10 reasons for Obama to pick Al Gore as his running mate

1. He brings experience to the ticket. Inexperience is Obama's greatest weak point.

2. He represented a southern state, so he would broaden the geographical base of Obama's campaign.

3. He would rouse the Democratic base, stoking their desire for revenge for 2000 and increasing the turnout on the Dem side. This would allow Obama to concentrate on swing voters.

4. He would bring lustre to the ticket, which could be important if facing John McCain. The Republican will not be able to boast a VP candidate who has won both an Oscar and a Nobel prize.

5. He is a good debater with an excellent track record in the VP debates.

6. He would push climate change up the agenda during the election, exposing Republican weaknesses.

7. He would bring the Democratic establishment behind Obama without him having to select Hillary.

8. He served in Vietnam, volunteering even though he opposed the war. This remains an issue and would certainly be one if McCain was the Republican candidate.

9. His record on terror and Iraq inside the Clinton White House was a good one. He would be able to deploy this to help Obama when foreign policy comes to the forefront.

10. His re-election would be exciting for the media and another first, helping the Obama bandwagon roll. No VP has run for a third term. But there is no law against it.

And wouldn't it be fun if Obama chose him and McCain chose Joe Lieberman?

(Hat Tip: Brett for the original idea)

Comments

[Anthony]

"He represented a southern state, so he would broaden the geographical base of Obama's campaign."

True, though it's worth noting that he lost his home state in 2000. Interesting idea, though.

Incidentally, if (having got the nomination, which of course is hardly guarenteed) John McCain picks Joe Lieberman as his running mate, I'll eat my hat. Never going to happen.

[Mark Heenan]

D'ya think Gore might just be a teensy bit tired of flying in someone else's slipstream having done so for eight years already? (although it would be a fantastic development if it did happen)

[António Alegria]

I do agree with Al Gore as VP. Otherwise either Obama should chose Hillary as VP ou Hillary should choose Obama as VP. The best ticket of course would be Obama-Al Gore. Excellent for the USA and the world.
A. Alegria

[Gregory Baker]

There's a problem with this scenario. Al Gore might not be eligible to run as Vice President under the U.S. Constitution. Although there are no explicit restrictions to how many terms a Vice-President may hold, the Constitution restricts a President to two terms and the 12th Amendment makes it clear that the Vice President must have the same qualifications to be President as the President. Thus, it could be argued Al Gore has served in this office to the Constitutional limit.

This would make an interesting court case, but since U.S. courts are restricted to actual "cases and controversies" and cannot rule on hypothetical issues, it would take the election of Gore to the office to rule on the issue. Because of issues involved with the Electoral College, who must vote for a President and Vice President, not a party, it is reasonable to assume neither party will nominate a former two-term Vice President to the office again.

[Oliver]

"He would push climate change up the agenda during the election, exposing Republican weaknesses"...while making wildly unscientific claims in misleading documentaries about the future of the planet. Over-scepticism amongst some Republicans isn't ideal but let's not go to this scaremonger for the other extreme. McCain would be the happy medium.

[Jennifer]

Finkelstein, you must have taken the rest of Barry Obama's coke stache and snorted it in one go. Is Al Gore really so lacking in self-respect and so grasping of any so-called position of power that he'd take the second place job, just to be there?

He's got much more to do than be VP again.

The ideal ticket would have been if Barry could have grown up, played politics, not been such an offensive airhead, and jockeyed for the VP position on Hilary's ticket.

As it stands he's got no connections or relationships in Congress and those in his own party are going to be untrustworthy for a good while yet. If he becomes President, American politics will continue with no leader because anything they want done will happen behind his back.

Don't take me seriously, I am just jealous of Barry's idyllic childhood growing up in the paradise state of Hawaii.

[steven Bainbridge]

1. His experience is as a Senator and Vice president, he needs direct Executive experience, which a Governor like Mark warner would give him.

2. Gore performed extremly badly in the south as the candidate, becoming part of hollywood is hardly going to help him in the heartland.

3. the democratic base hardly needs to be roused, they hate Bush with a passion, and Turnout has already increased in the primaries.

4. the republicans don't need an oscar winner for VP, McCain and Guiliani have Huckabee to appease the religous right, far mroe important.

5 VP debates are hardly watch, who remembers Edwards-Cheney.

6. Climate Change isn't an issue, pushing it up the agenda will make it seem like the democrats don't care about isues like the economy or Iraq.

