if not gore- who is my candidate of choice, if the stars align favorably- john edwards is quietly busting his ass, doing the work necessary to make himself a formidable candidate... gore-obama or maybe edwards-richardson (or edwards-obama? no, that ticket's probably too young and pretty)

I'm thinking Gore Clinton or Clinton Gore.

i would think gore-clinton would have more resonance than clinton-gore... the fact that gore served as veep for another clinton, and actually won election in 2000 at top of the ticket, would seem a little creepy (and submissive, which would preclude gore's usefulness to the ticket)... on the other hand, the junior senator from new york might be far less polarizing at the bottom, permitting her strengths to better help the ticket... there's both novelty and symmetry to it, and it might work... that said, again, i don't believe gore would go for it- there's still bad blood between he and the clinton camp... nor do i believe she would decide to run in the second slot- at her age, and with her ambition, 8 years is a long, long time... don't count out john edwards... the guy was practically a novice to politics last time round, and he is a very quick learner (and has a coherent narrative- imagine that!)... he's been slogging it out places where the media don't go- where real politics happen, at the roots- and has an organization in place, and lots of chits owed to him... he finished second in iowa last time, and handily won a poll done there recently... if he wins there, heads into new hampshire with some steam and wins again, he would be difficult to beat... bill richardson is a very appealing guy, has proven popular even among repubs in his state, and has an obvious appeal to a very important, growing demographic (and talk about symmetry)... obama may be too young still, but he has tremendous skills, and wide appeal of his own (not to mention a sense of destiny about him- that will wear off if he waits too long to make his move)...

I've been following the Edwards podcasts, they're pretty cool. But I have to like Gore's strength's and we' re running out of time with the Earth in peril.

gore is a case of a man being supremely able to be president, and probably the most suitable choice for his time... (this indicates to me that he probably has no chance, but who knows?)...

Also the only man interested in saving the Earth. Worth considering.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-29385328971143264 Unseen Al Gore campaign video!

(from wash. post.com) Another Kind of Gore '08 Bandwagon By Michael Grunwald Sunday, July 23, 2006; B03 It is difficult to speculate about the politics of global warming without speculating about former vice president Al Gore. He says he's campaigning only against greenhouse gases these days, but as he basks in the success of his new movie, it's hard not to wonder whether the man who came so close to the presidency wants to take another shot. But there's a more logical job for Gore to pursue, a job that doesn't make any sense until you think about it. It's a job that would give him the power to do something about global warming, along with other major issues close to his heart, without highlighting his political deficiencies. It's a job where it helps to be wonkish, and doesn't really hurt to be wooden. And it's a job he knows how to do -- because he already did it for eight years. Yes, Al Gore should run for vice president. John Nance Garner famously said that the vice presidency wasn't worth a bucket of warm spit, and for Garner (who served under FDR) it probably wasn't. But it is now, a trend that began with one Albert Gore Jr. Gore was one of President Bill Clinton's most trusted White House advisers, lunching with him every Tuesday, encouraging him to sign a controversial welfare reform bill, persuading him to bomb Serbia. Gore also oversaw the administration's environmental policies, launched a dorky but effective "reinventing government" campaign, and demolished Ross Perot in a free-trade debate. He was often described as the most powerful vice president in history. And he was, until he was succeeded and supplanted by Dick Cheney, a former White House chief of staff, defense secretary and head of George W. Bush's vice presidential search committee. Cheney's control over Bush may be more myth than fact, but it's no myth that he wields unprecedented clout for a number two -- on foreign policy, energy policy, just about every policy. Cheney has become a kind of chief operating officer for the federal government, pulling levers behind the scenes, working his Washington contacts. And Bush has never seen him as a threat, in large part because he's ruled out running for president himself. That's a perfect model for Gore, a distinguished public servant with limited political skills. His most noted stumbles while in office were political stumbles -- fundraising follies such as collecting campaign cash at a Buddhist temple, his PR-deaf "no controlling legal authority" explanation of said follies, his over-the-top defense of Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and then his tortured efforts to distance himself from Clinton during his campaign. The inconvenient truth is that as a politician, Gore has always been more successful in a supporting role. In the Senate, he was a visionary on environmental issues, nuclear proliferation and, yes, the Internet, which he never did claim he invented. And people forget that his addition to the ticket in 1992 helped jump-start the Clinton campaign. But Gore never seemed comfortable as a presidential candidate; he surrounded himself with consultants who deluged him with bad (Don't mention Clinton!), frivolous (Wear earth tones!) and conflicting advice. He ended up bringing three different demeanors to his three debates. He never talked about the environment and other issues close to his heart, and he never sounded as genuine as he did in his movie. The reaction to Gore's movie has been impressive, but it doesn't change the fact that he misplayed a winning hand in 2000. He gives great lecture, but mediocre stump speech. And global warming isn't yet a central issue to build a presidential campaign around. On the other hand, it's ideal for a vice presidential candidate, suggesting a ticket ready to grapple with the challenges of the future. The only problem with the Gore-for-VP scenario is that it's hard to imagine Gore going along with it. He never saw himself as a number two, and someone would have to convince him that number one is not in the cards. But would it really be such an affront to his ego to assume Cheney's huge responsibilities? Couldn't he be convinced that it would help his party, his nation and his global warming crusade to provide elder-statesman heft for a more inspiring politician such as Illinois Sen. Barack Obama? History honors John Quincy Adams for his journey from the presidency to the House; why wouldn't it honor Gore for returning to his old job? Of course, the current Democratic front-runner, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is a longtime Gore rival, and a new Clinton-Gore ticket is too far-fetched even for a thought experiment. But who knows? Maybe if Gore agreed to run with Obama or John Edwards or Mark Warner before the primaries, there would be a new Democratic front-runner. That just might be reason enough for him to do it. -- Michael Grunwald � 2006 The Washington Post Company