Florida recount fiasco.

...more...

WHOoohooo!!!

[rodbailey]

1. Lildreamer,

you just keep digging up these other threads to keep us all happy over here at the Gore ranch - and you keep making more work for me. Now I've got to "mine" names from this thread. Actually, from each dozen or so names I pull off a thread like this, we usually get 2 or 3 new recruits to help us out with data gathering on super delegates from the different states. At this point, I think we've got about 10-12 states covered and some of us are going beyond our home states as we have time.

It would be nice if, as reported in the news article referenced in the original thread, there were 100 supers ready to sit out the first ballot (assuming neither Hillary nor Barack had the votes to win it on the 1st ballot). That then throws the entire process open. Our effort to contact supers, if this thing keeps getting discussed, may then only be a drop in the bucket; but, I think we'll all feel we played a part in it.

[lildreamer316]

2. Sorry about the extra work!!

Boy, there sure are a lot of nay-sayers on the thread. It's a bit disenheartening. Do you think that these ppl are mostly trolls, or is it just that people are so committed to their respective candidates that they can't or won't see any other reality?
Sigh. I'm holding on tight...

[Andrea]

3. I haven't been through this thread yet, but

based on my experience arguing with a bunch of them the last few days I'd say a lot are nay-sayers for the following reasons:

1) emotionally committed to their current candidate

2) don't understand the primary/convention process and therefore think this is sort of under-handed OR impossible

3) think this would be some sort of theft from Obama, rather than understanding that he would have to agree to this and give it his blessing in order for it to happen

We can't do much about the first reason, but we can do tons about the others by:

1) remaining calm, rational, and not hostile

2) explaining the process

3) explaining the role Obama (and hopefully Clinton) would play in bringing this to fruition

This works! I actually opened a few minds over in that Joe Klein thread, along with help from some of you. It's a challenge to stay calm in the face of all the vitriol, but it does pay off.

As the polling and the press continue to support our scenario more and more, there will be more people open to this. With reinforcement from the press and the polls they will see that what we have been saying is true and it will be easier to prevail in threads like these.

I am so stoked about the way things have advanced in the last few days. I got my new Time magazine yesterday and the Joe Klein story is mentioned on the cover, top left corner. We are doing great! As Rod says, our efforts may be a drop in the bucket, but we are among the VERY EARLY drops. There is no way of knowing, given the anonymous nature of DU and the internet, how many people we have influenced - or how important those people are - but we are definitely having an effect.

I was thinking last night how exhausted I am by the discouraging political events of the last eight years. I was thinking this Draft Gore campaign might be my last hurrah. It would be so WONDERFUL if we succeed in what we are doing here. Think of the consequences for the whole planet! Then I could happily scale back to a more "normal" level of political obsession, not because I was exhausted and disgusted, but because I was happy and relieved and fairly confident that things are going to work out.

You guys are great!!!

[lildreamer316]

4. Thanks Andrea..

I just am worried that we would not be able to overcome the perception that it would be 'taken' or somesuch from Obama, that he would be short-shifted in some way.

I have to keep remembering that I am committed to seeing the best person for the job and the planet win, not just someone good.

I'm going to reference your post often, I can tell.

:patriot:

[Andrea]

5. Thanks, Lildreamer

I'm worried, too - because this is so important! You have done an awful let to get me motivated again and keep me motivated. Please keep up the good work!

[rosesaylavee]

6. Here are my thoughts as today...

This too may be a political ploy by Dean and other 'senior DEMs' like Gore and Reid and Pelosi. Perhaps spreading this over the news here and there, far and wide would finally convince Senator Clinton this just ain't her nomination? I am waiting until after PA to consider Gore on the second ballot seriously. I am still working on the IL super delegate list but remaining skeptical that this is going to be reality yet. There is still a possibility that Obama will sew up the number of delegates needed by the Oregon primary.

Don't get me wrong, I think Gore would make the best president of anyone we could possibly nominate. But I don't think he would accept the nomination at the disasterously high cost of losing so many DEM voters and volunteers currently committed to either candidate. It would have to be painfully obvious to the basic voter on the street that neither Obama nor Clinton had a chance in hell of winning in November. And we frankly are not there. Planning for that contingency is where we are.

[Andrea]

7. All we can do is plan for the contingency and

wait and see what happens. But the key is, we'll be prepared when the contingency comes. I'm not as concerned as you are, but I don't think it actually makes any difference in what we are working to do. It could be a ploy, we can't know. That is the frustrating reality of politics.

[Andrea]

8. oooh

I just got to that post you did Lildreamer with all the references and links in it. That's good stuff! Keep that handy. That's going to be a big help as we move forward. I think that could be a really key OP at the right time.

[Andrea]

9. It took all day

but I finally made it through that thread.

I think in some weeks we may look back and say that today was the tipping point.

We got a huge response. This subject is on many people's minds' now. I really love that by and large most of the people that are open to this scenario are reasonable and thoughtful. No one could say this thread contributed to the divisiveness around here.

Let's pat ourselves on the back.

Rod, you have a pile of work cut out for you mining names from that thread. I'll try to help and I hope others will, too.