Reply #12: I fully believe he is leaning heavily toward running. [View All]

This based on one simple fact... Al Gore is not an idiot or a cruel person.

He knows the amount of time, money and energy being spent on his behalf AND he also knows he could stop it immediately, just like he did in 2002 with the Draft Gore Movement (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020801273.html "In 2002, Gore asked Malone to stop a draft effort he had begun; Malone did. Malone started up again and, so far, Gore hasn't waved him off." In fact, as of Oct 13th, Dylan is still out there pushing for a Gore run http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071013/NEWS01/710130343/1001/NEWS "Dylan Malone is the chair of AlGore.org, an organization and a Web site meant to link grassroots Gore organizations around the country.

"My best estimation is that between us we've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and gathered twice that many names and e-mail addresses of Gore supporters," Malone said. "That dwarfs the presidential campaigns of some of the people who are real, live, honest-to-God candidates."


So, why is Al Gore not only drawing a distinction in language between 2002 and 2007, but also allowing people to spend so much time and money on his behalf? If Al honestly had NO PLANS to run, wouldn't he encourage this money to spent on other candidates OR on Global Warming? Further, as he continues to issue his non-denial, denial and refuses to make a definitive statement, he knows that he continues to create the expectation that he will run. He is smart enough to know that the longer he holds out, the more he allows people to get their hopes up, the more there will be a BACKLASH if he does not run. This type of backlash can only hurt his future prospects as his most dedicated supporters will feel somewhat led on by his coy statements.

So, at the end, I am left with 3 possibilities.

#1) Al Gore is stupid and doesn't realize the expectation he is creating and that people are spending so much effort and money on his behalf.

#2) Al Gore is heartless, doesn't really care about these people, their time, effort or money and just enjoys having his ego stroked knowing that people want him to be a leader.

#3) Al Gore actually WANTS to run and plans on doing so, but is doing so in a different an innovative way, by putting his ideas out there and allowing a grass roots organization to form around ideas, rather than retail politicking.

Given those choices, I see only one true option.