This is up front/home.

[elleng]

'Former Vice President Al Gore and a number of other senior Democrats plan to remain neutral for now in the presidential race in part to keep open the option to broker a peaceful resolution to what they fear could be a bitterly divided convention, party officials and aides said Friday.

Democratic Party officials said that in the past week Mr. Gore and other leading Democrats had held private talks as worry mounted that the close race between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton could be decided by a group of 796 party insiders known as superdelegates.

The signs that party elders are weighing whether and how to intervene reflects the extraordinary nature of the contest now and the concern among some Democrats that they not risk an internal battle that could harm the party in the general election.

But they also provided an early glimpse at the complex set of tradeoffs facing party leaders, from their desire to make their own influence felt to their worries about offending the candidates and particular constituencies — not to mention the long, sometimes troubled relationship between Mr. Gore and the Clintons.

The issues party leaders are grappling with, they said, include how to avoid the perception of a back-room deal that thwarts the will of millions of voters who have cast ballots in primaries and caucuses. That perception could cripple the eventual Democratic nominee’s chances of winning the presidency in November, they said.

A number of senior Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and three candidates who have dropped out of the 2008 race, former Senator John Edwards and Senators Christopher J. Dodd and Joseph R. Biden Jr., have spoken with Mr. Gore in recent days. None have endorsed a candidate, although Ms. Pelosi made comments on Friday that were widely seen as supportive of Mr. Obama when it came to the process the party should use to make its choice of candidate.'>

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/us/politics/16delegates.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1203135896-E6C4a5z2sjRrDYQcPMqf/w&oref=slogi

[CrispyQ]

1. Those who think we have an easy win in November are clueless.

Gore & others are wise to consider that there is a rift in the party that could hurt us.

This is not going to be an easy race. Yes, many repubs are disgusted with their party, many dems disgusted with their party too!

Pelosi should keep her fucking mouth shut. What a fucking disappointment she has been. :grr:

[jillan]

2. The best thing they could do is stay out of this mess.

What has happened to our party is really sad.

We need Howard Dean, or someone, to step in and try and unite us again.
The division is everywhere....pundits, the press, families...
We need unity inspite of the fact that we still have 2 candidates.

[gateley]

3. I saw that --

and found it interesting that the candidates who have withdrawn had each spoken to Gore. Not that I know what that means...

I've heard a couple of scenarios:

1. If Obama keeps racking in the votes, that Hillary will reach a point where she knows it's futile and withdraw because she "feels she can best serve the US by serving the people of New York" or something like that. In essence, she'll bow out before she "loses". This was just a poster's opinion, by the way.

2. If Dean tries to get a combo ticket or suggests that one or the other withdraw for the sake of the Party (as has been rumored to be the reason behind Edwards's sudden departure), they'll both dig in their heels and keep on swinging -- that Dean doesn't hold the ultimate power.

I guess that's either/or --

So....wonder what the Party and Gore have up their sleeves? It's a tricky situation and fascinating to speculate and watch, but I wonder if it will come to that.

Again, have them both get to the convention without enough delegates, call in Biden and once supporters of both Hillary and Obama see him take on McCain, they'll happily vote for him on election day.

(I think he'd have to offer both O and H prominent spots in his administration to appease their supporters)

Problem solved! :7 (I never give up, do I?)

[WheelWalker]

4. No, you never

give up. That's what makes you so special.