I know this isn’t a new insight, but can anyone doubt that Al Gore simply has terrible luck, terrible instincts and terrible prospects? Gore endorses Dean and burnishes both of their images only to be smacked on the left cheek with the wet flounder of Saddam’s capture, then on the right cheek with the news that Libya is the latest strategic domino to fall. Gore predicated his endorsement on Dean on the Vermont doctor’s vision in understanding that Iraq is a quagmire and nation-building is folly there (despite the fact that Gore endorsed Japan and Germany as the models for nation-building during the 2000 race). All of a sudden, Americans support the effort in Iraq by a margin of 2-1 and even the Washington Post is denouncing Dean’s foreign policy as out of the mainstream.
I still think Dean’s the guy to bet on for the nomination, but since Gore picked “Primary Howard” — i.e. angry, lefty, Howard — rather than General Election Howard, Gore presumably will be less than psyched when Dean moves back to the center, leaving Gore alone with his smattering of fans and followers, including of course his son, who will probably keep getting his tie caught in the mimeograph machine.