illumined horizon

I've been pretty impressed and suprised with Al Gore pretty much since he endorsed Howard Dean in the 2004 presidential primary. But I can't help wonder if his populist (or liberal) turn are his true colors shining, or a cynical effort to rally the base of the Democratic Party to move him back to the forefront of said party. I can't help but think the latter, considering Hillary Clinton has been energetically staking out the middle since she was elected to the Senate. Gore knowing this and seeing this, would not be foolish to conclude he must rally the left of the party to beat her in the 2008 presidential primary.

Of course, the more he says he's not running for the president in 2008 the more credibility he gains. But then again maybe he just misses the cameras flashing and the media attention, and all of his recent efforts are not simple cold political calculus; but more the stuff of a jilted diva who misses her runaway, than that of a hardened political warrior looking for more campaign fights.