What's Next for Al Gore After the Nobel Peace Prize?

By Gloria Penner / Senior Political Correspondent, KPBS Commentaries

Published October 16, 2007 at 5:18 PM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

My Outlook inbox is crammed. Since Friday's announcement that former Vice President

Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year, the volume of e-mail cascading through cyberspace has impressed me with the latest big question: Will Al run for president in 2008?

The arguments against such a move are persuasive:

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Those close to him say he's harboring no plans to run.

Democrats have a clear front runner with Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama have consumed much of the available Democratic campaign dollars .

The time is short until the Iowa caucus and the first primary.

A Gore candidacy would split the Democratic Party.

Gore's passion is the climate change issue and that's where he will place his energies.

Nevertheless, a Draft Gore movement has begun and even before the announcement that Gore had won the prize, draftgore.com raised enough to finance a full-page New York Times ad urging him to run. That was fast followed by an online petition campaign and as of Sunday, more than 200,000 folks had signed up. So should Gore capitulate and accept a draft?

Here are some arguments that indicate he still could throw in his hat:

He has not told supporters to stop their activism in his behalf.

There's a compelling argument that Gore could improve the world's opinion of the United States.

As world political leader, he could better spread the message of global warming.

He won the popular vote in 2000, so he knows that he lost on a technicality.

He always opposed the unpopular war in Iraq.

Republicans aren't that thrilled with their choices so far.

If Gore endorses another candidate, the speculation can stop. But until that time, it's an unanswered question that could continue to fuel kitchen table conversations around the country.

Gloria Penner

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KPBS remembers Gloria Penner, Senior Political Correspondent and host of "KPBS Midday Edition- Roundtable" on Fridays at noon. Gloria was the host "San Diego Week" from 2008-2011 and also hosted the first hour of KPBS Radio's "These Days" from 1995 to 1999. She served as the host of KPBS TV's "Full Focus" from 2003 to 2007. Gloria first joined KPBS Television in 1969 as director of community relations. Subsequently, she oversaw production of television programs for nine years. From 1993 to 1995, she was the host and writer for "KPBS Weekend Edition," a locally produced television program featuring highlights from the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour. National credits include reporting and producing assignments for "Nightly Business Report" and the "MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour." She played an active part in KPBS’ election coverage for 30 years. She has moderated scores of town hall meetings on candidates races and propositions for KPBS, "Envision San Diego," and the League of Women Voters. She conducted scores of interviews with congressional, state and local candidates; and reported for television documentaries on issues and candidates. Her awards include 7 Emmys, 5 Golden Mikes, 2 Gracies from the American Federation of Women in Radio and Television, The San Diego Press Club’s Harold Keen Award for excellence in journalism, the John Swett Award from the California Teachers Association, and many honors from the Society for Professional Journalists and the San Diego Bar Association. An annual Gloria Penner Award for Civic Service was established in 2003 by the League of Women Voters of San Diego County, and Gloria was the first recipient. Gloria earned her bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. She did graduate work in English at New York University and earned her Master’s Degree in English from Syracuse University. She started her radio career in San Francisco in the 1950s as an associate producer on a program called Housewives Protective League. Her first job in television came after a move to Washington, D.C. where she was associate producer of the Washington segment of the "Today Show." After a stint in Hawaii and a return to Washington, D.C., she relocated to San Diego and took a few years off for family life. Gloria is survived by her husband Bill Snyder of La Jolla; two sons, Brad Penner of San Diego and Steve Penner of Tucson, Arizona.

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