Dear Mr. Gore,

Bruce Springsteen's brilliant new album, Magic, opens with lines that evoke the widespread feelings of personal and social desperation, homelessness, and meaninglessness that are so representative of our cultural and political moment. "I was trying to find my way home," Springsteen sings, "but all I heard was a drone/Bouncing off a satellite/Crushin' the last lone American night." The chorus then asks simply, "this is radio nowhere/is there anybody alive out there?"

Springsteen's music has always had the power to tap into the dominant images and archetypes of the American collective consciousness. On this album, he returns to a recurring theme in his music, the search for home. He sings of the longing for identity and connection with others in a social milieu -- his proverbial "badlands" -- marked by the ravages of war, environmental destruction, unprecedented economic inequality, eroding civil liberties, broken human relationships, uprooted communities, and a media culture that encourages superficiality and consumerism rather than moral and intellectual substance. The desire for home, identity and connection, however, is frustrated by death and loss. In one song, he sings of a fallen soldier: "To them that threw you away/you ain't nothin' but gone." In another, he says that "everything is falling down,/your own worst enemy has come to town." In yet another he wonders, "who'll be the last to die for a mistake?"

Springsteen speaks for so many of us who believe that something has gone terribly wrong with our democracy. The reputation of our country in the eyes of the world is lower than it has been since the hour of its birth. Our military has waged an unjust war for five years now and there is no end in sight. Our soldiers are dying for a profound mistake. Our Constitution has been trampled on by an unprincipled executive branch that exploits people's fears in order to justify its own ruthless power. Our environmental policies are dictated by criminals and liars who ignore or misrepresent the findings of scientists when they threaten corporate economic interests. Our health care system is not affordable for lower and middle-income families. Our culture seems increasingly cynical and nihilistic. We do not believe that our voices will be heard by those with the power to effect change in our government, and so we do not speak up for what is right and good. Instead, we sleepwalk through life without a sense of a larger purpose that can elevate us above our own narrowly defined self-interests.

But great Americans in the past have risen in times of crisis and led movements for radical social change. The Great Awakening, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, the New Deal, and the Civil Rights Movement are all historic, epoch-making events that would not have been possible without the leadership of such figures as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King.

As you have yourself said, we live in a time both of crisis and of opportunity. And so now, like so many times in our past, we need a political leader who can help restore our faith in our national culture and political system by inspiring us to meet the myriad crises that now confront us. We have had such leaders in the past, and we are looking today for someone who can fill their shoes.

Whether you like it or not, that leader is you, Mr.Gore. And I know you will not let us down. Please seize the day and run for the presidency of the United States and reclaim democracy from the powers and principalities who are so determined to destroy it. "Its gonna be a long walk home," as Springsteen puts it, but we are ready to begin the journey.

Sincerely yours,

Ian O'Corrain

Ian, that letter blew me away. If a letter like that can't convince Gore to run, then I don't know what will. I think it would take him being drafted, if nothing else.

In the past few days, I've been reading a lot of opinions on daily kos, here, current, and democratic underground. There have been so many good points made as to why Gore should run, and then there are good arguments on the other side as well. There are those that are frustrated and upset with no answer from Gore. I have to admit, I'm upset. Then there are those that say we shouldn't expect him to run as it is his choice.

With all these different opinions swirling around in my head, I've gotten to the point of not knowing what to feel. It's like I'm hearing all these opinions echoing in my head. Does that sound crazy? I guess I'm just exhausted over the whole thing.

If he doesn't run, I just don't see any other viable candidate. I looked at Chris Dodd's and Bill Richardson's websites today. And while they have SOME good ideas, I just couldn't get excited about either one. I don't see them beating out Hillary either. And if Al doesn't get in the race, I don't see the climate crisis being addressed and I don't see an end to the war in sight. You really touched on some good points in your letter - a lot of how I feel. I just pray that Gore listens. :huh:

That's a great letter, Ian.

I'm not sure what to feel either.

If he don't run, we must demand HILLARY makes him the VP

It is the only other position that stuff can actually happen (no ambassadorship, special czar actually has the ability to get stuff done).
The VP is always in the headlines now, and Al can make sure it happens

It would be the way NOT to rock the boat running 3rd party (as James seems not to want a 3rd party run)

Again, this is ONLY IF he doesn't run for #1

One would think we then would have til July (as Kerry picked July 3rd I think it was) to CONVINCE HILLARY (who will be the nominee if Al don't run), to pick Al as the VP

It is NO-LOSE situation, (except in a few people's minds here about some sort of personal vanity/ Al is too good for that bulldinky)
Al has to be in it to have HIS CAUSE be important.
Hillary will indeed back-burner it.

