Gore: One more shot?

Washington, April 22: Friends of Al Gore have secretly started assembling a campaign team in preparation for the former American Vice-President to make a fresh bid for the White House.

Two members of Gore’s staff from his unsuccessful attempt in 2000 say they have been approached to see if they would be available to work with him again.

Gore, President Bill Clinton’s deputy, has said he wants to concentrate on publicising the need to combat climate change, a case made in his film, An Inconvenient Truth, which won him an Oscar this year.

But, aware that he may step into the wide open race for the White House, former strategists are sounding out a shadow team that could run his campaign at short notice. In approaching former campaign staff, including political strategists and communications officials, they are making clear they are not acting on formal instructions from Gore, 59, but have not been asked to stop.

His denials of interest in the presidency have been couched in terms of “no plans” or “no intention” — politically ambiguous language that does not rule out a run.

One of his former campaign team said: “I was asked whether I would be available towards the end of the year if I am needed. They know he has not ruled out running and if he decides to jump in, he will have to move very fast.

“He hasn’t asked them to do this, but nor has he told them not to.”

In an interview on Thursday, which touched on the prospects for next year’s presidential election, Clinton commented: “You’ve got the prospect that Vice-President Gore might run.”

The most recent opinion polls show Gore as third favourite to take the Democratic nomination, on about 17 per cent support, only a whisker behind Barack Obama, 45, who is aiming to become the first black US president, and ahead of John Edwards, 53, the senator whose wife was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Gore’s allies believe that Hillary Clinton, 59, the frontrunner, is unable to win the presidency. The most recent poll shows a growing number of voters think negatively of her, in contrast to Gore, who enjoys far greater popularity than when he lost the 2000 presidential race despite polling more votes nationally than the eventual winner, George W. Bush.

The second aide approached by Gore’s allies said: “There is no love lost between Gore and Hillary. They don’t think she can win and they’re probably right. If Gore runs, he’s got a really good chance of getting the nomination. And he has a good chance of pulling off the election, too.”