Why do some Democrats think that nominating this insufferable gas-bag would improve their chances against McCain in the general election? Since McCain has signed onto the global warming bandwagon, Gore's signature issue would be severely blunted. Then there is his smug sanctimony: listening to him lecturing the rest of us to save energy while flying around the world in his private carbon-spewing private jet, would be simply too much for the electorate to bear. Gore is as stiff and wooden as ever. The Hollywood and literati may swoon at the prospect of a Gore nomination, but I don't see how this would much improve the Democrats chances of victory in November. In 2000, Gore narrowly lost to a Republican candidate who was an abysmal communicator. Gore is a 2000 retread and any potential showdown against McCain would be drastically different. Since Gore has done nothing of consequence the last eight years, how would he campaign? By dusting off his tiresome and hackneyed PowerPoint presentation to bore his audience to tears?

Besides, how would this solve the super-delegates problem of assuaging the African-American voting bloc of the party? For Democrats, the very unpleasant narrative that has been developing within the party goes something like this: no matter what additional problems surface about Obama's character and judgment, if he still leads — however narrowly — in pledged delegates come convention time, giving anyone other than Obama the nomination will alienate the party's African-Americans. In other words, they are going to view a Gore candidacy as an illicit affair and probably won't be pacified by an offer of a number two spot on the ticket. The fact that Obama may be the McGovern candidate is of no consequence to the African-Americans in the party. If he doesn't capture the nomination, there will be an outcry that will make 1968 look like a picnic.

That the idea of Gore as white knight would even be bandied about by Democratic Party leaders tells us all we need to know about the intractable dilemma facing the Democratic Party come November.