Don’t discount Gore-led ticket

[romantico]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 9:49pm

Hey, I can still dream can't I? This would make my day, bring the Democrats back together, and be a dream come true.



“If it (the nomination process) goes into the convention, don’t be surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket,” Mahoney said.

A compromise candidate could be someone such as former vice president Al Gore, Mahoney said last week during a meeting with this news organization’s editorial board.

If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would accept it, Mahoney said"

(more)

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/24/mark-tomasik-dont-discount-gore-led-ticket/

[DG]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 9:54pm

Right now, it's the only remote possibility of them winning.

[romantico]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 10:26pm

I wonder if this is what Harry Reid and Howard Dean are hoping for. As much as I would love to see a Al Gore 2008 Presidential ticket, something tells me Al is just too damn smart for that!

[DG]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 10:59pm

I've given up trying to figure out what Howard Dean might be hoping for - or even thinking, for that matter. His mishandling of the Florida and Michigan situations is beyond inexcusable to me.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:16pm

I have been holding out for Gore all along.

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:25pm

Agree with DG that Dean must accept a much of the responsibility for the Florida/Michigan fiasco.

As for Gore, I find it hard to believe that in this supposedly historic election year, the Dems are going to dump both Clinton and Obama. With all this talk of disenfranchised voters, they're going to nominate someone who didn't receive one vote?

[romantico]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:29pm

Gore does well in the polls and he is not even an official nominee. If Gore were to run (I said if) Those who support Clinton and Obama would come together and back Gore. If Gore were to have one of the two be his running mate that could be better. Personally, I would love to see Gore pick Edwards or Kucinich, but thats as unlikely as Gore saying he will run.

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:33pm

While it's reasonable to assume that a large percentage of die-hard Dems would support Gore, it's completely absurd to believe there would be no backlash, particularly among blacks and women.

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:38pm

Al Gore has had such a positive effect towards the environment. He's influenced a lot of people, not just in the States, but in the entire world. If he were to become president, he'd have other priorities..but then again, he'd have more authority.

If out of nowhere he decides to run, I have no doubt that he will win.

[DG]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:42pm

"he'd have more authority."

I'm not sure that's necessarily true. He exerts enormous influence worldwide at this point. Taking over a regime that is, at best, tolerated right now might actually limit his influence. He'd have to spend so much energy trying to fix things that he wouldn't be able to effectively continue the world-wide focus he enjoys now.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:46pm

With all this talk of disenfranchised voters, they're going to nominate someone who didn't receive one vote?

According to the rules, the delegates are not at all required to vote for the candidate they ran under.

By tradition, they vote for that candidate on the first ballot. But once no candidate wins on the first ballot, they are no longer ited in any way to that candidate.

At that point in the convention, it beocmes a "brokered" convention, and the order of business is coming up with a candidate who can win the general election.

At this point, the math is clear: NEITHER candidate will be able to reach the winning number of delegates. NEITHER candidate. NEITHER.

Reid and Dean would of course be looking at other options.

And at this point a fresh candidate would come without any of the bickering that Barack and Hillary--and their supporters--have engaged in.

Gore would be a breath of fresh air. In every way.

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:48pm

Gore would be a breath of fresh air. In every way.

Perfectly said.

[romantico]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:49pm

Gore won once and more people seem to like and respect him more now than they did before. Gore up against McCaine? Puh-lease! McCaine would even vote for Gore

[DG]

Posted: 3/25/08 at 11:50pm

"NEITHER candidate will be able to reach the winning number of delegates. NEITHER candidate. NEITHER."

While it's true that neither would have a winning total, it is also almost a certainty that one of them will have the higher number of delegates and the popular vote on their side.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 12:01am

Not necessarily. It's not "almost a certainty" at all.

The popular vote is still up for grabs, and any delegate count is tarnished and discredited by the disenfranchisement of Michigan and Florida--UNLESS that delegate count is over 2,025.

Short of 2,025, the popular vote and the delegate count can be argued over ad infinitum.

Thanks to Howard Dean's stupid gamble, the 2008 convention can have no uncontested delegate count lead.

"Punishing" Michigan and Florida backfires in a neck-and-neck race.

It would only have worked with a clear winner. Dean never anticipated that their votes would be the deciding votes.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 12:22am

I just envision an uproar (particularly from the Obama camp) if this happens.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 12:24am

Not if the ticket is Gore/Obama.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 1:01am

A brokered convention is most likely going to happen. We all have to start accepting that reality as very likely.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 5:31am

I like the sound of Gore/Obama.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:24am

i hope you're all joking. i would be furious if the DNC pulled something like this. is it even legal? in a year where we have two incredible and historic candidates running, i dont need al ****ing gore to swoop down at the last minute and screw everything up (again). the media would have a field day. how embarassing for us. how can they nominate someone who didnt get 1 single vote?

i would not vote... even if the ticket were gore/obama. i much prefer clinton/obama to gore/anybody.

Updated On: 3/26/08 at 10:24 AM

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:38am

so sayeth the bammian and don't think that sentiment won't be prevalent. ain't no white man gon' be at the top o' no damn ticket fo' sho'. i suggest a pelosi/dean ticket.

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:42am

Well, a Pelosi/Dean ticket would sure have some entertainment value...

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:44am

i would pay to see it.

[artscallion]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:52am

There isn't going to be a brokered convention. This is going to be settled long before that. I predict that super delegates will begin moving to Obama VERY soon. Hillary will be dragged kicking and screaming from the campaign trail hollering, "but I won the most states that have the letter 'D' in them!"

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:56am

Art,
While I'd like to agree with you, that scenario could lead to an Obama/Richardson ticket, which might be in the Dems' best interest. Seems like they're doing everything in their power to lose this election, so that scenario seems unlikely.