by Stephen Carter
GUEST WRITER

This column is pure fantasy. Any column about a Democratic dream ticket for the 2008 Presidential race would be unfair without a healthy dose of reality. So, before we start drooling over possible candidates, I will be telling you the future.

Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee and most likely the next President of the United States.

Yes I know this sounds ridiculous and I’m not thrilled about it either. But barring any catastrophic event or Hillary contracting a serious case of foot-in-mouth disease, I’m pretty comfortable with this prediction.

Barack Obama is great, sure, but even overlooking his lack of experience and his concealed “testy” personality, he doesn’t have what it takes. And “what it takes” is the institutional fundraising and precinct support in primary and battle ground states that Hillary inherited from her husband. Democracy is great, but money is better. Hillary will get the money.

Not only that, but certain poll trends tell the same story. Obama can’t get any traction. According to USA Today polling, over the past four months his numbers have bounced from 19 to 21. Hillary has gone from 31 to 40. She is the only candidate that is significantly moving ahead. In a head to head Obama v. Clinton race, Clinton has gone from a 14-point lead to a 29-point lead. Daaamn.

But even more significant in my opinion are Obama and Hillary’s favorability ratings. Both have rising favorabilities, but Obama’s unfavorability numbers are rising too. Hillary, the most disliked woman in American political history, is actually slowly shedding her skin and dropping her unfavorability numbers. I agree that it is probably too early to make predictions because anything can happen. But Hillary Clinton is going to win the Democratic nomination and we are all going to have to watch her give Bill an awkward kiss at the end of her speech at the convention.

So now that I’ve totally negated my purpose here, let’s have some fun!

I could devote this column to a Stewart/Colbert ticket (which, like “Man of the Year,” nobody would bother showing up for), a Picard/Riker ticket (archaic, but I still have this bumper sticker), or a Roslin/Adama ticket (which would be a disaster if one of them turns out to be a Cylon!), but these aren’t very interesting to talk about.

So what is my ideal ticket? Gore/Obama. Doesn’t that just sound nice? Let’s look at it again in bold with a bigger and better font:

Gore/Obama

Yeah, that’s nice. I was ragging on Obama earlier but it is hard to imagine a ticket without him on it at this point (except with Hillary). He is pretty, can deliver a speech better than anyone in Washington, and is perfect for the constitutional duties of the office of the Vice President (break ties and have a heartbeat).

But more importantly, I want Al Gore. He’s not going to run. He’s said “I have no intention to run for president” multiple times, as recently as last Thursday. But I want Al Gore.

I was not a huge fan of him eight years ago. Over-coached, stiff, and well… John Kerryish, the Gore of 2000 was anything but impressive. But something changed starting on that December evening when he finally conceded the recount process. He became likable. He threw off the yoke of his advisors and just spoke as himself. And we liked it.

Finally able to do what he considers his life’s work, Gore has remade himself into a straight talking, no nonsense anti-politician. He opposed the Iraq war from the start, he initiated a real national debate about global warming, and most importantly, he represents what could have been. Also, as long as he gives himself a few months, he could enter the race at almost any time and be the only candidate who could match Hillary’s institutional support and fundraising abilities. I never thought I would write this, but Al Gore is the Democratic Party’s best hope for an experienced, intelligent, and, well… likable candidate.

But he’s not going to run. It will be sad to watch the most eloquent and experienced person sitting on the sidelines during the primaries.