Mr. Gore. It's time.

An Open Letter to Former Vice President Al Gore

Dear Mr. Gore:

A year ago, the political horizon looked much different. You were my candidate. My sincere hope was that you would enter the United States Presidential race as a candidate. I wrote to you, joined all the "Draft Gore" organizations, wrote about the topic. Had you entered the race, I would have worked, donated, and done everything within my power to see that you were the next President of the United States. When you finally indicated that you would not run, I was very disappointed, but that opened up a space in which I needed to look for another candidate.

Into that space stepped the tall, lean, Lincolnesque senator from Illinois, Barrack Obama. In Barrack Obama I found a candidate who not only shares many of the values that I believe we share, but who has the courage to speak out against that which is wrong, even when it may not be politically expedient to do so. In Senator Obama I have found a candidate with an uncanny ability to inspire Americans of all ages and backgrounds to work together for purposes bigger than ourselves. All of the energy which, had you been a candidate, would have gone to you, I have transferred to working for the election of Senator Obama.

I think I understand, in part, why you did not run. You have done so much good outside of the Presidency, educating us all about climate change, speaking out so vehemently against the war, and after what you went through in the last campaign, how can anyone blame you for not wanting to put yourself and your family through that again. However, Mr. Vice President, your nation needs you again. We need you to step up to the fore once again. We need you to endorse Senator Barack Obama for President.

We all know that the position of President of the United States is the one position in the world with the most potential to make a difference in addressing climate change issues. While both Democratic Party candidates for President talk the talk when it comes to the environment, it will take much more than that to make a difference. It will take the ability to convince this country, and the world, not only that climate change is a serious issue, but that we must band together with a common sense of purpose and a willingness to sacrifice. We are blessed that onto the stage has stepped a candidate like Barack Obama, the likes of which probably only comes around once in a generation, with an innate ability to communicate and inspire.

Some say that you will not endorse anyone in the Democratic primary; that endorsing at this point would be a risk; that should you choose the wrong candidate you would risk alienating the winner and decrease your chances of working with the eventual President. When I hear that I laugh. That caricature is not the Al Gore I know. It is not the Al Gore who, while some were triangulating political positions, spoke more forcefully than any other in opposing the Iraq war. It is not the Al Gore who has so eloquently championed the cause of combating climate change. No, this is not the Al Gore I know.

We are at a critical point in this Presidential campaign. The reality is that after next Tuesday, if we haven't chosen a nominee, we at least will have placed one candidate at a significant advantage over the other going forward. So Mr. Gore, the time is now. Please step up and step forward at this time, and endorse Senator Barack Obama for President.

Sincerely,

Travis Stark