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The deadline for the Florida ballot is Halloween. How many more days of interest could he possibly sustain for the issue of global warming by delaying? If anything, I believe that he would only damage himself - and his role in fighting climate change - in the longterm if he were to simply play coy to the end.
You could argue that he is trying to strengthen his hand for a later endorsement by showing the candidates how badly they need his signature, but I don't buy it.
I simply don't believe that waiting a few weeks would make enough of a difference to justify the potential sullying his reputation as the coyest man since Fred "Not Just Yet" Thompson.
He is already riding high, and it seems an unreasonable gamble to push it to the very end.
As for those who take him at his word that he "has no plans" and "does not intend" to run, well I'd point you to the revolving door speech of a certain Republican whose bathroom follies shall not be named. The one who changed his speech from "I'm resigning" to "it is my intent to resign." So much for good intentions.
Gore has surely thought about what he would do after a Nobel Prize victory. Taking a look at the tea leaves, I believe he will wait a respectable amount of time after the Peace Prize announcement to make an announcement of his own. To do so more precipitously would overly politicize the award, allowing the GOP to later claim/spin that the choice was political.
By waiting a small amount of time, he lets the glow settle in before he moves forward.
It seems to me that he is given the choice between a shrewd political move - particularly since he has the other candidates thanking him - and a highly unnecessary gamble with his reputation.
I believe that he had been waiting to see if Obama presented enough of an obstacle to turn the process into a three-man (person) race. However, its clear that Gore would become - for all intents and purposes - the sole alternative to Hillary Clinton's bid.
Like the rest of those paying attention, Gore knows that the race remains extremely fluid and - while Clinton has pulled ahead - virtually no one has locked up their decision. Apologies to her supporters who believe that she has become prohibitively favored. Its just not true, however hard you squeeze your hands together in prayer.
I think Gore knows that his chance is there. He knows that he has a lock on her unfavorability numbers while matching and exceeding her gravitas. He trumps her experience card easily, and that is by far the best card she is holding.
I think he's in. To win, that is.
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