From the Times of London:
News today that Al Gore had picked up the Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy on global warming set alarm bells ringing at one London bookmakers, which had offered 100-1 on Mr Gore achieving an unimaginable trifecta: Oscar, Nobel prize and White House.
Mr Gore had already picked up an Oscar for his climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and after hearing that he had fulfilled the second condition Ladbrokes made him an 8-1 shot to win the presidency next year - although Hillary Clinton remains the odds-on favourite.
From Tipper Gore:
“He’s got access to every leader in every country, the business community, people of every political stripe,” she said.“He can do this his way, all over the world, for as long as he wants. That’s freedom. Why would anyone give that up?"
From Democratic candidates and prospective voters :
The Web site of Senator Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign put on its home page a flattering picture of Mr. Gore and a big banner headline “Congratulations!” ...
Former Senator John Edwards released a statement shortly after 5 a.m., Eastern time, congratulating Mr. Gore and saying, “His leadership stands in stunning contrast to the failure of the current administration to pursue policies that would reduce the harm of global warming.”
Senator Barack Obama said in a statement, “By having the courage to challenge the skeptics in Washington and lead on the climate crisis facing our planet, Al gore has advanced the cause of peace and richly deserves this reward.”
... As predicted, the awarding of the Nobel Prize immediately intensified calls for him to enter the Democratic nominating contest for president and speculation over whether he would. The rumors that he would win it had already helped a grassroots movement to draft him into the race raise tens of thousands of dollars for advertisements.
From Jimmy Carter and the "anybody-but-Clinton" crowd:
"I wish he would (run). If he ran, I would publicly endorse him," Carter said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. "And he knows it. I've already told him that personally, and I've announced it several times."
Carter's comments come as talk abounds that the former vice president and one-time presidential candidate is expected to win the Nobel Peace Prize today for his work fighting global warming. Carter himself won the prize in 2002.
Carter's remarks also illustrate his reluctance to pick among the current Democratic field at a time when the Democratic race remains close despite record fundraising and months of early, and heated, campaigning.
Denver political analyst Eric Sondermann said Carter's remarks were a further indication of continued fracture "in the Democratic Party between the Hillary Clinton crowd and the anybody-but-Clinton crowd."
So far one person stands out for not having commented... so far, anyway. And that's Bill Clinton. Gore's recent wins must be a little hard on him, quite apart from his sharp-eyed protection of Hillary's candidacy.
