Michael Moore couldn't do it for him in 2004...and we saw another reign of the Bush dynasty.  But really, Al Gore never needed Michael Moore.  The fact is, since we've suffered under a president who keeps us at war and networks who keep us frightened and misinformed, now is not the time for Gore to let the media do the talking for him.  Now is the time for him to get up on center stage himself, and show us the kind of president 69 percent of America seems to want to see in 2008.  One that's not gonna lie to us about how bad things are.  One that's not gonna paint phony, optimistic pictures like No Child Left Behind or Compassionate Conservatism.  One that's gonna Tell It Like It Is...even as bad as It can get.

Of course, six years ago, America really didn't know what they want.  Half knew they didn't want a Talking Head for president, and that was enough to get their then-beloved Dunce into office.  But now that he's been screwing things up for six years, it's only taken them this long to figure out that he wasn't what they wanted, either.  Gore is primed for checkmate.

Obviously history will prove that Gore was always the Smart one.  But where history waits reticent for the decade's debacle to pass, the news media and other television shows give us clips of Dubbaya putting his foot ever deeper into his mouth, and polls celebrating the people's disgust in their Chief.  Well, that's all right.  It's a good thing for the country to decide they want.  Perhaps it always takes electing an idiot to realize that.

But when people begin dancing in the streets on Inauguration Day 2009, and hailing Gore as their Savior, what they will all-too readily forget is the way Gore has generally applied his intelligence.  His most recent moves come from studying popular opinion, which, fortunately for him, have made a vast improvement from the harrowing 50-50 of 2000, to a nice and inviting 70-30 in 2006.  But even back in 2004, even with Michael Moore's film begging us to reconsider our decision (not really an effective means of political persuation) the nation was uncomfortably split down the middle.  Gore stayed back.  He knew better than to run again so soon.  Perhaps he wanted to face his opponent again, one last time.  Perhaps he wanted to stare us in the face and tell us what a mistake we made.  Perhaps he wanted to step in and be our Savior at that point.  But he didn't.  Because polls said he still didn't stand a chance.

It's a good bet he'll stand a chance now, when polls have plunged Bush inextricably down in favor---you know, despite the fact that it won't be Bush running next time around.  So now we see Gore harvesting the power of film for himself---but notice: this movie is not likely to show us many solutions to what is being hailed as the Problem of the Millennium.  What can this film show us but an apocalyptic picture of our frozen South Pole melting and the city of New York underwater?  And when films try to show us How Bad Things Are...well, can anybody tell the class what they're really trying to show us?  Yes, little Jimmy in the back---Who To Vote For.  (It's actually whom, Jimmy, but very good.)

So what can we expect from him, as a president?  What we are likely to see is a man who knows how to lead, but perhaps may not always stick by what he claims to believe.  In the past he was known for making statements about his social/ethical policies in order to win valuable Bible Belt states, and then going back on them once in office.  But soon that will be too far back for most people to remember.  Even if he's been a flip-flopper, shouldn't we give him another chance?  Thus people always say when they're looking for a savior.  And it's exactly what some said of Bush in 2004.

Gore's a much smarter man than we even give him credit for.  He knows the power of polls to tell him what America's appetite is like.  He knows the power of media to tell America what to be afraid of, and to channel that fear into elections.  He is banking that, after we've seen him get on the silver screen and talk us into trusting him to take better care of ecology than every president we've ever had, we'll carry the memory with us to the Democratic Primaries in 2008.  And who knows?  He just may, in the end, be better for our country.  And he may not.  He may be smarter than the man he's not running against.  But just remember, Gore is not a savior; he's a politician.