It is Al's baby, and AL ALONE HAS THE CHOICE TO DECIDE IF HE WANTS HIS ISSUE #1 in the public's eye.

It is the only way (sorry to keep repeating myself, but I shall do this til Hillary decides if Al don't run almost on a daily basis)...either that or 3rd party

Isn't the saving of mankind worth me getting a few bricks thrown at me?

It's not about what I want, it's about being realistic about the situation. Gore is a lifelong dedicated Democrat. If he were going to run for President he would do so as a Democrat, not as a 3rd party candidate with little chance of success.

ReElect, I gotta hand it to you. You are persistent. You know, if Al were to run as a 3rd party, I'd vote for him in a heart beat. I have nothing against a 3rd party run (except Ralph Nader). I actually voted for Ross Perot because I didn't trust Bill Clinton at the time and Ross Perot really had some good ideas, I thought. Bill ended up doing some good things while President. He had good relationships with other countries and other economy was good.

I just think a lot of people are skeptical that he would run as a 3rd party. I am myself, given the fact that he has been a life long Democrat, but I also believe in "never say never." I would take Al in the White House anyway I could get him. :lol:

The thing we need to do, is to make sure Al Gore doesn't go away...
Whether he gives a Sherman, or not, whether he thinks he is becoming irrelevant, if we keep his name out there, WE can make something happen

If there is enough call for it, it could
Look at Perot-(and he was unprofessional, he got pegged as crazy, but for a short period, he was #1 in the polls, and Clinton #3 and falling (til both sides got him to quit the first time)...for whatever reason (Maybe he didn't really want the job?Who knows...but he could have won
Gore and a solid VP choice know the ropes, can handle the major party

BUT again, we need to keep him out there for either a 3rd party or VP choice IF he doesn't do it himself...

I think the public would not put Al down for VP, I think as a matter of fact, it would be seen as a gesture of showing Al won in 2000, and I think the Clinton's could almost spin it as bi-partisianship in a funny sort of way as Al is way left of Hillary...
It would get the anti-war crowd to be more willing to vote for Hillary(I for one would vote for Al as VP w/ Hillary, I will NOT vote for Hillary if there is not a good
VP choice...)

So if we keep it out there, people do read, and it could happen

BUT let's first concentrate on the Presidency as James and other would say, but immediately if he says no, go into some other mode to keep his name out there
for national ELECTED office in 2008, no matter what. (IMHO of course :laugh: )

I for one would rather see IF it must be Hillary,
Clinton/Gore then Clinton/Richardson, Clinton/Dodd, Clinton/Edwards, Clinton/Lieberman, Clinton/Jeb, Clinton almost anyone else.
(I do have a soft spot for Obama, Gore/Obama, Obama/Gore would also be wonderful among others).

Yes, I think it's definitely important to keep Al front and center. If everyone is successful getting him on the ballot in those 28 states, that'd be great. I don't think he'd turn down a draft.

But if that doesn't work, look at this scenario. If the deadlines all pass and all the other candidates breath a sigh of relief that Al didn't get in, do you think they are going to focus on the climate crisis as much? Al gives a heck of a slide show, but I just don't know if anyone else would have been as successful at making the climate crisis an issue. I think Al's prestige and the concern that he might become a candidate has kept the issue front and center. But if that all goes to the wayside, Al's issue is no longer front and center. I wonder if he's really thought about that.

Sure, he'll continue to do what he's doing, the slide shows and all, but I would bet a lot of supporters would not tune in as much because they won't be convinced that he can do anything about the climate crisis without being President. I'm concerned about that. I'm trying to be as green as I can afford to right now and my husband & I have considered switching vehicles and looking into solar panels later on, but if Gore isn't going to be President, it will mean others won't go green and it'll be like, "why bother?"

So, if he sees people losing focus, he could always consider running as a 3rd party, though it may be a long shot. But I think there's more chance of that happening than him being Hillary's VP. Not that I wouldn't accept that idea. I just don't think Al would do it.