I wish Gore would make a statement within the next two weeks.

[cali]

I believe he's already decided not to run, but many people still have their hopes up, and won't let go of a potential run unless he makes that Shermanesque statement. Realistically, the window of opportunity for a Gore run is closing quickly, and it really will be closed by the middle of November, but people are so devoted to the idea of Gore running that the only thing that will help them move on is an unequivocal statement from Gore- and he could use it as an opportunity to invite all his supporters to help him in his work on halting climate change. I hope he does it. It's only fair.

[Virginia Dare]

1. Even though he's said he doesn't see the need..

it's obvious that it's time for the Shermanesque statement. Let people move on.

[cali]

2. If he doesn't intend to run, despite his past statements, he really

needs to get out there and put a stop to draft Gore movement. He risks a backlash otherwise. If he does intend to run, he needs to get in the mix within a couple of weeks. I know some think that he could wait until next year, but that's just not a reflection of reality.

[rainy]

3. patients my dear grasshoppers. Gore will run. He will not play it by the

corporate dictated rules. He will play by the new rules set out by you and us and the bloggers and Al himself. And this time he will win with such large numbers that the election can not be stolen again. He will take back what is his. The presidency.

[crispini]

4. I don't know. I am giving up hope.

I just don't see how he can forego the early states, and still hope to win. Yes, people are talking about the split-convention scenario, but that seems a remote longshot at best. It does make me sad, though. :(

[lame54]

17. Maybe this can pump you back up

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Nnph3zkHNw

[crispini]

23. The only thing at this point that would pump me up would be an annoucement.

And I think we would be getting a lot more "wink wink nudge nudge" if we were going to get one. :(

[cali]

5. I'm sorry. I really don't see it that way.

And I'm afraid if he doesn't run, people as vested in his running, as you are, will be terribly angry at him. And he really doesn't have much time left. He can't skip the large primaries, period. And the longer he waits the bigger the risk that the MSM, never exactly his friend, will pull out all the stops. He really does have to get in by Thanksgiving, or it's hopeless. There's no possible realistic scenario with which he can win, after that date.

[rainy]

11. I wouldn't be mad at him just dismayed for our future.

I think Hillary would win if Gore doesn't get in and she is not what the world needs now. The country would continue to be politics as usual the left hates the right vice-versa, perpetuated by the media who profits from the drama.

[Virginia Dare]

12. He'll still be a powerful voice for change..

he certainly won't be crawling under a rock if he doesn't run. Besides, what makes you think that the right would suddenly fall in love with Al Gore? Any candidate we put up there will be divisive, the rw smear machine will make sure of that.

[NightWatcher]

6. if he misses the primaries, he will not be able to win the dem nom

and I dont see a 3rd party ticket.

we need a statement that is clear and consise from Al

[cascadiance]

10. Those that say the uncertainty helps him get attention for global warming also should be concerned..

I don't really buy it that he's keeping us guessing just to draw more attention to himself to get more attention to his global warming efforts, etc.

If he truly wants to focus on those and not get back into politics, I don't really think he needs to be a "potential candidate" if that is his goal. If he feels he NEEDS that speculation to get attention to his global warming efforts, then to me it says that his priorities are flawed and that he SHOULD be a candidate to be effective in fighting the global warming solution. If he doesn't need to be president to be an effective agent for change for global warming, and he doesn't want to to run, then he should make that clear now and focus on those efforts. I think it would also give him more power to annoint the person he favors to win the election if he does so now rather than wait until later.

I believe that he's waiting to announce and being cagey, and I SUPPORT him doing so, because the system is aligned to try and work against progressives like himself, John Edwards, and Dennis Kucinich. I can see how coming in at the last minute HELPS him win the battle. But I do think that we're getting close to that time where it makes sense for him to announce soon too though, so that he maximizes his chance to win the primaries. As one notes, relying on a split convention outcome isn't a winning strategy in this context.

If he waits too long and announces he's NOT running, I think that will work against him in his other pursuits of life, as people will wonder why he waited so long if he wasn't going to run, and be concerned how it might have affected campaigns of folks like John Edwards by waiting so long.

[Virginia Dare]

13. He HAS announced he's not running on several occasions..

but he's said he doesn't rule it out for "the future", which is rather vague. That's what keeps some people's hopes alive I guess. What he needs to say is that he does not foresee any circumstance where he would seek the 2008 nomination. That should put the speculation to rest.

