It doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility (which I suspect is a
surprise even to him). His film received a great deal of positive
press and public attention, he's been extremely charismatic on his
recent speaking stints, and he doesn't face the pro Iraq war baggage
that the current frontrunner (Clinton) has to contend with. He's also
riding an upward trend of support according to polling data. The most
recent information I've seen puts him in 2nd behind Hillary Clinton:
http://www.pollingreport.com/WH08dem.htm
But... Senator Clinton has built up an enormous campaign fund, and
even with Gore's recent upsurge in popularity, she enjoys a
significant lead over other potential Democratic nominations.
Moreover, while her pro-Iraq position may hurt her with the left in
her own party, the position and her gender are likely to be excellent
cases for her potential popularity among independent and swing GOP
voters. And after 8 years of enduring GOP control of the executive
and legislative branches, I suspect many Democrats will be willing to
stomach some ideological conflicts in the name of electability.
So baring any drastic bad turn of events for Clinton, I'd say Gore is
a long shot at best. It's a pity... I've been really impressed with
what he's done lately, and I think he's grown into a much stronger
candidate and potential leader than he was when he first won the
majority of American votes ;) |
