Mark Halperin Is Dead Serious About Al Gore In 2016

[DonViejo]

CATHERINE THOMPSON – JULY 3, 2014, 8:10 AM EDT

Mark Halperin insisted Thursday that he wasn't just stirring the pot when he injected the notion of an Al Gore 2016 presidential bid into the political conversation.

The Beltway pundit had sent out a stream of tweets Wednesday listing Gore's strengths as a Democratic candidate. Appearing on "Morning Joe," Halperin argued that Gore is a clear alternative to Hillary Clinton, the presumed frontrunner in the race despite not having made up her mind about a presidential run, who Halperin said has shown herself to be vulnerable during her recent book tour.

That prompted "Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist to ask "Are you just stirring the pot or is this based on some reporting you have?"

"I'm not saying he's going to do it," Halperin responded. "I'm just saying if he did, he brings enormous strengths within the Democratic Party to capture the anybody-but-Hillary support if she continues to be dinged."

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mark-halperin-talks-up-al-gore-2016

[Gothmog]

1. Halperin wants conflict and drama in 2016 for his next book

If Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic Nomination and the 2016 race without too much of a fight, then he has nothing to write about.

[CTyankee]

2. My take is that he envisions himself as a king maker...

He's made a pile of money, he's on tv regularly, he's 'MADE" it so the only thing left is legacy. if he were to be in the role of a kingmaker he could influence America's direction in a major way. I can see how that would be an attractive option to put his energies into.

[Cal33]

3. I've had this passing thought myself. I'd vote for Gore if people like Warren, Sanders, Grayson....

are not running.

[karynnj]

4. Sounds like his real hope is that Clinton and somebody fight on the Democratic side

I think Gore is highly unlikely. He could have run as the favorite in 2004, which the cool kids in the party were writing off anyway. Then he could have run as the anybody but Clinton in 2008. There was a narrow time before Obama jumped in when he could easily have moved to fill that slot.

However, he was NOT a dynamic candidate in 2000. He had far more commitment and energy when he was speaking on climate change. It might be that he is genuine enough that he can't fake it unless his heart, gut and mind are all lined up.

Not to mention, I think he would not have Tipper with him. (I haven't followed if they got back together, found new significant others etc. I assume I would have read it had he married again.

[monmouth3]

5. I thought Halperin made some very good points. I certainly don't want HRC to come in un-challenged.

Halperin made some good points re Gore, it was an interesting segment...

[Historic NY]

6. Not happening, no come back for the over the hill politically Al.

[davidpdx]

7. As much as I wish it were possible

It won't happen.

[beerandjesus]

8. I like Al Gore now a lot better than Al Gore in 2000.

Just sayin'.

[otohara]

9. Media Whore Halperin Dead Wrong On Everything

Last edited Thu Jul 3, 2014, 12:33 PM - Edit history (1)

has been wrong on so many things it's a mystery as to why MSNBC still has him on.
Wasn't he suspended indefinitely?

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/16/1_mark_halperin/

What more is there to say about Mark Halperin? He certainly hasn’t gotten any better since last year, when a panel of experts (me) named him the world’s second biggest hack. He’s still wrong about everything. He’s still shallow and predictable. He’s still both fixated solely on the horse race and also uniquely bad at analyzing the horse race.

Halperin spent 2011 gearing up for the presidential elections by parroting transparently lame spin from Sarah Palin and Donald Trump, insisting that Palin was really going to run for president and taking Trump’s farcical vanity “campaign” seriously as anything other than a time-wasting stunt. He still takes Mark Penn seriously as a wise campaign sage and not an amoral grifter. And he got in trouble for calling President Obama a “dick” on “Morning Joe,” because the president criticized the GOP at a press conference. (This after Halperin spends years writing columns calling him a weak-willed wimp, because he is a Democrat.) The worst thing was not that he called the president a dick, it was that the president hadn’t even been dickish. (Well, the worst thing was the whole “Morning Joe” team giggling like stoned teenagers that Halperin said a bad word.) Halperin is so dedicated to being wrong about everything that, upon his return to the airwaves, he actually made a point of mentioning that, had he been on TV during his suspension, he would’ve been wrong about something. Plus he did a “Morning Joe” appearance from an airplane bathroom which is surely illegal.