7. The democratic establishment will be behind whover wins, they want the white house back badly.

8. The issue with John McCain isn't that he served, but that he is a war hero, who spent 5 years captive. If anything Gore's service will drw attention to Obama not having served.

9. how is his iraq record good, Clintons Administration let Saddam manipulate the UN's oil for food program.

10. Gore isn't needed for Obama to seem interesting to the Media, they are already obsessed, and will become more so if he gets nominated.

[Neil]

Interesting idea but not only did Gore lose his home state in 2000 (and he did NOT win an Oscar, please stop repeating this inaccuracy), whereas a Bill Richardson would deliver the home state, as a politician Gore was ultimately a failure. It would be a bad move for Obama to add Gore to his team, many Democrats blame Gore for wasting the Clinton legacy and he is only nowe rehabilitated due to his controversial, inaccurate, glossy documentary. A surprisingly generous assessment of Gore from a usually excellent commentator.

[Mike Laughton]

Would I be wrong in thinking Al Gore would probably beat Obama if he ran on his own for the nomination?

It would be a bit degrading for Gore to be VP again.

Though it would give Al Gore another chance to run in... 2016.

[William Naegele]

This is a Monty Python bit, right?

[Andrew Coxon]

He should make overtures to Gore now. The Democratic Party loves Al Gore in 2008 even more than they love Bill Clinton.

[Peter Reynolds]

What non-sense!!! The man who invented the Internet is now trying to save the world by reducing cardon emissions - opps!!! - that means we have to stop breathing!!

[Joe]

Sure, Al Gore. He didn't win a southern state to include his own home. He would do wonders for Obama. Who are you trying to kid.

[Chris Smith]

God help the USA and the world if that happens! A racist (check out his church), socialist vapidity and a lying, fascist mountebank.

[JL Ronish]

As a Republican voter I can only drool at the prospect of "the man behind the curtain" taking the VP slot with whichever democrat.

[Fran]

Obama / Gore....would be a gift to the republicans. It's a feel good idea, but guaranteed to lose the election. Fran

[Jim Carr]

I agree that it should be Gore on the ticket.
That way the Democraps will definitely lose.
Gore is, even by political standards, the biggest liar and hypocrite going.

[H Ugorji]

Well what a good gaffee, OBAMA/GORE, I guess we all have to wait. On the other hand it could be HILARY/GORE, AL Gore holds the Clinton in the highest esteem, He is ever ready to do it again with his former Boss. Espirit-de-core'.

[jack m]

Gore would not win the South. Southerners don't like his extreme liberalism. He will never be selected as a VP because he would draw all the attention with his dubious global warming hucksterism. Many Americans don't trust his "Chicken Little" warnings. His studied showmanship would upstage the Presidential Candidate. No Presidential Candidate would want him anywhere near him or her. BTW, he hates the Clintons.

Your article shows a surprising lack of understanding about American politics.

[Bruce]

This is meant as comedy, right? A Brit version of David Letterman? A pitch to be hired as a "scab" for striking monologue writers in the US?

And the punchline--LMAO--Al Bore!

[John Grave]

You're extracting the michael aren't you?

Otherwise this is something from the worst fears confirmed realm..

Gore is a self serving Snake Oil Salesman who is only interested in self glorification never mind the facts..

He is a hypocrite who talks but doesn't walk

[Will Marshall]

10 reasons for Obama not to care about Gore.

1. Experience is what Obama's running against now, and to care about it afterwards weakens his brand.

2. If Al Gore can't win his state as a Presidential candidate, why would he be useful as a VP candidate?

3. Obama is aiming at the independents and doesn't need the base motivated - who else is going to win blue states?

4. Al 'no-charisma' Gore brings lustre to a ticket?

5. Which ticket has ever won on the VP debates?

6. He would push climate change up the agenda, when a Presidential candidate wants to control their own agenda.

7. He would bring a Democratic establishment behind him that did Kerry *so* much good...

8. To fight McCain on Vietnam is to lose the argument... the point is to say that VietNam was 40 years ago and America is about the future.

9. Obama doesn't want to talk about actions in the war on terror before the war was declared, he wants to talk about Iraq being a distraction in the fight to capture Osama and thereby win the war.

10. His re-election would remind people what a dull candidate Gore is, when there are people like Chuck Hagel out there.

You know, before I wrote this, I thought there was still a chance Gore might be asked... now I realise there is none. Thanks Danny.

