Gore at Peace with Decision not to Run for President in 2004

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 17, 2002

Gore at Peace with Decision not to Run for President in 2004

Former US Vice President Al Gore said on Monday he was "at peace" with his decision not to run for president in 2004, though it was "the most difficult decision" he had ever made in his life.

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Former US Vice President Al Gore said on Monday he was "at peace" with his decision not to run for president in 2004, though it was "the most difficult decision" he had ever made in his life.

"I believe it's the right thing for the country," Gore said at a news conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. "I believe it's the right thing for the political party I'm a member of, and what I hope that political party will stand for. And I think it's the right thing for me and my family."

Gore, 54, said his decision almost certainly means he will never sit behind the desk in the Oval Office.

Gore said he decided not to run "because a race this time around would have focused on a Bush-Gore rematch. I felt the focusof that race would inevitably have been more on the past than it should, when all races should be focused on the future," he said.

Gore, Democrat presidential candidate in 2000, announced on CBS"60 Minutes" program on Sunday night that he had decided not to run for president in 2004.

Gore's abrupt withdrawal from the race has cleared the field for other Democrats who are interested in challenging President George W. Bush's reelection bid in 2004. These include Vermont Governor Howard Dean, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, Missouri Representative Dick Gephardt and North Carolina Senator John Edwards are also pondering the possibility of joiningin the race.

Gore said he is likely to endorse one of several Democrats considering a challenge to Bush, but he has not made a commitment to any of the potential candidates, including his 2000 running mate, Senator Lieberman of Connecticut.

He said whoever emerged from the competition would be a strong Democrat presidential candidate who will have an "excellent chance" of defeating Bush.

Lieberman, Gore's vice presidential running mate in 2000, had said he would not run if Gore did. With Gore now out of the race, Lieberman said on Monday he would announce by early January whether he will seek the White House job.

The White House offered little reaction to Gore's decision, saying it is "an internal matter" for the Democratic Party.

Gore won the popular vote by half a million votes in 2000 but conceded the presidency to Republican George W. Bush after a tumultuous 36-day recount in Florida and a 5-4 Supreme Court vote against him.

Democrat Party activists were critical of Gore for losing despite a booming economy and eight years of a Democratic administration. Gore served as vice president under President BillClinton from 1992 to 2000.

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