But... I love Gore!

(Cross-posted at Ezra Klein's.)

Neil raises some excellent points about Gore. My responses below the fold, but in short, I don't see where Gore has weaknesses that the rest of the Democratic field won't.
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The flip-flopper charge is going to be a problem, but only if Gore manages not to define the race. Gore's reappearance in the mainstream media has been all about Climate Change (or the Climate Crisis, as he calls it.) Given the likelihood of another hot summer this year, with the possibility of another bad hurrican season, it's possible this will play in to Gore's hands. I know that's crass, but the GOP is the party of all 9/11, all the time, so why can't we be the party of Katrina?

Fortunately for Gore, he's been righter about Climate Change for longer than any other American politician. If Gore plays to his strengths - climate change being the biggest - I find it hard to believe that the flip-flop charge will stick worse than it sticks on all Dems.

As for what swing states Gore wins, I don't have an answer for that. Constituencies? As Neil mentions, the largest constituency that Gore can capture are the people who remember Clinton with nostalgia. That's a pretty large number already, and it's liable to get larger as time goes on.

The real test I think is going to be the success of Dean's 50-state strategy. If the Dems win big this November, then Gore's lack of a swing constituency will be less important. If the 50-state ploy fails, then the Dems need to be more careful as to who they choose.