Why Al Gore Won't Go Away Soon

The former veep will be in the news all summer, fueling talk of a late entrance into the 2008 presidential race.

By Richard Sammon, Senior Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter

June 22, 2007

You'll hear a lot of speculation about Al Gore running for president. The former vice president -- and Oscar winner -- will be in the news all summer and fall, what with a new book tour and appearances to argue for federal action to combat global warming.

The buzz works to his advantage, so he's not going out of his way to stop it. At worst, it draws more attention to his favorite cause -- global warming -- and helps sell more books. At best, it sets the stage for a late dash for the Democratic presidential nomination if the two front-runners, Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, should stumble badly. Persistent questions remain about Obama's lack of experience and Clinton's ability to win a general election in a year that many say should favor a Democratic ticket.

Gore's also a serious contender for the Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work. The winner will be announced in October. A Nobel win would spark even more speculation about a possible late entrance into the presidential field.

The ex-vice president is coy when asked whether he will be a candidate. He says he's not running, but stops short of ruling it out altogether. And plenty of Democrats are pushing him. Some feel he was cheated out of the White House in 2000. Others don't like any of the Democrats who are running or just figure Gore is best qualified for the job.

But some serious obstacles would lie in his path. Cash is one. It would be hard to raise enough quickly. Many Democratic donors may feel tapped out by year's end. Gore would need to run a remarkable Internet fund-raising blitz. He would also need to count on becoming an overnight sensation to develop an organization in only a month or two for the early caucus and primary states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida -- before the mega-Super Tuesday primaries in early February that will probably decide the nominees.

Bottom line: Gore would run only if other top candidates fall apart, and that is not likely. Still, he'll be a magnet for speculation.

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