This just in from CQ Politics' well-respected Taegan Goddard:

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It's clear that for either Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic presidential nomination, they'll have to win the majority of superdelegates at the convention. But what if the superdelegates split right down the middle like Democrats across the nation?

Talk of a joint ticket -- Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama -- might be an elegant solution to the problem. But what if Clinton wins the popular vote and Obama wins the majority of delegates? What if the next two months of campaigning turns so ugly they can't stand each other? Would either candidate willingly step aside to take the number two spot?

The answer might be for someone else entirely to step into the race at the convention. The most likely candidate would be Al Gore. Most Democrats think he was robbed of the presidency in 2000 by the Supreme Court and could be the only one to unite the party.

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Hillary had another best-case scenario today in Wyoming taking a 7-5 split and holding Obama under 64% in the state. If this continues, which will largely hinge on the outcome in Pennsylvania, it is only a matter of time before CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc all start talking about the possibility of a unity/compromise candidate.

PS: In an informal, non-binding poll I put together for Netroots for Gore members, over 95% have thus far answered "Yes!" to the question "Should Netroots for Gore become actively [re]engaged in an effort to draft Gore should it appear we're headed toward a divided convention?"

The support is there if the circumstances come together.

Opinoin piece and critique. At the end, more to the tune of Gore leading superdelegates to clinch the race.

http://www.theweekbehind.com/articles/hope.html

"So keep your eye on that grandstand and the superdelegates watching the horses come into the stretch. These are not voters motivated by hope or economic fears. They are governors, senators, congressmen, distinguished party elders and 450 members of the Democratic National Committee who know their way around the track and long ago forswore idealism for the pleasant sensation of standing with their horse in the winner’s circle.

And somewhere in that bunch don’t be surprised to see a relief column form – perhaps sooner than later when the math shows it can be big enough to provide a winning margin – to ride in and rescue one candidate or another. And don’t be surprised to see Al Gore riding the lead horse."

By all signs, that would be Obama.

And possible the Obama/Gore team?

After the way Gary Hart blasted Hillary and you have to assume Gore if choosing between the two, would back Obama, that would be the only choice

Obama leads heavily in delegates
He is now just 32 apart in superdelegates
(Remember, Hillary's super delegates were almost all of them quite early in the season), and the public is responding that Hillary has dirtied up the campaign by a wide margin in polling lately

Gore knows how dirt stole his 2000 bid

I can hope for a Gore compromise, however, the nasty in-fighting from now to June could destroy the party aka 1968 and how HHH lost the race because the party never came together (and HHH was someone who did not win one primary at all, he was a compromise candidte then)
And some will say Kerry was a compromise candidate in 2004, though I think 2004 was stolen.

Only way Gore could be a compromise and it works is if all the dem voters like the choice(even if Queen Hillary don't)

But look at Bill, he is so despearately floating a HIllary on the ticket thing that he is running very scared that he knows Hillary will not be the nominee, so he is begging for any position

I think Obama/Gore is looking more and more like a possibility, not because he wants it, but because he can help get the party behind Obama after a close win over Clinton. Of course, Kathleen Sebelius, being a woman, might also help get the boomer women vote as well.

Are you willing to bet $10,000 on it. :D

Read my lips: Al Gore will not be VP to anyone.

This has just appeared on a website in Tennessee. I have read a couple of other articles by this guy and he seems to be always pro-Gore. Al Gore is inevitable.

Alpha-Gore-Omega

http://www.southernledger.com/blogs/stevegill/?m=200803


Is A Gore Scenario Emerging?
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
As the number of Democrat delegates available in the remaining state primaries and caucuses dwindles down, the likelihood that neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama will be able to secure the delegates needed to claim the nomination before the Democratic Convention in late August increases. Numerous factors complicate the issue, but none is more divisive than the controversy over potential delegates from Michigan and Florida. The fact that those two states also loom large as swing states in the November
election exacerbates the problem for Democrats.

Michigan and Florida were stripped of their delegates when they broke Democratic Party rules and moved up their primary elections. Hillary, who was the only candidate on the ballot in Michigan, won the states in the elections they held despite national Party opposition. Both states are now considering “do over” primaries. However, the costs of holding two new primaries would almost certainly have to be covered by the Democrats, who would prefer to spend those millions of dollars defeating John McCain. Without Michigan and Florida, Clinton and Obama need 2,025 delegates to win the nomination. With those states back in play, either candidate would need 2,209. At this point, Obama leads Clinton by approximately 1,367 to 1,225 in “pledged delegates”, which are based on votes they received at primaries and caucuses.

Because the Democrats will award the remaining delegates proportionally in each state rather than on a “winner take all” basis, it appears unlikely that Clinton can overtake Obama in the races remaining. But it is also unlikely Obama can reach the magic number of 2,025. So what happens if NOBODY wins the nomination during the primary/caucus process?

There are 800 Super Delegates who could decide the issue for one or the other, but unless they overwhelming flow to one candidate in the next few weeks the nominee will not be clear until the Democratic Convention convenes in Denver. Obama, with his lead, says the Super Delegates should follow the will of the voters. Clinton says they should vote their conscience. The rules are clear: The Super Delegates - Democratic Party officials and Democrats elected to either Congress or statewide offices - are absolutely free to support the candidate of their choice. They can do whatever they want.

With the prospects of a divisive and potentially chaotic Convention looming, some Democrats are starting to think - and talk — about other options. Pushing Obama aside in favor of Hillary would cause serious problems among the African-American base that the Democrats rely upon. But despite Obama’s rhetorical skills, many Democrats remain concerned that his lack of credentials and experience make him vulnerable to McCain. If neither candidate can lock up the delegates to claim the nomination by the time the
Democrats gather in late August, some party leaders are thinking privately that Al Gore might be the only one who could bring the party back together and carry it to victory in November.

As a former member of both the House and Senate along with his eight years as Vice President, his experience is unquestioned. His military service, including a brief stint in Viet Nam, balances against John McCain’s war hero credentials. With an Academy Award and a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on environmental issues, he can tout leadership on one of the critical issues of the day. Many Democrats would see a Gore-Obama ticket as a true “dream team,” one that can not only achieve victory in November but also get Obama the experience to be President in eight years. At this point, the Gore Scenario is only being talked about in hushed whispers. But as the bloodletting between Clinton and Obama continues, don’t be surprised to hear the talk increase in volume.

Do NOT be fooled!! Steve Gill is no friend to Democrats!! :angry:

Thanks for pointing that out TN Blue. I'm from Australia and have never heard of him until recently. I'm assuming you are a Tennessean so I will trust you on this matter.

When I heard he was a popular talk-back guy I suspected he was right-wing - but I am sure this is at least the second pro-Gore article I have seen him write in the past few months. I thought it was interesting because he was from Tennesee.

This article may not be saying that Gore would be a good President but I am encouraged that many different voices are seriously talking about Gore running this year.