It’s time to put away those hopes and dreams of a Gore candidacy and Presidency; time to move on, to choose from the existing pool of Democratic candidates, get behind one — give up on the idea of Gore as the white knight coming in at the last minute to save the day. He’s not coming. I never was one to play the role of Vladimir or Estragon; I’m ill-suited to sit and wait for someone who’ll never arrive.
If you’re thinking this is just one of my usual pessimistic depressive rollercoaster phases, you’re wrong. I have it on some pretty damned good authority that Godot ain’t comin’.
Al Gore’s Supporters Move On
AL GORE’S Hollywood fans applauded him at the Oscars, cheered at the Emmys and wept proud tears when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. But even now they admit that they’ll probably never get the chance to dance at his inaugural ball.
Over the last few weeks, the core of Gore’s Hollywood support has been quietly shifting its allegiance to other candidates. They have resigned themselves to that fact that, no matter how hard they press him and no matter what good fortune comes his way, the former vice president won’t seek the presidency.
Rob Reiner said he has had conversations with Gore about his intentions and he takes him at his word.
“He’s not running,” said Reiner, who has remained loyal to the former vice president since campaigning with him in 2000. (The director still carries in his brown satchel a signed copy of Gore’s speech declaring that he would accept the Supreme Court decision that, effectively, ended his bid for the presidency against George W. Bush.)
Two weeks ago, Reiner announced that he would be supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Last week he made a campaign ad for her. On Saturday, he and his wife Michelle will host a birthday party for the senator at his Brentwood estate.
These are people with whom Al Gore hangs out on a regular basis, with whom he dines, drinks, converses and enjoys social events and activities like golf, a game that provides ample time for chatting about things like, oh, say, the 2008 presidential campaign and whether or not Mr. Gore thinks he will or ought to run… These people have begun publicly endorsing candidates out of the pool of declared Democrats; they have donated money, as well.
And when Rob Reiner, one of the most vociferous “Run, Al, Run” activists as well as a close personal friend of Al Gore, declares publicly that Al Gore will not run — and publicly endorses HIllary Clinton, makes an ad supporting hre, for chrissakes… the die is cast. It’s over. The Rubicon done been crossed and we gots the wet undies to prove it..
The time for signing petitions and holding out hope for a Gore candidacy has come to an end. Realists and dreamers alike must accept Mr. Gore’s decision and move on. Take some time to mourn, if you need it; but eventually, after moping through those familiar stages of grief annotated by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross we’ve all come to know (anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance), we must all of us face the cards we’ve been dealt…
… Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Obama, Richardson…
… and make our choices from among this hand.