[lame54]

18. What he needs to say is "I'll Run!"

since he hasn't said either why are you pushing for him to say the negative one?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Nnph3zkHNw

[Virginia Dare]

19. I'm not pushing for anything..

I take him at his word that he's not running.

[lame54]

27. he hasn't given that word

[cascadiance]

22. Saying he "has no current plans" when asked questions is NOT the same as making an announcement!

If he announced it like Russ Feingold did after the 2006 election, THEN you could say he's announced he's not running. The problem is that he could be trying to "not announce" officially yet and stay on the sidelines intentionally, which I think is a SMART thing to do up until now. The system is too aligned to allow the corporate media to gang up on him early if he'd got in the race early.

With him keeping people unsure at this point, I think that makes it better odds that he will run than he won't, since I think it makes more sense for him to be nebulous if he DOES plan to run than if he doesn't.

[crispini]

24. I hope you're right

about him being cagey-- but I also agree that it's getting short on time.

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. Oh how I want too believe this. nt

[kster]

7. Al Gore has the establishment (corporate masters and their slaves)

right where he wants them. Whats the rush, its kind of fun to watch Al Gore have the upper hand like this, if he never gives a "Shermanesque statement" so what. I'd rather Al Gore have this kind of pressure on the corporate crooks than to give some statement.

People are having fun, Al Gore is giving us something to hope for, if he does not plan to run, I'd rather him keep the pressure on them assholes than to give me a statement that would take away what little hope I have.

K&R

[cali]

9. It's hardly a rush.

and though it doesn't bother you that he'll just keep people hanging, it does bother a lot of people.

[Virginia Dare]

14. Who exactly is feeling the pressure?

I see no evidence that he's putting any undo pressure on the corporate establishment to this point by being a non-candidate. He doesn't appear to be taking major dollars away from the top-tier candidates.

[KharmaTrain]

8. He'll Have A Far Bigger Role Next Year

The deadlines in the primaries are rapidly approaching and even the most "stealth" candidacy would have to have people in place by now to get on the ballots and set up the organizations to make good showings in the primaries. Al doesn't need that. He'll have an important role on next year's election as an "elder statesman" and conscience of the party. That's a very valuable asset. He'll help focus both the nominee on the environmental issues the next President faces while reaching out to younger, new voters who will hae a very important say in next year's election.

His influence is far greater with his current bully pulpit of pop culture hero than it ever would as a President. He'd have to make tough choices that would piss off many of his followers...best to leave those hard choices to others. Just like Carter has seen world poverty as being his mission, Gore has chosen the environment and the world over nation and party.

[Virginia Dare]

15. I agree with you KT...

even if he was half-way considering it, he would have people in place "exploring". We'd have wind of it by now. There is no "secret plan". That's fantasy.

[lame54]

16. Sounds like you don't want him to run

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Nnph3zkHNw

[Virginia Dare]

20. Maybe the OP is just tired of the speculation..

as I'm I. He has said as recently as October 17th that he has no plans to run. If there was some announcement coming down the pipe, he would need to be making plans. Either he's not running or he's a liar.

[Uncle Joe]

25. I disagree,

if Al Gore decided after Oct. 17th, he's not a liar and even if he discussed the possibility before that and yet didn't make any plans, he's still not a liar.

[Parche]

26. Gore

Why do you think he is going to run, he is not going to run
Its people like you that give Gore a bad name, thinking that he is running
getting your hopes up and then he wont.
:shrug:

[Mike03]

28. A Very Rational Request Indeed

There are thousands of people busting ass for this man, and probably one hundred times that number who are dying to get our wallets out and donate to his non-existent campaign.

Because I don't believe Gore is a hard-hearted person who would allow people to continue to animate hope in a Gore presidency, one crystal-clear statement could end this for once and all.

On the other side of the coin, precisely because Gore will not do this--and because I don't think he has a hard heart--it continues to fuel my fantasies that he might try to jump into the race. Although I don't see how he could at this point. Delegates will be obligated fairly soon, and long gone are the days when he could jump in at the Democratic convention.

He's keeping hope alive, at least in me, even though every one of my brain cells tells me he's not running. My heart keeps hoping.