Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama and most people yawned. So what else is new? It wasn't anything that wasn't expected. But what it is notable is that it came two weeks after Hillary Clinton endorsed Obama.There is no doubt that he was pressured heavily by Howard Dean, Pelosi the Axelrod of Evil and the DNC to come out and endorse Obama. Does anyone think he just forgot? The longer Gore waited the worse it looked for Obama and a lot of people in the Obama camp were wondering what he was waiting for.
Gore was being nothing more than a grudging party loyalist, doing what was asked to do, and whose lack of endorsement to date was speaking volumes by it's omission. It's obvious he was asked, cajoled, then finally pressured, then ultimately gave in and came out for Obama.
Given the pathological fear of losing that infects Dean and Pelosi, the pressure must have been enormous. How would you like to hear Nancy Pelosi suffer shortness of breath in your ear? Gore gave them the nightlight, pacifier and endorsement they needed and you can almost imagine Pelosi fanning herself in the parlor moments later.
The truth is if Gore were really enthusiastic about Obama he would have endorsed him a long time ago. I couldn't help but notice that while Pelosi and Dean where whipping super delegates like Egyptian taskmasters to declare for Obama on June 5th, Gore was strangely silent. Moses seemed to have escaped. But last night after either a lot of begging and pleading and "Al, if you don't do it now it looks bad", or Tipper being held captive somewhere, Gore came out and endorsed who he thinks is probably going to be the nominee of the party. And he did it for the sake of the kind of party unity that Dean, Pelosi and the DNC are still in fantasyland about.
The real point about Gore's endorsement is this: Since Hillary Clinton's speech two weeks ago the choices for President looked like they had come down to either Obama or McCain. And for two weeks Al Gore couldn't make up his mind.
