From the Telegraph (via HuffPo)…
Friends of Al Gore have secretly started assembling a campaign team in
preparation for the former American vice-president to make a fresh bid
for the White House.Two members of Mr Gore’s staff from his unsuccessful
attempt in 2000 say they have been approached to see if they would be
available to work with him again.Mr Gore, President Bill
Clinton’s deputy, has said he wants to concentrate on publicising the
need to combat climate change, a case made in his film, An Inconvenient
Truth, which won him an Oscar this year.But,
aware that he may step into the wide open race for the White House,
former strategists are sounding out a shadow team that could run his
campaign at short notice. In approaching former campaign staff,
including political strategists and communications officials, they are
making clear they are not acting on formal instructions from Mr Gore,
59, but have not been asked to stop.His denials
of interest in the presidency have been couched in terms of “no plans”
or “no intention” – politically ambiguous language that does not rule
out a run.One of his former campaign team said:
“I was asked whether I would be available towards the end of the year
if I am needed. They know he has not ruled out running and if he
decides to jump in, he will have to move very fast.“He hasn’t asked them to do this, but nor has he told them not to.”
One word if true…Huzzah! (as in this would be very interesting…ok it’s more than one word)
Oh heck yeah!!!! Huzzah’s by the score!!! I have been in such a freakin’ funk lately – overworked, under-rewarded, haven’t been able to get to New Orleans since mid-December, my live-in boyfriend and I are disintegrating into nothingness (after all the pretty promises and the big move I made last year) – but still having to live together, in the same room (his kids have the others), the current assministration and ALL of its corruption and greed and blood and neglect – I would totally be heartened to hear that Mr. Gore was INDEED running for President!!!
A bright hope on the horizon, that’s for sure.
C’mon Al, you CAN do it (AGAIN!!!)!!! This time, WE won’t let the slimes steal it from you!!!
Blessings,
Elspeth
(who, despite the heartbreak (and at my age, it isn’t very nice), is possibly going to use this situation to explore FINALLY pulling up stakes and moving to New Orleans, if I can find a job there)
If he does he better have sense enough to lose Donna Brazille or it will be another failed effort.
I have admired Al Gore for some time, but I still think history has passed him by. He had a golden opportunity, as did our country, when he ran in 2000, but he blew it. I remain convinced that if he had been less meek about accepting Clinton’s help, running on the positive accomplishments of the Clinton administration, and being willing to respond to the absurd attacks on him as any normal human would, he was a cinch to win. So, I’m not at all anxious to offer him a second chance to blow it.
I also think it is time for a new generation to assume leadership in our country. We need new ideas and new approaches to governing, and I don’t believe Gore will be the source for those.
Also, and perhaps the most serious, Gore in the race will once again give voters a chance to vote for who they believe will be “electable” instead of who should be elected. We have been there, done that. It is time to move on.
Elspeth…you’ll have to keep us informed on that on that last part
You know it! I mean, if I broke out of living in the same complex for almost 10 years to move out of the ‘city proper’, I can make the move to Nola (hurricanes BEGONE!) as originally planned, but just under diff circumstances. And since the pretty-much-ex-beau (pmxb for short), for all he is a fabulous chef, has NO interest in New Orleans (even though as friends we had some fun times there with our group) – I wouldn’t run the strong chance of meeting him there unless there was a culinary competition he was participating in. I just have to get off the stick (no, not Baton Rouge) and MAKE IT HAPPEN. I have a couple of contacts there, so I will pursue that.
And, yes, I STILL think Al Gore should run run RUN for President – and he would bring back DIGNITUDE in spades to our country.
Al = environmental awareness makes me think to ask: have y’all seen the story about the Australian climate change crisis re: drought??? They are most likely going to BAN irrigation in their ‘food bowl’ because of the persistent drought!?!?! I am sadly remiss in what site I saw that on…devastating though.
I will advise if I am moseying down to Nola and see if any of the FirstDraft faithful are going to be around! 🙂
Hugs all around,
Elspeth – future ‘yat’ (transplant I may be, but my heart was born there!)
We accept her, we accept her, one of us, one of us, gooble gobble gooble gobble…
i wasd actually thinking yesterday i didn’t want Gore to run. i want him to be vice-p again, because he will have more time to really influence what neeeds to be done. and i don’t think he would mind the 2nd chair again. and i would much rather have Gore than a cheney as #2.
Given Kerry’s recent book, with Al Gore doing the forward, I was wondering if we might actually see a “Gore-Kerry” ticket.
Actually, my “shadow government” wish list (based on those I think would excel at the individual jobs) right now is
Gore — Pres
Edwards or Obama — VP (toss up until I come up with a better position for either one)
Kerry — Attorney General
Murtha — Sec. of Defense
Dean — DHS
H. Clinton — Sec. of State (that’s a position where her negotiating/triangulation skills would shine, and she’s still pretty popular overseas)
Kucinich — Sec. of Labor or HUD (toss up)
Nader — head up OSHA or CPSC (I’m not sure this is correct position, but I’d like to give him as much power as possible to actually accomplish something from inside the system; if he blows it off, then I’m giving up on him)
Come to think of it, I’d like to see a “people’s advocate” cabinet level position, which would coordinate OSHA, FDA, USDA, HUD, Surgeon General, Labor, Welfare, Social Security, etc.–all the departments that “watch out for the little guy” basically–that would essentially be up at the level of Sec. of Defense and Sec. of State. Then either Kucinich or Nader would be tapped to this position. That might be really, really interesting.
Just Sunday morning musings.
Dorothy, that’s a cool line-up! 🙂
Elspeth