CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look at the latest effort to get Al Gore to run for president.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - With roughly three months until the first wave of voters weigh in on the 2008 presidential candidates, Al Gore supporters are stepping up their efforts to persuade the former vice president to jump into the race.
Draftgore.com published an ad in the New York Times Wednesday with an open letter to the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee strongly urging he throws his hat into the ring.
"You say you have fallen out of love with politics, and you have every reason to feel that way," the letter states. "But we know you have not fallen out of love with your country. And your country needs you now - as do your party and the planet you are fighting so hard to save."
"Many good and caring candidates are contending for the Democratic nomination," the ad continues. "But none of them has the combination of experience, vision, standing in the world and political courage that you would bring to the job. Nor do they have the support among voters that you enjoy and would lead you to victory in 2008".
The group also claims in the letter it has amassed 136,000 signatures for its petition urging Gore to run.
The ad comes two days before Gore finds out if he has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring attention to the dangers of global warming. The winner is set to be announced on Friday in Norway.
The ad also comes a day after Gore backers in California began a campaign to get the former vice president on the state's Democratic primary ballot. The group needs to amass signatures from 26,500 registered Democrats in the state - 500 from each congressional district - by December 4 to successfully place Gore on the ballot.
Meanwhile, Gore himself continues to say he has no plans to run for president again.
Responding to the ad, Gore's spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said the former vice president "truly appreciates the heartfelt sentiment behind the ad, however, he has no intention of running for president.
"He is involved in a campaign of a different kind—a campaign to educate all Americans about the climate crisis and what we can do to solve it," she added.
– CNN's Alexander Mooney and Steve Brusk
From CNN Politics
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America needs Gore. Energy independence already is a top national security issue.
We need somone that won't back down to special interest lobbies, the oil monopoly and other corrupt influences.
Hillary is incapable of defeating the Republicans and lacks the integrity to turn away the special interests and power lobbies.
Gore/Obama '08 would be unstoppable.
Gore ran and won in 2000; it's not his fault the Supreme Court and the GOP weren't interested in counting all the ballots in Florida.
Kerry had the same problem in 2004 in Ohio – of course, it helps when Bush polls more votes than there are actual people, let alone voters, in dozens of statewide precincts, too!
EVERYONE: George W Bush sucks and will be noted as the worst president in US history. AL Gore could have won the presidency again in 2008. (he already won the office once in 2000)But its too late now. I like him but he does not have the support to stop HILLARY. And you can hate on her, talk about Monica and whatever BS you use to validate your hatred for her...but she will win the nomination and she will be elected president. She is the only one candidate that can execute the office of the president effectively. She is a strong leader, excellent strategist, hardliner with terrorist and dedicated to her country. She can speak without cue cards (on in W's case flash cards) and sound as if she knows the score and has an understanding of policy, people and politics. THAT IS WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS! we have 8 years of isolation under an autocratic idiot to overcome.
You know, Former Vice President Al Gore made a profound statement at the close of the election debacle of 2000, when he promised to keep fighting for ordinary Americans.
I was one of the few who believed him. Who believed that he would stand up to George W. Bush and the politics of cronyism in 2004 and I was disappointed when he did not. My party nominated a weaker candidate, and we lost yet another election to the "distinguished idiot from Texas". Its time for 2008, Hillary Clinton carries the torch for the democrats this time around...we must move on from the past and focus on the future. I admire Al Gore. But I am not sure that I would support him over Hillary. I hope I never have to make that choice.
I am not American. I cannot vote.
Personally, I cannot see any "vision" in the supposedly "visionary" Mr Gore's.
OK!?! so he has been going around the globe, for the past six years talking about planet Earth and the environment.
Let's look at the results: Canada, the USA, Russia and China have pulled out of the Kyoto Accord.
Mr Gore doesn't travel or speak for cheap either: somewhere from 25,000 and up, way up.
So...he has found a captive audience that bankrolls by day and goes to shows by night–while he gets rich.
Wow, we have a friendly bunch online today, don't we? I guess the fear of Gore winning again causes some to spew hatred. If you folks would quit blindly supporting your "chosen" party like one would a college football team, our nation could actually make progress once again. Newsflash: the Chinese will make it to the moon before we will again; the Federal Highway Trust Fund is almost depleted; the cost of medical coverage and prescriptions are much higher than a true "free market" would dictate, especially a global market; the "free market" doesn't dictate the price of gas, it is an inelastic product that the producers use to gouge citizens.
Quit cheering for your proverbial "college football team" and put some thought into who we elect to run our country.
Al Gore should run. Just like Forrest Gump, he should run back and forth across the country, but definitely NOT for Prez.
Honestly, this country is way too stupid and petty to elect someone as visionary and intelligent as Gore. Americans are incapable of understanding complex issues and he'd most likely spend his entire administration fending off attacks by legions of rabid-right idiots and the equally vapid press.
IN the meantime, we will continue to allow crooks and liars funded by corporations or, as in the case of our current president, insanely-religious idiots determine who are leaders will be.
