President... Al Gore?

Buzz has been steadily building over a prospect that a few short months ago I would view as unthinkable. That’s right, the growing clamor for former VP Al Gore to make a White House bid. On the surface it is unbelievable that New York magazine could feature a massive photo of Mr. Gore with the title “The Un-Hillary?” This appears preposterous when one considers the fact that Gore routinely underperforms Clinton in polls against possible GOP contenders and electability meters. But see his new movie An Inconvenient Truth, and the reasons for the hubbub become apparent. I think Gore’s long absence from the world of expensive consultants and vacuous slogans has done the man some good. He speaks with passion and humor, and he even looks better. And most importantly, he inspired genuine enthusiasm among my fellow viewers. This is a rare thing indeed among democrats. And I would be a hypocrite to exclude Mr. Gore solely because of a few poor ratings. After all, this author has stated in the past that a noble yet hopeless crusade may be just what the party needs.