[angrychair]

10. Let me be clear on this

I dont care if its Al Gore or Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill is true-blue Dem) I'd vote for ANY Dem over ANY christian taliban nutjob ( aka ANY REPUBLICAN).

[Xyzse]

11. This, is where I'm at.

[Paladin]

12. I'm at that point, too, BUT: I want a candidate that can emerge victorious.

There's just too much at stake to even think about a Gore presidential bid. The last thing that Democrats need to be considering is putting up a national punch line for president.

[craigmatic]

13. Which Al Gore? Are we talking

about the one from the Clinton Administration who was conservative and a DLC darling who lost in 2000 because he came off as robotic which allowed bush to steal the election or are we talking about the Al Gore who has since reinvented himself as a environmentalist entrepreneur? He has to decide who he is and what he believes in first not to mention the divorce and a whole bunch of other stuff.

[Takket]

14. That's nonsence. He may as well say Mickey Mouse would effect the campaign

You can't just make shit up. That's what the GOP does. Either bring Gore on with you or shut up.

[Samantha]

15. I have posted this twice on this site recently

I think Gore could easily take the 2016 election. There is a lot of snark on this thread about the man who has done so much for this Country and its people during his political career, and that is unfortunate. He was indeed robbed by the Republicans, aided by the Supreme Court, but here is the thing: he was so right on so many big issues.

He was one of handful of prominent Democrats who stepped out and spoke searingly against launching the war on Iraq. That was a powerful speech and right on point.

When one thinks just about the climate change issue, there is no one better situated to address that problem than Gore. That is a HUGE issue to me, something I have been following for decades before the Koch Brothers made it a political football. And now, just as Gore warned us all, we are seeing with our own eyes the devastation created by this debacle. There is absolutely no one better equipped to step into the White House and address this issue.

He has built a personal fortune, and could be independent of being influenced by donations from corporations and wealthy persons.

He absolutely stepped out and publicly creamed the idea of allowing the Keystone Pipeline.

Gore is absolutely right on his position on a woman's choice.

Other than that, he is very progressive and I will finish up this post with one word: "lockbox."

I do not think there is any Democrat that will protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to the extent Gore would, except perhaps Elizabeth Warren, or some like Bernie Sanders, a Democratic Socialist. Gore coupled with either of these would be an exceptional 2016 ticket.

Sam

[sendero]

16. I would prefer Gore over HRC..

.... by a 10-1 margin, but I just don't think there is even a 1% chance he will enter the race.

[Samantha]

17. I think you are probably right but there are two things that might influence him

He has children and will have grandchildren that will live in this Country and have to deal with problems the Republicans block fixing.

He is a true statesman and patriot.

I am sure he has a wonderful life now, but I do think he still cares about this Country.

The other thing is I have heard he has been privately approached, so I am thinking a few others are thinking the same thing. He is absolutely the right person for this critical time. He also has been speaking out more....

Sam

[lunatica]

18. Gore would get my vote just for his committment to mitigating climate change

If the planet is in danger then nothing else matters much does it? Extreme weather, rising sea levels, dying forests, expanding deserts, massive refugee human movement, diminishing water accessibility will put an end to life as we know it. Rising planetary heat is and will release methane and other deadly gases which have been kept in check due to historic cold temperatures. Large swaths of animal and plant extinctions will have totally unexpected consequences on the planet and on humanity.

[BlueDemKev]

19. I doubt Al Gore will ever run for public office again.

Gore is enjoying being an elder statesman and working on the outside to effect change. I doubt the party would nominate him because many Democrats, including myself, don't see him as a winning candidate. The way he blew what should have been a slam-dunk win for the incumbent party back in 2000 is totally beyond me. Yes, he was robbed in Florida, but the truth is the election never should have come down to that in the first place.