Al Gore should reconsider his candidacy

We, the undersigned, do hereby express our heartfelt grief and disappointment at the decision of former Vice President Al Gore not to seek the office of President of the United States in 2004 and respectfully ask that he reconsider. We feel this is an ill-advised action, as he has a greater chance of successfully defeating the current officeholder than any other person in the country.

Since his re-emergence onto the political scene the percentage of rank-and file Democrats who have voiced support for his candidacy has continued to grow, and his public comments have shaped the public debate on a number of issues. His cautionary statements regarding the prospect of ware with Iraq resonated throughout the nation and were a significant influence on the current administration's change of focus from regime change to disarmament. It was his comments that tipped the scales of public opinion which prompted Senator Trent Lott to issue numerous apologies for his racist statements.

We honor his many years of service to his nation, and feel that his knowledge and experience make him the most qualified person to lead our country out of its current dilemmas. He is the most qualified person to fix our economic woes, as he was instrumental in putting the policies in place that led to the first federal budget surplus in over thirty years. He is the one person with the political courage, skill and vision to fix our badly broken health care delivery system, to protect the Social Security trust fund, and to restore funding to our education system.

Support for Mr. Gore's candidacy goes beyond just Democrats, as numerous polls have shown a majority of Americans want him to seek the presidency in 2004. We feel he is the the best chance our country has at restoring common sense and concern for individual citizens over powerful corporate intereststo our nation's policies, and we each are willing to assist his candidacy in any way we are able, from volunteer work to financial contributions. We implore him to reverse his decision not to run, he is our country's best hope for the future.