[Scott]

Gore is a joke. Obama would be insane to touch him. 400 IPCC scientists are rebuking him publicly for his anthropogenic global warming fear mongering. Gore has no understanding of hard science and the scientific method, but he does understand demogoguery and political science, and then he's not even good enough at that to beat George Bush. So Gore is pretty much a failed politician and fear mongerer.

But on the bright side, he did invent the Internet, didn't he?

[A Walton]

How would Al Gore be able to visit all those states by bicycle,as he is continually preaching about earth warming.
Any other form of transport would I
think, make him a hypocrite.
Sorry I forgot-he's a politician the rules don't applied to him.

[DK]

Never happen. Not in a million years. Gore however much I like him is just as divisive a person as Clinton. Also who wants to go back to the VPs office. Famously said "isn't worth a warm bucket of spit".

Bill Richardson would make a good VP. Governor of New Mexico, former Ambassador to UN, former Energy Secretary, fluent in French and Spanish and former staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The only problem is that he is good friends with the Clintons but let's hope he would accept VP under Obama for country and show the Clintonites a bit of favour.

[US Voter in Switzerland]

Why isn't anyone talking about the lack of action on Gore's part during his 8-year tenure in the White House? Despite having published "The Earth in Balance" nothing substantial was achieved by the Clinton/Gore administration. We all knew then that dramatic action was needed, now everyone is on board, but is it too late?

[Julian Cox]

It would be political suicide.

Obama is different because he has not bored the socks off everyone and appears a new broom ready to sweep clean.

The Clintons and Gore are the mess in the yard.

Gore is a bore. His global warming mania and his sense of entitlement to office is legendary. Remember how the Democrats whined when he lost because he had studied all his life for the presidency?

Obama would be well advised to put him in his place and move on...

[Daphne Kenward]

I have a strange feeling that instead of focousing on policies we seem to have a situation where people are getting lost in stupidity, such like gender, race, here is a Nation who has had 10 years of absolute madness under G W Bush. the craziest world leader on earth. 400'000 American service men and women crippled for life, 3'500 dead. And here we are some stupied guy calling Obama Racist just who has he linched recently. Chris Smith get real. What does religion got to do with Politics, America is full of False religions. Get on with running a Country when you want to speak about Religion go to Church for god sake. Bush claimed he was religious and god told him to invade Iraq the man is MAD. The world knows that.

[Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky]

Joe Biden?

[Deborah]

HA HA HA.... best laugh I've had in a long time! Thanks for getting my day off to a hilarious start!!

[Art]

Obama won't pick Gore as a running mate - that would be political suicide despite what the media would have you believe. Outside of the main stream media, Hollywood, and a few fringe groups, Gore is generally considered a nutcase. And, if Obama picks Hillary as a VP, he might be joining Vince Foster on a very permanent sabbatical very quickly. Best he picks a Republican if he really wants to be a unifier.

[Paul, American in London]

I really hope the Dems can win in Nov 08, so we can ignore these ultra conservatives who call Gore an 'ultra-liberal' and 'socialist'. In Britain, Gore could easily be a Tory, just to show you how right-wing American politics is. I would think these people who inflicted George Bush upon us would be a bit more circumspect.

[MM]

This is a great idea. Gore needs to tell the world about manbearpig.

"He's half man, half bear, and half pig".

I'm cereal!

[John Cohen]

"Al Gore might not be eligible to run as Vice President under the U.S. Constitution. Although there are no explicit restrictions to how many terms a Vice-President may hold, the Constitution restricts a President to two terms and the 12th Amendment makes it clear that the Vice President must have the same qualifications to be President as the President. Thus, it could be argued Al Gore has served in this office to the Constitutional limit."

What makes you think Al Gore doesn't "have the same qualifications to be President as the President"? When he was running in 2000, no one thought he wasn't constitutionally qualified to be president.

[Drew]

Gore for Secretary of State or Director of the EPA or something.

Not VP.

Though I will say, to Gore's credit, he is certainly much more charismatic now that he's not a politician.

[Gerald P. McOsker]

Has America degenerated so much after 15 years of incompetent buffoons such as Clinton & Bush that the remedy to be considered is Obama and the Great Bloviator - Gore?

But then again- who among the prospective candidates truly offers constructive change? What a cluster of clowns!

[Keith]

Since the point has already been made that Gore would be a silly choice, I'll just point out that from every standpoint (brand maintenance, experience and electoral math) James Webb is the most logical choice for Obama's VP.

