Exactly. For Obama, there's nothing but upside from a Gore endorsement. If Gore's first priority is an Obama nomination, then it's a no-brainer: Endorse Obama Monday.

If Gore has any other interests at all in this thing, whether it's his own reputation, his own viability as a candidate, general party unity, or whatever, then it's a no-brainer: Keep your powder dry for now.

Up to a few months ago - no, up to a few weeks ago -- I would have said that b) was a possible scenario. Hell, even one I was hoping for.

But the dynamic of the campaign has changed, and it's not going back. I think Democrats are realizing that we are going to make history this year: the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party will either be a woman or an African-Kansan-Hawaiian-American.

Even if the campaign remains undecided up to Denver, there is no way that a middle-aged white man -- not even Albert Gore, Jr. -- will be able to enter the fray as a compromise candidate.

Elder statesman, perhaps. Although he will be remembered by both of the nominees presumptive as a statesman who remained above the fray at a time when his support could have been crucial for either one of them in putting the contest away much earlier. Who knows?

He may be helpful in the General Election, or perhaps a keynote speaker at the Convention (or maybe not; see the paragraph above). But  I think Gore will not be a factor between now and Denver.

Do you think he'll vote on Tuesday?  (I'm assuming he's still a Tennessee voter, no?)

I hope he gets over his fears.

I don't think Gore should let one regrettable endorsement keep him from trying to help Obama on Super Tuesday.

I mean, he doesn't have an adequate sample set to determine whether or not he's jinxed.  As a man of science, he should realize this.

Al Gore's day in the sun as a candidate is over.  Forever. All he has left is his legacy, and his status as elder statesman of the party.  Now, I might wonder whether he would feel the pull of launching a new brand - the Obama brand.  I see this as not unlike Teddy Kennedy's involvement.  Sure, he (Teddy) wanted to poke his thumb into the Clinton's eyes, but I believe he saw this as a moment to really be a part of something big.  

Gore can be enticed the same way.  'Al, buddy, don't you want to be a part of the biggest story in the Democratic Party since the 60's?'  How can a pol nearly put out to pasture resist?

If he holds out and offers himself as the compromise candidate at a brokered convention, his halo will be irrevocably tarnished, as this will force him back out on the stump, where he is not naturally gifted.  He is a wonk.  A baby boomer Clinton-era wonk.  We already have one of those.  The Obama people, while they like Al, will see that is a step backward.  

Nope, better to embrace the potential transformational candidate.  Best to share kingmaker duties with the Kennedys of the party.  If he starts thinking in that direction, than he'd best endorse sooner rather than later.  

Actually, I CAN imagine a Gore candidate scenario.

But I don't want to jinx things . . .

Half the reason I was going to vote for Edwards on Tuesday was to keep the door open for a Gore nomination.

I can sort of understand why Gore would be hesitant to come out with an endorsement after what happened with Howard Dean.  I respect Gore immensely and hope he will give word of an endorsement in the next 24 hours.  On balance, he might regret it more if he didn't seize the chance to help make history, and then history gets made without him!  

Somebody already said this here a couple weeks back, but I don't see that a Gore endorsement will really help Obama all that much.  Obama has already locked up the young, urban, professional vote (can't say 'yuppie' anymore, too many ugly economic connotations) and to my eyes those are the only folks--I'm one of them, BTW, youngISH anyway--geared to pay attention to what Gore thinks.  

Now, an EDWARDS endorsement, that'd be worth something.  If you're already in the 10-15% presuaded to vote for the man, you'd likely take his advice on who to vote for in his stead.

Staying out of the race right now is win-win for Gore.  Right now, Obama's in contention all by himself. The only reason to jump in now, rather than at the convention, is to keep Obama afloat if it looks like Clinton is going to lock up a delegate majority.  Otherwise, you can rely on the Obama campaign and the Edwards dead-enders (aeromonas, I'm looking at you) to ensure that no candidate comes to the convention with a majority.  Then - Noam's option A - Gore can endorse Obama at the convention and broker an Obama-Edwards deal that makes Obama the nominee.  kevmonj and kgrant1054 have the point right: Gore can't put himself forward as the compromise candidate at a brokered convention.  After all the talk about "history being made", the Democratic election effort will COLLAPSE if a brokered convention offers up a white male southerner as a compromise candidate.  (The same analysis applies to Edwards with even greater force, since it's not like he was ever VP.)  But he probably could force a global-warming plank into the party platform as the price for his support.

what aeromonas said. Gore preaches to the converted; he wouldn't persuade many HRC voters to jump ship.

Also, maybe a quibble but is Gore really an "elder statesman" of the party? His own pre-2001 career raises nearly as many bitter memories of failure as Bill Clinton's pre-2001 career; it's what he's done outside the US political fray, in his self-appointed Davos-ian Global Prince reincarnation, that earns him respect and sympathy.

To the extent Al jumps back into the fray, he sheds his Davos-ian halo (cf Bill Clinton, Jan 2008). Why would he want that? Why would the party want that?

Is it possible that Gore doesn't have all that much fondness for the Democratic Party in general, and feels no obligation to come to its aid in any way?  

It's a given he loathes the Republicans with a passion that only the grandly shafted can feel.  But it's not as if the Democrats did him a lot of favors in the Florida Fight all those years ago.  Perhaps he really does feel above it all by now, and why should a Global Prince (to borrow from teplukhin2you) lower himself to settle disputes among the peons fighting for a mere presidency?  

Al Gore 2008 is only remotely related to Al Gore 2004; no reason for him to feel bound to old patterns of behavior.