Is Gore planning to run?

No one's managed to pin down the Man Who Should Have President, including John Heilemann, whose profile of Gore piques Eric Alterman to muse a bit more on the purveyor of inconvenient truths. Says Alterman:

[Y]ou gotta imagine it's going to be hard for Al to resist—especially with Hillary looking so vulnerable in a general election and her position on Iraq growing murkier and murkier... In truth, I don't think Gore was planning to run, but now I think he's thinking about it. He's run what turns out to be a perfect non-campaign-campaign. And after all, he'd clearly like the job. He's prepared for it his entire life. And lots of people are telling him only he can save the country from the disaster of yet another Republican—possibly even another Bush—presidency. Raising money and fielding an organization would be not problem. And say what you will about Gore, the man's a patriot.

I certainly don't disagree with any of that, except perhaps that it's clear he'd like the job. At one time that was true—a time when he would have inherited a budget surplus and eight years of peace and prosperity. Being the heir to a massive deficit, a lack of international goodwill, and a disastrous war is a different kettle of fish altogether. It's never an easy job to be president, but surely there are times when it's harder than others. Even if the temptation is hard for him to resist, and even if we need Al Gore, he must be wondering if he needs the headache.

Then again, say what you will. The man's a patriot.

(Hat tip Holly; crossposted at AlterNet PEEK.)