# Will Al Gore run for president? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 11, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765 "2007-02-11T21:58:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/1 "2007-02-11T21:58:50Z")
[He keeps saying he’s not planning to but hasn’t ruled it out.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_gore#2008_Presidential_election_plans) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/2 "2007-02-11T22:00:18Z")
Not voluntarily. He might be drafted, but I really doubt it, even though there are several groups devoted to convincing him to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/3 "2007-02-11T22:16:50Z")
I honestly think he’s happier as an environmental advocate. I think his 2000 run was largely just because he thought he’s be good at it and that’s what one does after being VP for two terms more than him actually wanting the job. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/4 "2007-02-11T22:34:24Z")
from the Wiki link: > [@](#): > > 'Wait till Oscar night, I tell people: ‘I’m dating. I haven’t fallen in love yet. On Oscar night, if Al Gore has slimmed down 25 or 30 pounds, Lord knows.’ Daryl Nerl of The Morning Call has stated that Brazile’s comments might be an implication that Gore will declare his intentions whether or not to seek the 2008 Democratic nomination during the 79th Academy Awards My roommate told me about this Fat Al/Skinny Al meme yesterday. I think it’s pretty funny but I sure hope he runs. Because I still can’t see Hillary or Barrack winning. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/5 "2007-02-11T22:50:12Z")
> [@](#): > > “I can retire to public life with the consciousness that I shall receive from posterity the credit of having been elected to the highest position in the gift of the people, without any of the cares and responsibilities of the office.” – Samuel J. Tilden Of his historical predecessors, Tilden declined efforts to nominate him in 1880 and 1884. (I’m intrigued by the fact that he endowed the founding of the New York Public Library.) The other instance, of a former Tennessee Senator who lost an election to an ex-President’s son despite winning the popular vote, he went on to run again, to become one of the most famous and controversial Presidents, and to make sweeping changes in the national political scene. I speak, of course, of Andrew Jackson. My hunch? Gore won’t actively seek the nomination, but encourage a draft – and will likely end up as the candidate. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/6 "2007-02-11T23:04:08Z")
[QUOTE=I Love Me, Vol. I] \…I sure hope he runs. Because I still can’t see Hillary or Barrack winning. [/QUOTE] Yeah, same here. I first heard of him and his book Earth in the Balance in 90/91 when I was doing fundraising for nonprofits and he was one of the reasons I voted for Bill Clinton in 92. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/7 "2007-02-11T23:22:41Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] My hunch? Gore won’t actively seek the nomination, but encourage a draft – and will likely end up as the candidate. [/QUOTE] When was the last time a political party nominated a candidate as a result of a draft effort? I have no cite, but it seems like something that hasn’t happened since monocles and spats were in fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/8 "2007-02-11T23:23:44Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] When was the last time a political party nominated a candidate as a result of a draft effort? I have no cite, but it seems like something that hasn’t happened since monocles and spats were in fashion. [/QUOTE] Wilkie in 1940. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/9 "2007-02-12T00:26:29Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Wilkie in 1940. [/QUOTE] Wilkie is a marginal case. He actually sought the nomination although he got in late and entered no primaries. At that time primaries were not the determining factor. As I recall, the primary only bound the delegate to vote for the candidate on the first ballot. The candidates, believe it or not, were actually selected by party leaders and the delegates at the convention following their own wishes. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/10 "2007-02-12T00:52:15Z")
Technically, the first-ballot-only rule survives, it’s just irrelevant now. Ah, for the days of drafts, multiple ballots, favorite sons, credentials fights, platforms that people actually paid attention to … but the schmuck-filled room process for anointing candidates hasn’t really gone away. Oh yeah, Gore - add him to the list of people who adore the adulation, the pleadings to run, the assurances that they’d be great Presidents, but who don’t quite have the drive to do all the work required. I suspect it isn’t in him anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/11 "2007-02-12T01:25:32Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] When was the last time a political party nominated a candidate as a result of a draft effort? I have no cite, but it seems like something that hasn’t happened since monocles and spats were in fashion. [/QUOTE] Indeed, when people say “draft Candidate X” nowadays, they usually mean an effort to get X to enter the race before the primaries. The “Draft Weasly Clark” movement of the last election being the most recent case I can think of. (and speaking of which: has Gen. Clark said if he’s giving it another go in 2008??) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/12 "2007-02-12T03:34:31Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Indeed, when people say “draft Candidate X” nowadays, they usually mean an effort to get X to enter the race before the primaries. The “Draft Weasly Clark” movement of the last election being the most recent case I can think of. [/QUOTE] Weasly is our king! 😃 Agreed - ‘drafting’ a Presidential candidate now means an effort _prior to_ the primaries to convince that candidate to actively seek the nomination. WRT the OP, I don’t think Gore will run, unless Edwards falls on his face. If Edwards runs a decent campaign this year, there’s no real opening, no underserved political market on the Dem side, for Gore to exploit; he’d just wind up crowding the field. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/13 "2007-02-12T17:49:09Z")
I wish someone could convince Feingold to run. But I’d vote for Gore over Clinton or Edwards. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/14 "2007-02-12T18:35:15Z")
[QUOTE=David Simmons] At that time primaries were not the determining factor. As I recall, the primary only bound the delegate to vote for the candidate on the first ballot. The candidates, believe it or not, were actually selected by party leaders and the delegates at the convention following their own wishes. [/QUOTE] Like **ElvisL1ves** said, the primary still only binds the delegate to vote for the candidate on the first ballot. The reason primaries weren’t the determining factor was because most states didn’t have binding primaries. In most cases, the delegates were picked by state party leaders. In fact, in the 1940 Republican convention, only 300 of the 1000 delegates were pledged to one candidate or another. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/15 "2007-02-12T21:16:31Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] I wish someone could convince Feingold to run. But I’d vote for Gore over Clinton or Edwards. [/QUOTE] Aye, Feingold was my man too. I was pretty disappointed when he bowed out. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/16 "2007-02-12T22:31:31Z")
I would bet anything on the planet that Gore will not run. I know how they treated him here (Tennessee) and STILL do, even now. You should hear A. J. Hall talk about Al in Carthage, TN (their mutual home town, A.J. being the head of the Wilson County Republican Party.) Talk about a prophet getting no respect in his own country!! Who on earth would want to go through all that miserable treatment again? ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/17 "2007-02-12T23:47:28Z")
Gore/Obama=unbeatable If Gore runs it will be the death nell( knell?) for Hillary’s presidential aspirations. 8 years of Gore followed by 8 years of Obama makes Hillary an old broad with 16 more years of baggage to defend. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/18 "2007-02-12T23:58:59Z")
‘knell’ is correct. Two terms each for Gore and Obama would also mark the first time that two consecutive two-term presidents were of the same party. (Excluding the early 19th century when the Whigs were just getting their butts kicked all over the place, and thus the Democratic-Republicans won nearly everything.) ---
**Author:** ![nitetime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e47c2d/32.png) [@nitetime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitetime)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/19 "2007-02-13T06:31:56Z")
Gore is the only potential candidate I would actually be glad to vote for. With Edwards or Hillary I would be choking back the vomit while voting. I don’t know if he will run, but I think he jumps to the top of the list and becomes the favorite the second he does. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765/20 "2007-02-13T11:50:55Z")
Would Gore be seen as the USA asking for a big “do over”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-al-gore-run-for-president/391765.md?page=2)