Among those said to be pushing Mr. Gore are billionaire venture capitalist and high-tech entrepreneur John Doerr and Laurie David, a global-warming activist and producer of the film, and wife of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator Larry David. "When people see this movie, I know they're going to see the real Al Gore, and they're going to demand that he run," Ms. David says. But, she adds, he changes the subject whenever it comes up, and had to be talked into making the movie when she pitched it.
Mr. Gore has begun assembling a Nashville, Tenn.-based operation to help with the demands on his time. He has hired longtime friend and top aide Roy Neel to head the office, and environmental activist Kalee Kreider, from a Washington public-relations firm, to handle communications. Mr. Feldman says their work will focus on global warming, not on maneuvering for 2008.
Yet the talk of a political second act for the man who won the 2000 popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, exceeds anything before 2004, when Mr. Gore could have sought a grudge match against President Bush.
In recent weeks, he has been on the covers of Vanity Fair, Wired (its headline: "The Resurrection of Al Gore") and American Prospect, a liberal Democratic magazine. Defeated politically, he nonetheless makes Time's list of the world's 100 most influential people; Mr. Gore is featured under the headings "Heroes and Pioneers" and "America Takes a Fresh Look at 'Ozone Man'" -- the derisive nickname coined by the first President Bush in 1992 after Mr. Gore's previous environmental book, "Earth in the Balance," came out.
"His star will never be higher than it is right now with his movie coming out," says Democratic consultant Karen Skelton, Mr. Gore's former political director.
From the Wall Street Journal, May 8/06 by Jackie Calmes
2 comments:
I don't know... I love Big Al, but...
The worse president in history needs to be followed by one of the best presidents we can muster.
But why would Al Gore want the job? History has already validated him: it's settled that the American electorate made the worse choice - ever - in 2000 Gore's legacy as the road not taken is of Rushmorian stature. If he does nothing more than write books and make movies, he remains an all-time American hero.
He has a lot to lose if he runs for president.
That's a thoughtful comment. And a tough question to answer.
Why would Al want the job? Really, why would anyone want the job these days? It's practically impossible for anyone to maintain their stature once they've entered the quagmire of politics. So the answer must come back to why anyone wants to enter politics...
If it's for power, or to help your cronies, forget it. The true calling, philosophically speaking, is public service. You become a politician because it's important to serve your nation. Not for personal gain. Not for glory.
So, why would Al Gore want the job? Because he recognizes that by having it, he can be even more effective at serving his country than just writing books, making movies and delivering well-reasoned speeches. Because he recognizes that (if you'll forgive a Canuck for saying so) the US has wandered off the path and needs to be set straight and that he has a better chance of getting that process underway than anyone else.
Finally, yes it would be good to have one of the best presidents the US can muster, and his/her job would be like that of Sisyphus, given the size of the boulder George W. et al have created. I think Al Gore has really matured since 2000 (and his "defeat" was part of that process). I don't see anyone even close on the horizon. But I haven't followed things as closely as you obviously have, Vigilante. Perhaps you can suggest some viable alternatives...
Meanwhile, I'm stickin' with Gore. Imagine the psychological effect on the American people, when it comes time to vote, for them to say, "Oops! We blew it in 2000. Here's our second chance to get it right!"
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