Bizarre

Is the only word that comes to mind from this piece in TNR that calls Al Gore the only prospective candidate capable of challenging Hillary Clinton. Ryan Lizza states that "Gore is the only anti-Hillary candidate who can credibly attack her on both fronts." Meaning that Gore is the only prospective nominee that can challenge on left-wing ideological grounds for the primaries and still be "electable" in the general election.

True, Al Gore is an outspoken critic of the Iraq War, but it is absurd for Lizza to state that because Gore was a vice-president and sat through NSC meetings he "would be the only candidate in either party who instantly passes the post-9/11 threshold on national security issues." Hmmm. The Clinton/Gore tandem are now hammered mercilessly by conservatives for their supposed ineptness in dealing with matters of national security so I fail to see how Gore automatically has a free pass to be considered a national security guru. Especially in light of his recent speeches to MoveOn.org.

Also to state that Gore has an advantage because he would be "running as an outsider" in 2008 is ridiculous. I do not think that many people will forget that he has been a senator, vice-president, and the Democratic Presidential nominee who lost to Bush in 2000. Gore is the consummate insider, even though he has been running around working on his television network, growing a beard, and giving Bush-basing speeches the past few years.

Gore will not and should not be the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2008. We do not need to lose again.