What’s the only thing that could make the Democratic field more pathetic (and ancient) that it already is? I mean besides Al Sharpton running? How about Al Gore, a relatively youthful 67? The good folks at Salon.com think he should be drafted:
By Sean Illing
The presidential election is still sixteen months away, but this much is clear: Hillary Clinton is a vulnerable candidate.
Since announcing her candidacy in April, Clinton’s stature has steadily slipped. Things got even worse this week. We learned, first, that Bernie Sanders eclipsed Clinton in small, individual donations, which is an indicator of popular support among likely voters.
Second, and more problematic, the newest AP poll revealed significant weaknesses among Democrats on a host of issues, including trust, character, and compassion for average Americans.
These numbers are alarming heading into the general election, especially for Democrats. Bernie Sanders is running an important campaign, but it’s very difficult to see the entire party rallying around him.
The only other credible candidate being mentioned is Joe Biden, but there’s no evidence that he wants to run. . .
Salon clearly perceives what a lot of nervous Democrats no doubt sense. Salon goes on from here to state the positive case for Al Gore, which is where the comedy starts. I’ll interpolate with the necessary corrections and commentary in bold:
Stature. Gore is a superstar with impeccable qualifications. The GOP will have a hard time marginalizing someone of his caliber and experience. [No we won’t. He’s self-marginalizing.] His background speaks for itself . . . [It certainly does. . . And isn’t “statue” a better description of Gore than “stature”?]
The left wing of the party is flocking to Sanders, in part, because they don’t trust Clinton’s centrist record. Gore, on the other hand, who has become much more outspoken since leaving office, could embrace much of Sanders’ populist platform while also selling himself as a more appealing national candidate. That’s a strong case on his behalf, one many Democrats will find persuasive. [Yeah, that’s the ticket: take Sanders’s platform, and have it come out of Gore’s mouth.]
Gore, admittedly because he hasn’t run for office in years, has not relied on Wall Street for campaign funding — at least not in recent history. [Yeah, he just used Wall Street investment banks to become a multi-millionaire. He just drips socialist authenticity.]
Climate change. As Ezra Klein argued a few months ago in a column about Gore, “Income inequality is a serious problem…But climate change is an existential threat.” Gore, whatever you think of him, is an unimpeachable authority on climate change. [Actually he’s quite impeachable. More impeachable than his former boss in fact. And if Democrats want to run a presidential campaign on climate change, go ahead, make my day.]
Democrats need a spark. Gore may not be new, but his candidacy would feel that way. [Somewhere, I’m sure the “New Nixon” comparisons are gathering dust on a shelf.]
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