Junto Boys

GORE ENDORSES DEAN

I don’t ever remember someone as high up as the previous candidate endorsing someone before the first primary. Reagan waited until Bush had secured the nomination in 1988 before he gave his nod. I thought it particularly surprising that Gore would endorse Dean even before the first primary, especially since his running mate from 2000 is still in the hunt.

Gore's endorsing of Dean is a swipe at the Clinton's and their support of General Clark. After Clinton sent his men to the Washington Times last week to denounce Dean, Gore’s endorsement of Dean can be seen as nothing but a shot across their bow.

Steve Saunders had a good take on it. He thinks Gore is aligning himself with the leftwing base of the party, which would make him the best opposition to Hillary when she decides to run in 2008. Gore may not know whether he will run in 2008, but being attached to Dean and the fundraising apparatus of the party would certainly help him for the following election. Only Steve thinks it won’t do any good. Hillary Clinton can have the Democratic nomination this year if she wants and in 2008 if Bush is re-elected. I agree with Steve.

Gore’s chance at being President was lost when the Democrats refused to convict Clinton in the impeachment trials. By putting political loyalty over principle doomed Gore and the Democrats. And what has Clinton done for him since?

Had top Democrats punished one of their own for breaking the law it would have given them a certain moral authority they do not have now. They clung to the polls that said that the people didn’t want him removed. But the people would have respected the principle of removing Clinton even if they didn’t want to see it happen. Under what principle did the Democrats ignore the charges, the principle that Republicans wanted Clinton gone?

Another reason Dean shines in this field is that he is not of Washington and therefore not tainted by the deal makings. The addition of Gore to the team changes that somewhat, but Dean is saying what the liberal base wants said. The other Democrats are already playing to the undecided middle of the road voters who won’t be voting in primaries.

Only Gephardt who has the unions behind him and Clark who has the Clintons is still a threat to Dean, unless, of course, Dean melts down under the scrutiny of being the front-runner. The press will certainly wants to keep the horse race going in order to fill the papers with tidbits so I would expect the press to be hitting Dean pretty hard through the first few primaries.

UPDATE: John Ellis supports Steve's theory and goes one further.

UPDATE #2: David Broder calls Gore's endorsement eccentric.