He was vocally anti-war from the beginning, having been a Regan democrat he can obviously speak to their concerns and like Obama he's a fresh face nationally. (His multi-cultural family will even look great standing next to Obama).

He was Navy Secretary and has clearly killed someone with his own hands (and unlike Kerry he looks it)

He's from a purple state that's ready to go blue and all a democrat has to do is Kerry's wins plus one.

[Daniel]

This is an interesting idea that has perplexed me for a while. The reason... there seems to be a large amount of insider trading going on around an Al Gore VP on Intrade. For a while I thought it was just confused traders, thinking they were bidding on a presidential nomination. But it has continued and somebody seems to be throwing large amounts of cash at this prospect. Has to make you wonder.

[Gregory Baker]

'What makes you think Al Gore doesn't "have the same qualifications to be President as the President"? When he was running in 2000, no one thought he wasn't constitutionally qualified to be president. '

Yes, but he may not be eligible to be Vice-President again. This needs to be determined.

[Bob DeCecco]

Here in the States we need Al Gore again. The hillbilly sheep that have flocked to Bu$h have been disillusioned by his blissful but weak mentality. O'Bama/Gore would energize America like no other since the Kennedy days. And it would bring back our integrity throughout the world.

[John W]

I vote for ..this is a Monty Python bit..right? You cannot be serious. hahathxcyabi

[Tim]

I'm a Democrat, I voted for Gore in 2000, and I'm an Obama supporter, but even I think this one is loony.

1. Inexperience is, in fact, Obama's greatest strength. His advantage is that he is a fresh face, with no record to bog him down, and that he represents change. Gore's long record of accomplishment would in fact be an albatross; the entire campaign would become about attacking Gore.

2. Gore won exactly one state south of the Mason-Dixon line: Maryland. (Well, he also won Florida, and hence the election, but that's another matter.) There's no Southern advantage here.

3. You misunderstand the psychology of the Democratic base, which prefers to shunt its previous "losers" into oblivion. Remembering the 2000 election makes the average die-hard Democrat ill and discouraged rather than angry. Bush makes them angry.

4. The ticket does not need "lustre." Obama is riding high precisely because he is a media darling, a superstar with far more charisma than Gore. And if Gore does bring lustre, that's a bad thing; the VP should never outshine the top of the ticket. (The idea that Americans will vote for an Oscar and a Nobel winner is laughable. Jimmy Carter won a Nobel and I don't see anyone proposing him as a candidate.)

5. No one watches VP debates.

6. Climate change is a winner if it is *an* issue (one that shows the ignorance and intransigence of the Bush administration), but not if it is *the* issue (showing that the Democrats are really tree-huggers bent on destroying the economy). And it doesn't work if McCain is the nominee.

7. The less Obama is associated with the "Democratic establishment," the better.

8. Obama is too young for Vietnam service to become an issue. Gore has never seemed comfortable making an issue of his own service anyway.

9. The last thing the Democrats need is a round of finger-pointing about whether Clinton/Gore or Bush/Cheney is to blame for making the country more vulnerable to terrorism. Right now the responsibility is solely on Bush's shoulders; leave it there.

10. Um...I don't know. Isn't electing the first black president of the United States enough for the media to chew on?

[Randomfactor]

I thought of this a few months ago. Picture a Fourthbranch office solely dedicated to climate change issues and headed by Gore as the anti-Cheney.

[Big Al]

OBAMA / MCCAIN??? - Obama could seal the nomination and general election by approaching McCain to be his VP, then announcing it prior to Super Tuesday. Sound crazy? Think about it. #1 Shows Obama really can cross the isle (a weakness for him to date). We Americans LOVE the appearance of non partisanship and the shock value would keep Obama's name in the news, overshadowing all other Dem contenders prior to 2/5. #2 Puts a true war hero with experience on the ticket #3 Proves to the world that Obama is ready to effect change by turning party politics on its ear #4 Shores up support against vote fracture by Bloomberg, Dobbs, et. al who will likely enter the race if conditions are favorable to an Independent after 2/5. If McCain underperforms in the next couple primaries, Sen. Obama should consider it. Thanks

[Chet]

So far no one sees the forest for the trees--- It should be an Al Gore- Barack Obama ticket. I've been saying it will be Gore for months, as neither Obama or Clinton will be able to unite the convention. Gore-Obama would be a powerful ticket.

