It’s only speculation from a former employee, but perhaps it is informed speculation:

Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are the hot early front-runners, while 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry has already bowed out. But could former Vice President Al Gore be waiting to make a dramatic entrance into the 2008 presidential race, especially if he wins an Oscar next month? His former campaign manager, Donna Brazile, strongly implied that possibility while speaking at Moravian College in Bethlehem Tuesday night. ’’Wait till Oscar night,’’ Brazile told an audience of about 100 people at Haupert Student Union. ‘’I tell people: ‘I’m dating. I haven’t fallen in love yet.’ On Oscar night, if Al Gore has slimmed down 25 or 30 pounds, Lord knows.’’ ’’An Inconvenient Truth,’’ a film built around Gore’s presentation on the effects of global warming, is one of the Oscar nominees for best documentary feature.

I have figured that as Hillary, Obama, Edwards and Richardson are signing on staff, setting up campaigns, raising money, building relationships with donors and interest groups, etc., that because we hadn’t heard much from Gore yet, he was unlikely to jump in late. But then again, an announcement at the Oscars would suddenly create enormous buzz.