Barack Obama Says Al Gore Could Play a Big Role in His Presidency. Two Presidents for the Price of One?

The Gore Factor

BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

Mark Karlin,

Editor and Publisher, April 1, 2008

It will probably be swallowed up in a news cycle or two, but when Obama dropped the possibility of including Al Gore at some unspecified high level in his administration on Tuesday, it may turn out to be a much bigger story than it first appears.

When Obama revealed that he talks to Gore for advice and that he would like the guy who was actually elected President in 2000 to play a role -- maybe a very big role -- in his potential administration, it wasn't accidental.

Contrary to the disingenuous claims of the Clinton administration that she drops bombshells in response to random questions, campaigns aren't run that way. (In fact, the Clinton campaign was found out for planting questions in Iowa, although it's not peculiar to her campaign, but it does reveal how disingenuous it is when you hear campaign aides say, "she was just answering a question that was asked her.") Any candidate who has made it to the top of the presidential race is prepared for just about any question imaginable. In fact, it is the occasional freelance answer that often gets a presidential candidate in trouble. But that rarely happens when it comes to a controversial or high-profile issue.

And given the implications that someone as seasoned, respected and honored as Al Gore (Vice-President, elected President in 2000, Noble Prize and Oscar Winner among other distinctions, not to mention that Global Warming "thing" he's been leading) might be at Barack Obama's back in an official capacity after January 20, 2009 -- well, that would just about end any concern about whether or not Obama was seasoned enough.

Of course, Gore has given no indication that he's backing Obama or amenable to a position in his administration, should he win the presidency.

But it is unlikely that Obama would have made such a statement without some indication from Gore that Al wouldn't pull the rug out from under him, meaning that Gore was okay with the suggestion -- and maybe even okay with the possibility.

If Gore doesn't categorically reject such a possibility in the near future, Obama has offered a signal -- more like a huge flare -- to the Superdelegates and voters that the duly elected President in 2000 will be playing a role in saving the world and helping guide the American ship of state in an Obama presidency. That's one big Ace to pull out of your pocket.

This will put Senator Clinton in quite a pickle -- short of more flatlined, cliched, parsed statements coming from her Marx Brothers communication team of Wolfson, Ickes and Singer.

Why?

Because if Al Gore was serving as an active Vice-President during 8 years of the Clinton Administration, then what is Hillary Clinton doing claiming all this foreign and domestic policy experience (now largely debunked)? In fact, in covering this primary nomination, we don't recall Hillary Clinton once mentioning Al Gore, a glaring but understandable omission if you are trying to persuade voters that you were the de facto Vice-President, when you weren't.

And you could be pretty sure that if Hillary Clinton were to be elected, she wouldn't be appointing Al Gore to anything that he would accept. The Clintons and the Gores did not part amicably. Let's put it this way: Bill Clinton is best buds with George Herbert Walker Bush, but have you seen a recent photo of Bill with Al Gore? We haven't.

Now we are sure somewhere in the bowels of a Hillary Clinton speech, she mentioned Gore, but you can be sure it was in passing, because his very existence for 8 years as the most active Vice-President ever, according to Bill Clinton at the time, kind of leaves Hillary's Clinton's "35 years of experience" claim high and dry, when you consider all but her senate years.

So, the seemingly casual mention of a potential and we think likely role for Al Gore (our duly elected President in 2000) in an Obama administration is potentially a key final blow to the Clinton campaign, which now appears to be winding down (or wrestled to the ground, as it were) as Obama continues to wrack up Superdelegates as well as a lead Clinton in pledged delegates, the popular vote and the number of states won.

Heck, Hillary Clinton is even now starting to be critical of John McCain instead of campaigning for him against Barack Obama! Now, that's a sure sign the Democratic Party might pull itself together yet.

I'm very hesitant to make predictions, given the volatility of this election year -- in both parties -- but something appears to have shifted since last Friday. Superdelegates continue to be declaring for Obama and both Obama and Clinton have shifted their major broadsides to where they should go -- aimed at John "the Mad Hatter" McCain. Since Leahy and Dodd asked Clinton to concede, the Dems -- including Obama -- changed course over the weekend and are officially saying that everything is just fine with democracy playing out its course. There's a whiff of something in the air that smells like an understanding of some sort, but I can't quite put my finger on whether this involves negotiations with the Clinton campaign, or is just something that is happening around it -- i.e, enough Superdelegates are going to be coming out for Obama in the next few weeks to put him over the top by the time all the primaries are over.

Maybe it's just a lull in the interminable period leading up to the latest "move down the goal post" primary in Pennsylvania. Or maybe, we are beginning to see a campaign proceed on two tracks: a public continuation of a toned-down primary contest, while behind the scenes many of the remaining undeclared Superdelegates have decided that in the interest of party unity and "downticket" elections (particularly in Red States), Obama is going to be the nominee.

And as Randi Rhodes has quoted Bill Clinton as saying: In primaries voters fall in love; in general elections, they fall in line.

Gore should be the lame-duck President right now. The White House was stolen from him in a tragedy of Shakespearean betrayal.

But it sure would be reassuring and heartening to see him back as a major player in an Obama presidency.

That would be sweet, real sweet.

And it's just what the Superdelegates and voters would likely want to see happen.

Let's hope Al Gore is on board with it. It fits in with his game plan. He won't have to run for office and debase himself. He'll immeasurably help restore America's rightful place as a beacon of hope and as an agent of positive change in the world.

It sure beats Bill Clinton's planned world tour with George Herbert Walker Bush if Hillary were to become President. For that, we'd have to bring out the barf bag.

BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

Technorati Tags: EditorBlog Obama Gore BuzzFlash