Like Bartlett – what about a Nobel Prize winning President?

Every so often in this pro-longed battle for the Democratic nomination someone pops and puts forward the name of Al Gore – seen in the picture giving his acceptance speech after being awarded the Nobel Prize.

The argument is usually the same – the bitter contest between Obama and Clinton has so embittered large parts of the party that the only way of creating the unity required to compete in November is by looking to someone else – Gore.

And so it has been in the aftermath of Pennsylvania which has raised further questions about Obama as well as worries that the fight itself is damaging the party.

Steven Stark of the Boston Phoenix puts it like this: “In truth, Gore would be a stronger candidate in November than the two front-runners. He knows what it’s like to run in a tough presidential campaign, which, as we’re finding out with Obama, is a huge advantage. He is, after all, a Nobel Prize winner; he has the advantage of now running from outside Washington even though he’s as experienced as John McCain; and he might be able to pick off a Southern state or two. He’s already won once – with an asterisk. And he could put the electoral focus back on the economy and the Republican record of the past eight years – which it will rarely be as long as Clinton or Obama is the nominee.

Sure, Gore’s entry would obviously not be greeted with waves of enthusiasm by Obama supporters. Still, he is quite popular with one of the Illinois senator’s principal constituencies: the young…It’s true that drafting a new candidate at this point would be unprecedented. But the virtually deadlocked race between the two remaining candidates makes it at least possible.”

I don’t think that this is going to happen – but it just might. So over the past few months my betting has been to lay (bet against either Hillary of Barack) rather than betting for them. Generally the prices have been about the same but it does mean that I’ve built up substantial potential profits should, for whatever reason, the two do not make it.

Latest Democratic nomination betting is here.

Mike Smithson