Gore Dreamers, It is over. Letter from Draft Gore Movement in MA

[debbierlus]

As a draft Gore supporter & petitioner, this is is a difficult post. My sister was one of the leaders' of the Draft movement here in MA, in contact with organizations for the effort across the nation. I am posting her letter she sent to all supporters yesterday, in the hope that the Gore people will now invest their energy into a feasible campaign. I am throwing it to Kucinich after much deliberation between Edwards & Dennis. The Gore supporters could throw this election into a spin, if they now realize VP Gore will not run this time around, & put their energy & passion into supporting the next best candidate (imo Edwards or Kucinich, but of course, that is your decision to make).....

Here is her post:

Draft Gore Brings Active Campaign to an End

Over the last couple of years we have witnessed an unprecedented groundswell of support among the grassroots across America. By the hundreds of thousands you told us Al Gore is your candidate for President, and we did all we could to give a voice to this historic movement.

It is with the deepest regret therefore that we announce today that we cannot continue to actively campaign for a Gore candidacy. While Al Gore has still not made a definitive statement ruling out a candidacy, by now it is clear that he will not -- and in fact, cannot -- enter the primary campaign. As long as there was still time for Gore to put his name on ballots we were willing to fight, whatever the odds. That time has passed. A Gore candidacy is becoming a legal impossibility, as the deadlines for most key primaries and caucuses have passed.

Since our stated goal has always been to try to influence his decision to enter this race, we cannot continue this effort in good conscience. While disappointed, we respect his right to live his life the way he wishes and know that he will continue to make enormous contributions to this world as he has over his entire career. Nor are we giving up all hope.

While we cannot anticipate any events right now that will reopen the door to a Gore candidacy in 2008, we know that in politics a few months is an eternity. Should something unpredictable happen before or during the convention, we'll be in a position to act. It is for that reason that we will not close our political action committee, will continue to maintain a web presence, and will continue running the Draft Gore Petition. But we will not accept contributions any longer, nor will we make an active effort to influence Al Gore's plans.

Whatever the future may hold, we will be eternally grateful to the hundreds of thousands of people who supported us and the thousands of you who helped make this movement felt across the country. You spoke truth to power and together we let the Democratic Party know who the people's choice for president really is. They heard us, and so has Al Gore.

Here's how the political director of Democrats for America recently described us and our candidate:

"The Draft Gore movement is inspiring. It's bold. Passionate. Committed. They've found a candidate that was against the war from the beginning, stands up for universal health care, and will fight to stop global warning. A man who is respected around the world with years of foreign policy experience. A candidate who ran before and won. The candidate that can win again."

We hope and trust that will happen, whether in 2008 or a later time, and that the man who was elected in 2000 will someday be inaugurated and allowed to serve. America will never again permit the Supreme Court to select our president.

Until then, we can all take comfort in knowing that history redeemed Al Gore and proved us right in our choice of a candidate. While George W. Bush will be remembered as the worst and most unpopular president in American history, Al Gore is regarded by the international community as the conscience of America -- and indeed, of the entire planet. He is respected internationally as much as any global leader, and more than most. And the Nobel Committee recognized Gore with the most prestigious honor in the world: the Nobel Peace Prize.

We still believe our country needs Al Gore in the highest office of the land. In a recent interview, he gave us reason to believe the dream is not over yet:

"If I do get back involved in the political system at some point in the future - well, keep that energy stored up and let's have a go at it then."

We at Draft Gore will be ready.





Kerry Lusignan
"We have to go far, quickly"
massforgore.com

[bdamomma]

1. oh well, time to move on

and let Mr. Gore do what he loves to do. He is a committed individual who has found his expertise in the field of Climate change.

[rsmith6621]

2. I Will Let Gore Speak For Himself....

....before I give this story credits...

[debbierlus]

4. You must realize the draft Gore movement is in contact with people close to him

They have been hanging on & hanging on...but he specifically requested NOT to be put on the ballot in California.
The California effort was a huge grass-roots effort to give him significant delegates. The time for this is past. I don't know what you need to convince you Gore is not running. I think Gore is thinking about a FUTURE run for the Presidency, but not this time. And, I think he is right. The country needs to reach the tipping point of confronting the reality we face. It isn't there yet, & I believe he is VERY wise indeed to let the proverbial poop hit the fan BEFORE he undertakes another Presidential run. The culmination of years of living off credit, polluting the earth, & a economy based on a military industrial complex will come to a head in the next few years. Gore would be nothing but a scapegoat, if he took the office now.

