Nobody Puts Jimmy In The Corner

There is a rumor going around the Internet that Al Gore and Jimmy Carter are planning to stage some kind of campaign coup and force Hillary Clinton to concede the Democratic race to Barack Obama. All of this is based on a fact-light, hype-heavy article published by The Scotsman, capitalizing on their incidental credibility created by breaking the Samantha Power story. The only facts in the article are from an interview with former President Carter. Here is what he actually said:

In an interview that aired Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week,” Carter said he will not endorse a candidate until the Democratic convention in August.

“The only thing I know is that, I have not made an endorsement, and don’t intend to, until the time of the convention, but so far as I know, all my children and grandchildren are supporting Obama,” Carter said. “I got permission, by the way, from my children and grandchildren, and their spouses, to reveal their intention. I haven’t yet revealed what my intention is directly, or my wife.”

The former president also said that superdelegates should be free to endorse whomever they feel is best able to lead — regardless of the popular choice in the caucuses and primary contests.

“Any superdelegate who wishes to deviate from that opinion should be perfectly free to do so,” Carter said. “My hometown, my county, my state went overwhelmingly for Obama. But if I decided later on to support Mrs. Clinton, I would feel free to do so.” -Fox News

I think the attachment of Gore to all of this is simply the newest evolution of the rumors about the former VP being the shadow candidate. That one keeps popping up every now and then. I think the reality behind it is that since 2000, Gore is the poster boy for the whole sense of entitlement Democrats have to the Presidency. As far as I can tell, Gore has given no decisive word on anything in the 2008 election cycle. When it became apparent that John Edwards was going to stay mum, another key player had to be cast as the "kingmaker" and that role falls naturally to Gore, although it really seems to me he is ignoring the bait. Obama recently made a pretty bold claim that he would "guarantee" Al Gore a place in his administration. This adds to the Gore Mystique, implying that Gore prefers Obama, even though he has not said anything himself on the matter.

And what did Jimmy Carter really say? From above:

I have not made an endorsement, and don’t intend to, until the time of the convention.

I haven’t yet revealed what my intention is directly, or my wife.

Any superdelegate who wishes to deviate from that opinion [the popular vote] should be perfectly free to do so...

But if I decided later on to support Mrs. Clinton, I would feel free to do so.

The Scotsman says that a "source" reports that Carter and Gore are in meetings discussing how they are going to shut down the Clinton campaign. Tell me, first of all, if Carter was planning such a thing, why he would be staging such a big, public facade? Preserving and inflaming the drama of the contest? Looking like a jerk? Wouldn't it be easier for him to just endorse Obama and call it good if that was his "true" intention? This whole thing is bukkake. The media wants to inflame the drama because it creates news. This is an excretion of Silly Season, which is hitting fever pitch at the moment. Much like the dying Gore for President Rumors and new Gore for VP rumors, I would caution anyone to take the Carter-Gore Coup rumors with a big grain of salt, with the whole shaker. Next up: "Carter-Gore ticket will save Democrats." Carter is eligible for another term. Why not churn that one around for a while?

Nine more days and we'll have something else to talk about. I think the only valid inference from this is that an ex-President, a so-called "Distinguished Party Leader" has pretty much said, "I'll do as I please, and so will the rest of us." Who's elitist now? No one puts Jimmy in the corner.

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