Ok, OK, call me selfish, BUT it is an observation I read somewhere in some diatribe and it struck a nerve!

The comment went something like this: Since winning the Nobel prize, the populist Gore that was closer to the people has actually become more distant than before.

Now I heard that loudly because for example, Gore used to appear around here at least twice a year and actually more like 3 or 4. He hasn't appeared here in 2 years now!

Now I have not spoken to him or had a chance to even glimpse him in a long time now. I mean, I was at a Bon Jovi concert on 2/14/2006 he attended and at Live Earth and saw him across the lobby, etc, but not even a chance to say hello or any speech at all.

No more questions from the crowd at an event type thing and then I read how much it costs to see him at all at these appearances, etc.

No more teaching to young people?

Now again call it sour grapes, cause I am happy for his status, but it did ring true that he was no longer available to the general public in the same manner as prior to this period of rockstar fame?

Now he is no different, I am certain of that, but there is something to be said for keeping yourself accessable to average folks!

Just a thought, but he may not be running red lights in a VP motorcade, but he is getting top of the world treatment again and isolation never seems to be a good thing?

To us it appears that Gore is avoiding the media, particularly here in the U.S. And the main reason I can see for that is that he doesn't want to get pressed to the wall on whether or not he's running. His answers to that question have been rather convoluted lately (read the latest Rolling Stone interview), and he does seem to be a man in some turmoil. If I were in that position, I'd be avoiding people, too.

He can only avoid "the question" if he's not appearing here. He's spent a lot of time abroad lately too, so it's not like he's gone into hiding - he's just not here in the US as much right now.
Having just won the Nobel, there are many international stops to make - it is an international award. It would probably look even stranger if he was spending all his time here, and skipping the international appearances.
I personally still think we'll be seeing a lot more of him during the next year!