OK, Gore has some great experience. Truth of the matter is that he is not going to run. It is great for him to see that he still has got it amongst many Americans. Now for those who choose to say Bush was a great selection. I am a former Republican changed because of BUSH. Now thank you for making the same mistake and voting him back in for the second term that has done us no good here at home. Bush was only interested in his own wealth and that of his oil buddies. Shame on people who vote without extensively researching the candidates first. with today's technology we should know everything about who we are voting for. Because most of the time it does matter, you see, Bush came in with his hidden agenda. I applaud President Carter for his statement he made on the Bush administration and Bush's own definitions of what the laws say. I will respect your opinions only when you honestly know what you and who you are discussing. WAKE UP people start learning about these candidates and don't use the media as your ownly source of information to make your decissions.
He's the best choice for President of the United States.
The folks in this blog that don't think so are Bush people and look how well off we are now because of their choice.
They should be embarassed for the Republican party! The rest of the world can see this, why can't they?
Are they as stupid and dishonest like Bush themselves.
They are pretty much hipocrites!
I just heard Al Gore speak in Austin, Texas, and I finally understand why he is not running. At the end of the lecture, he emphasized that global climate change is a MORAL ISSUE, not a political issue. If Al Gore were to run, the election would become a referendum on global climate change. If he did not win, it would been seen as a mandate against this issue. This issue must not be politicized if we are to prevent the potential suffering of millions of human beings. Having said all this, I believe Al Gore would make a great president, and I would support his campaign.
where do I sign up to get Al Gore to run. This country needs change and Al Gore is it.
WE NEED AL GORE FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008!
By any standards Gore can beat all these republican hopefuls. Now it is too late to join the race. Gore has much more experience than Guliani, Romney, and Thomson combined. His biggest mistake is not taking any help from Bill Clinton in 2000 and selecting Joe Liberman as a VP candidate. If he joins now, it will be like Fred Thomson who has no place in the race.
136,000 votes is about all he would receive in a general election. Jimmy Carter would do better...
How many of these current Gore lovers are really in the Johnny-come-lately camp. I voted for Gore and cried when the Nader voters all but gave the presidency to GW Bush. You broke his heart and now think he's cute enough to take you to prom! He found more respect elsewhere!
I would love to see Mr. Gore run, but I believe that he is right to say that his focus is where it needs to be – the environment. He has been a rational and powerful voice, the strongest advocate for change that we currently have. Yes, he loves his country, and he is doing his best to protect it.
I, like many other American voters, have become complacent with the current administration and the potential 2008 candidates. I won't be showing up at the polls unless Gore was on the ticket. This country needs a drastic change and I think Gore can take us there.
Voila, the intelligent one who presumable made prospective voters nervous (I was told that people cannot relate with him because he does not look like your nextdoor neighbor)is in demand and he says NO.
Come on America, it's time to get an intelligent president after all of these turmoils that tarnishes US' image in the international politics.
Al Gore could be a nice fit but when he says "no, please", can we think of an alternative?
OMG, hope we'll have a brilliant president because people out there are watching ....
Voila, the intelligent one who presumable made prospective voters nervous (I was told that people cannot relate with him because he does not look like your nextdoor neighbor)is in demand and he says NO.
Come on America, it's time to get an intelligent president after all of these turmoils that tarnishes US' image in the international politics.
Al Gore could be a nice fit but when he says "no, please", can we think of an alternative?
OMG, hope we'll have a brilliant president because people out there are watching ….
Sure, I'd vote for Al Gore a third time.
But the fact is that he doesn't have to run again. The majority of Democrats polled say that they are very satisfied with the group of Democratic candidates that are campaigning now.
Now Republican's are in a different boat, they do NEED someone else better in their race and they've expressed it time and time again.
Gore needs to run because the last 7 years have been a disaster and the next 9 will be too if he doesn't.
2 sure ways for the Democrats to lose what should be a slam dunk – Al Gore and/or Hillary Clinton. If Clinton or Gore were to get the nomination, its a sure Republican victory in the general election.
I've had enough of the Republicans – but if the best the Democrats can do is give us Gore or Clinton again, I'll have to vote for the Republicans again.
If Gore supporters are looking for signatures to get him on the ballot they should go door to door in some strong Republican areas. Gore snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in 2000 and our country has paid a horrible price as a result.
If Gore could run today against Bush he would win by a landslide! Now you can see what a disgrace Bush is to our country!
Posted By Dan Schaffrin : October 10, 2007 12:57 pm
Hey Dan:
1) Bush beat Gore last time, whether you like it or not.
2) Bush can't run again. So why do people like you keep wasting your time and ours with this comparison?
The question is not whether or not Gore can beat Bush, Bush can't run!!!!!
The question is whether Gore can beat Clinton, Obama, or other Demcrats in the primary first, and then if he can beat McCain, Guiliani, or whoever wins the Republican primary afterward. Or if Gore would be better than any of those people as president.
At this point, I'd rather vote for Obama or Edwards. The rest are just business as usual.