The blame will fall on whoever is the leader at the time. There will be a percentage who will understand the downfall in context, but the majority of America is still asleep at the wheel.

Perhaps, when we collectively wake up, Gore will take the helm.

I wish it weren't so. But, it is....

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Gore's actions (or lack thereof) speak for themselves

[shireen]

3. THANK YOU

It was a wonderful inspiring effort, and I was proud to play a teeny tiny role with my contributions to that effort.

We still accomplished a lot; we elevated Gore's importance as a leader even higher, making him much more influential in the Democratic Party and recognized around the country. We will need him to do something that is perhaps more important than being president of the US: change the way we think about our country and each other. We, as a people, need to take back control of our government. We need to learn to stop being afraid. We need to realize that we're only as strong as our weakest link. We need to take care of each other in ways and on a scale that only the government can do. We need to remind our leaders that we are The Boss of them, not the other way around!

We're losing our sense of community and mutual support that made this country so powerful after World War II. Gore has the leadership to lead a new democratic revolution, one that will allow us to elect members of Congress who truly represent the people.

[tom_paine]

5. What a tragedy for ourselves and the world.

Mr. Gore wasn't perfect but he would have looked like it, compared to the tyrannical evil of the last seven years.

I wish him the best, and hope this move turns out for the best (though from here I cannot yet how that is even possible).

But I am immeasureably saddened.

[Rydz777]

6. Well, I'll still wait and see. I think Gore is uniquely suited to lead

us in this very difficult time. So I'll just wait and make my "next best" choice when it is clear that I must.

[lildreamer316]

7. I posted this a few days ago in Gore forum. n/t

[weeve]

8. First Feingold says NO THANKS ...

... and now Al has better things to do. *sigh* The Leader of the Free World would've been an amazing position from which to fight Global Warming, but what the hell do I know ? Instead we'll likely get corporate hawk Hillary, or pro-nuclear Archer Daniels Midland pal Obama as the nominee.

Hold on ... maybe NOT ! Time to support JOHN EDWARDS !!!

[Hydra]

10. NO!!!!

The only possible non-corp top-tier...

:cry:

[Parche]

11. Its Never Over Until Roseanne Barr Sings

So there..........:rofl: :hi:

[corkhead]

12. I gave up on Al about a month ago. Edwards needs our support NOW. June will be too late.

I wish Mr. Gore would endorse the candidate that would most likely carry the mantle...

[weeve]

13. Truer words were never spoken

YES ... we need to coalesce around the candidate that will get us back the White House ( and w/ coattails ).

That candidate is JOHN EDWARDS. Progressives ... let's roll up our sleeves.

[Blackhatjack]

18. Edwards is the natural choice to make if you supported a run by Gore...

... and you are committed to supporting an electable progressive Democrat who will fight for the rights of the American people over those of the entrenched corporate interests.

Let's make a difference... together... support John Edwards!

[OneBlueSky]

14. sorry, but Al Gore pisses me off . . .

if ever there was a time when the crises matched the man, this is it . . . and he has chosen to sit it out, make speeches, and sit on boards rather than run and tell the people the truth -- something none of the other candidates save Kucinich (and sometimes Edwards) are doing . . .

at the very time the nation and the planet needed him most, Al refused to step up . . . and that pisses me off . . .

[orleans]

17. same here. i gave up on him about a month ago.

and this from the op letter:
"We at Draft Gore will be ready."

certainly not like we were in 2007. my guess is the time will certainly have passed and it will be too fucking late.

[joshcryer]

19. I won't give up on him, with a small glimmer of hope, until Hillary's votes are sent to cacusus.

[DefenseLawyer]

15. Why run for President?

He can do so much more with an internet petition. I heard that for every person that signs, Bill Gates will send a dollar to a girl in Ireland with cancer. So there's that, anyway.

[Pastiche423]

16. Why are you re-posting this?

It's old news.