[Rachel Greenham]

Why the hell would Gore want it?

[Random_Comment_Guy]

Why not just pick Bill Clinton? Then instead of having a dynasty, we could simply declare them King and Queen. Or would that be Queen and King?

[Ali-Asad]

Nominating Gore would bring back some of the 90's fights - a key argument used by Obama in opposing Hillary. Obama has many better choices including Richardson and, dare I say it, John Edwards...?

[Andrew Mark]

Gore's zillion years in the public eye has also earned him a nearly universal sense that he has integrity.

After the past eight years, both the US and the World would be better off the people running the White House were perceived as "straight shooters." Gore's on that list.
--------------
EVERYONE will be better off when the US bans ANY advertising on TV which mentions (or even hints) of a current candidate's name.

[Stan(expat)]

Firstly, Hillary will never settle for being VP on anyone's ticket.

Gore is making too much money in the private sector to want to run tho' his sense of entitlement might get the better of him.

Gore couldn't even win his "home" state in 2000.

McCain-Lieberman would be quite attractive tho' age goes against both.

The other thing to remember is that the President is also CinC of the Armed Forces. Who best fits that role in this day and age ?

[Geoff]

Earlier, Scott claimed that "400 IPCC scientists are rebuking him publicly for his anthropogenic global warming fear mongering."

I'm pretty sure this comes from a recent publication by Senator Inhofe. I had a look at this, and it's not "400 IPCC scientists", they only claim "400 prominent scientists". I scanned the full document- and one of the "prominent scientists" is Alan Titchmarsh! The first thing he's quoted as saying is "I'm sure we are contributing to global warming, and we must do all we can to reduce that".

I think that is a pretty good demonstration that Inhofe's list was made up in bad faith, in the hope or expectation that not many people would look closely.

The problem is that there's a well funded denialist industry in the United States, peopled by some of the same folk who worked for the tobacco companies, and they're very professional and competent at what they do. You have to look closely to see the scam, and there are many, many people who want to believe that global warming is some kind of tree-hugger hysteria.

The trouble with Gore is that he's right, but too many people want to believe that he's wrong.

On Scott's parting shot, that "on the bright side, he did invent the Internet, didn't he?", Gore never actually claimed invention. Take a look at Snopes.com for the status of this legend, and in particular take note of how Vint Cerf, a true pioneer, pays respect to Gore.

I was against Gore in 2000 because of Lieberman. I'm sorry, I love video games, I love violence, and I love violence in my video games. Something that Lieberman has been fighting and to an extent McCain. While I can deal with McCain, him plus Lieberman, screw that. Now I'm against Gore because I dislike such blatant hypocrisy. I understand that everyone is a hypocrite, self included, but at least most of us try not to be one. Gore just throws that out the window. In short, as I said in 2000, screw Gore and screw Lieberman.

[Elle]

p-l-e-a-s-e this is a waste of good internet space.

Al Gore is not ever going to run for Vice President and its ridiculous that you belittle him this way. He has stated quite convincingly the only position he is interested in is President.

Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic Party's candidate for Presidential '08.

[Stu]

Gore is seen as a loser and the "We are responsible for global warming" bandwagon is increasingly being seen as having a loose wheel while those aboard are in denial. It is merely the puff of a politician on the make, never a pretty sight.

[prudence eely bond mcguire]

What a treacherous Vice President, Al Gore would make?
This is the man, who, on his last campaign to be elected President, couldn't bring himself to mention, his boss of eight years, Bill Clinton's name
This, was to my mind, shameful behaviour indeed and it may well have cost him the top job!

[TennFan]

I am reading this over here in Nashville, Tn. So you think Al Gore can help Obama? You really should come to Tennessee and see just actually WHO would vote for Al Gore. I am a Democrat and I can tell you, Al Gore's name is poison in this state. And all of the south for that matter. Please don't paint all of the southern Democrats with such a broad stroke.

[B]

For those talking about what the constitution permits:

http://www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/08/columns/fl.dorf.goreclinton.08.01/

[MUIN AHMED]

Obama should pick Al Gore because they both have similar vision for this country.

[Clarence]

I'm hoping Obama's surprise VP pick is Al Gore too.

Text Message *Al Gore is my selection*

This camapaign will be pretty much wrapped up in Obama's hands if he makes that ace pick.

The media is looking in the wrong direction and will be taken completely by surprise.