Carter: 'No doubt' Gore is the best qualified person for president David Edwards and Jason Rhyne

Published: Friday October 12, 2007



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Print This Email This Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter hopes that the newest addition to the exclusive Nobel club -- Al Gore -- might capitalize on his prize win by making a late entry into the 2008 presidential race. "I'm delighted," Carter told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough about Gore's award, coyly adding that he hoped "this might even encourage him to consider another political event." "I don't think there's any doubt that Al Gore would be the best qualified person to be the president of the United States," Carter continued. "He was obviously elected both in Florida and around the country in 2000, and I've always hoped he would be, you know, coming back again sometime." Earlier in the interview, the former president praised Gore for his dedication to expanding environmental awareness and said the Nobel was a well-deserved honor. "I don't think anyone deserves it more," Carter continued. "He has brought to the world's attention the serious problem with global warming, and he's presented it in a beautiful and tenacious way." Asked later if he was "concerned" by the refusal among leading Democratic presidential contenders to pledge withdrawal of troops from Iraq by 2013, Carter was measured. "I don't agree with their stand, but I don't want to be in a position of criticizing, you know, the foremost Democratic candidates who might lead our party, " he said. "I'd be eager to support any of them against their contemporaries across the aisle who are now advocating war with Iran and those kinds of ridiculous things." Even if Al Gore doesn't decide to make himself a candidate for president, Carter remains encouraged by the crop of Democrats already in the race. "I think the Democratic party has put forward a group of superb candidates," he said, adding that he has "always been very careful since I left the White House not to endorse or support any particular candidate during the primary season, and I'll maintain that posture." "But," the loyal Democrat continued, "I look forward with eagerness to supporting whichever candidate prevails against any of the Republican candidates." The following video is from MSNBC's Morning Joe, broadcast on October 11, 2007.





