This blog brought to you by Orville Redenbacher . . . One short segment on today's With All Due Respect packed plenty of explosive commentary. There was John Heilemann saying that Al Gore "hates" Hillary and that if he gets in the race would be a "huge" problem for her. Lending credence to Heilemann's "hates" claim is the fact that he mentioned having "spent a lot of time" with Gore in 2006. Translation: I was with him on those long nights when Al let his beard down and spoke straight from his globally-warmed heart.
A second noteworthy comment came from Mark Halperin, who opined that "everyone" in the Dem party doesn't "trust" going into the race with Hillary as the only establishment choice and that the vacuum "is going to be" be filled by someone. Hmm.
JOHN HEILEMANN: We've had news news reports in the last couple days that have rocked the Democratic world. One news report that says that Al Gore and Al Gore's supporters, more his supporters, are trying to get him in the race, and that there is some movement in Al Gore's world to get him in to challenge Hillary Clinton. We also know that there's some movement in Joe Biden's world. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal say there's more movement there. Biden on vacation is making phone calls now. So Mark, the question I have for you is two-fold. One: who's more likely to get in, Gore or Biden? Two titanic figures in the history of vice presidencies. And who would be more problematic for Hillary Clinton if they got in?
MARK HALPERIN: Biden's more likely to get in; Gore would be more problematic. Gore would create such psychodrama and such attention and I think he would be unbounded than Biden, who is friendly with Hillary Clinton. I don't think Gore will get in. I think everyone in the Democratic party, what all this is a manifestation of, they do not trust going into the fall, into the winter with Hillary Clinton as the only establishment choice going into a general election. I think the vacuum is going to be filled by someone. Could be Biden. Won't be Gore. Could be someone else.
John: I think in the end, I like that analysis a lot. There is part of Al Gore, whom I spent a lot of time with back in 2006 when he was thinking about running, you are right, he hates Hillary Clinton. Does not like her at all. Would like to take her on. He also hates campaigning. That is what held him back in 2008 even as he thought about running against her. I think if he could get himself over that hump, he might just have enough messianism about him now that maybe Al Gore will actually get in this race. And I do think he would be a huge problem for her if he got in.
