Gore’s Moment

As I suggested he might back in February, Gore now has won an Academy Award and the Nobel Prize. Being the recipient of two such prestigious award would give him an unprecedented resume for a presidential candidate.

Hillary Clinton’s strength as a candidate has taken some of the rationale out of a Gore presidential campaign. If Clinton were struggling, I could see Gore getting into the race. Right now, with Clinton having raised more than $60 million, Gore has too much ground to make up in terms of fundraising.

If something happens to Clinton, however, look out. Gore’s celebrity allows him to get into the race very, very late.

Spotted in Roslindale: Gore 2008

Standing in front of me in line at the Dunkin’ Donuts was Wayne Wilson, the Northeast coordinator of AlGore.Org, a grassroots group attempting to draft Gore into the race. Wilson wore a blue Gore 2008 pin. The thinking among supporters of Gore is that he will remain out of the race for some time allowing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to fight it out. Look for Gore to get into the race in the Fall after the Nobel Prizes are awarded.

Gore Wins!!!

Huge night. I see the “Draft Gore!” movement picking up steam after tonight.
Gore takes the high road — “not a political issue, a moral issue” — and looks better than at any time in his political career.

Gore Plays It Smart

Leonardo DiCaprio set Gore up magnicently. “Do you have anything to announce?” DiCaprio asked. “I’m here for the movies,” Gore replied.

It was the smart play. Take advantage of the limelight. Bask in it. Then take the high road. The gag of having Gore begin to make an announcement and then cut off by the music allowed the former vice president to both make fun of himself and seem human. Plus, it keeps the drama and the speculation alive.

8:42 Gore Gets Giggles

Ellen DeGeneres gets her biggest laugh of the night with her joke about Jenifer Hudson and Al Gore. America didn’t vote for Hudson on American Idol and she’s on the Oscars; America did vote for Al Gore and …[lots of laughs].

She also had a nice sentiment with her comment that without Blacks, Jews or gays there would be no Oscars. She said something similar in the wake of 9/11, I think, at the Tony’s, when she said Broadway represented everything that Osama Bin Laden was against.

Al Gore Countdown

The countdown is roughly two hours until Al Gore receives his Oscar. If he plays his speech properly, I expect his stealth presidential campaign will be up and running. He had an extraordinarily good week.

Gore was helped by the unruly feud between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. It all reinforces what I wrote in my New York Sun column on Tuesday.

Note: As of 8:01, the ABC broadcast already contained a reference to An Inconvenient Truth.

Gore Running For President?

Officially, Al Gore is not running for president. But I think he might be.
Al Gore has already gone through two painful presidential campaigns, 1988, when he was defeated by Michael Dukakis, and 2000, well, we all remember what happened then.
Through those campaigns Gore was robotic and impersonal and he didn’t look like he was having a very good time.
He’s having a good time now and he hasn’t had to set foot in the frozen tundra of New Hampshire or Iowa. Instead of being at a meet-and-greet in some small town next Sunday, he’ll be at the Academy Awards. He could even win a Nobel Prize — all the while selling tickets to his movie, selling books and promoting his anti-global warming, Live Aid-style concert, Live Earth.
In my New York Sun column, I speak to Jarrett Barrios, a State Senator from Cambridge, MA., who campaigned for Gore in 2000, Hillary Clinton-supporter Steve Grossman, and New Hampshire talk show host, Arne Arnesen, all of whom have interesting things to say about a candidacy by our former vice president.