I don't think Gore should endorse anyone during the Primaries but if he does

[Tom Rinaldo]

I can make a case that Gore would have a better chance of unifying our Party around Hillary than around Obama. Gore has significant influence with many Democrats of all stripes, but if push came to shove I strongly suspect that Al Gore's influence is noticeably greater on whole among current Obama supporters than it is among current Clinton supporters, and I say that as someone who admires Al Gore and had him as my second choice for President.

Healing wounds and rifts in our Party ultimately means helping those who end up on the losing end of a conflict make peace with and support those who end up on the winning end. Peace makers are needed on both side to end any conflict, but to cite an extreme example, Bill Clinton would not be as effective reaching out to Obama supporters to get them on board if Hillary wins as Jimmy Carter might be.

If Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama it would strengthen Barack Obama no doubt, and the same is true if Gore endorsed Hillary Clinton. But Gore endorsing Clinton would have more of a unifying effect than the other way around, if that was his priority. Hillary Clinton obviously has deep support in the Democratic Party. She actually is winning the popular vote in this primary season to date. That's by a very small margin true, but the margin increases if you include the 1.5 million votes cast in Florida which I think should be considered when looking at the popular vote spread between Clinton and Obama, but Gore has better lines of communication open with Obama's base than Clinton's. If Al Gore endorsed Obama it would mostly entrench existing divisions. If he endorsed Clinton it would help to narrow them.

Again, I don't think Gore should endorse anyone. We need leaders in our Party who can stand above the fray and help us pick up the pieces and unite when our nominee is finally selected. Howard Dean is one of the leaders best positioned to do so. Al Gore is another. I know Al Gore had meaningful solid reasons to endorse Howard Dean for President when he did in 2004 that went beyond his concern for unifying our Party. But Al Gore did mention a desire to unite our Party behind one person then, before the primaries were over when he announced his early endorsement of Dean, and that aspect of his intent did not bear fruit in 2004, and I doubt it would in 2008 either.

[lligrd]

1. Love Al But An Endorsement For Hillary Wouldn't

change my mind. I don't think Hillary supporters understand our (at least my) sense of outrage and betrayal over her IWR vote and her votes to allow our rights to be subverted.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. Well that in a way is my point

If Al Gore does choose to make an edorsement, I hope he does so strictly to throw his support behind whoever he wants to win, to be partisan in other words, and that he doesn't confuse an endorsement now with an effort to help bring unity to the Democratic Party.

[robbedvoter]

3. I hope he learned his lesson in 2004 - lots of negative attention and no bump

whatsoever for Dean. He may not be attacked now - if he would come for Obama - as MSM is in his corner. Just look how Kerry and Ted emerged unscathed from their limelight moments - and ask yourselves - how many times did MSM allow that in the past?
But Gore didn't run himself because he said - he wanted to pursue his own cause.
To become a candidate surrogate now - it would weaken his stature - without helping the candidate much (and I mean - none of them)

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. I don't think Gore would get attacked harsly for endorsing either

And it is his right to do so if he chooses. But I don't think Party unity would be furthered by Gore doing so, especially if he endorsed Obama as I wrote above. And you are right that he risks two things by making an endorsement. One is his status as a party elder above the fray who can be called on to help us unite when the contest is over. The other is his mostly apolitical status now as a world leader fighting global warming.

If Gore jumps into this election campaign on a partisan basis he will be called to defend Obama voting for the Bush/Cheney energy bill that Clinton voted against for example. The last thing that Gore's larger movement and cause needs now is for him to get boxed in as a defender of one Democratic candidate with good environmental credits over another, having to explain why one is right and the other is wrong.

[robbedvoter]

13. I agree it's his right - but coming for Hillary = either attacks or being ignored

It's just how MSM treats Hillary nowadays - nothing to do with Gore's right to endorse.

[joshcryer]

15. Gore would be villified and evicerated here if he endorsed Hillary.

[cooolandrew]

5. I am sure if he endorsed it would be a very diplomatic endorsement...

...If you are out there Gore if you do endorse Barack you will have my undying admiration. Although I would respect his democratic right to endorse whoever he wishes.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. I think he would be as diplomatic as the act itself allowed

which under the current circumstances isn't very much at all. Ted Kennedy chose diplomatic words also.

[Skwmom]

7. This might come as a shocker but some people actually

put country (and planet) before party. I would hope that Gore is smart enough to know that the Clintons will be more of the same and once again NONE of the major issues will be resolved. To move this country forward and tackle our problems we need a President that a majority of the people can trust and rally behind. That person is most certainly NOT H. Clinton.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Either Obama or Clinton will move our nation and the world in a positive direction from here

The only reason why I have any concern about Party Unity at this point is because in the past, like in 1968, 1972, and 1980, when we had insufficient unity Republicans like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan got elected President.

[disndat]

9. Gore is interested in

pushing by all means possible his environmental agenda, so I don't see him endorsing Clinton, given her ties to supporters who are DLCers, neocons, and Wall Steet.

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. Since you put it that way

In your opinion which position taken on the Bush/Cheney energy bill came closer to supporting Gore's environmental agenda? Voting "Yes" or voting "No"?

[Wombatzu]

10. i doubt Gore is interested in helping the Clintons

if anything, he is weighing the ramifications of endorsing Obama.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. Most observers seem to see it the way you do.

I don't expect him to endorse Clinton, but I was commenting on, from several angles, some good reasons for him not to endorse anyone at all. Should Gore endorse Obama I will continue to hold Gore in high personal respect, regardless in my case.

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. Kick simply because another thread about Gore possibly endorsing is on the front page, lol n/t