Gore Up for an Oscar ... and for President?

Feb. 25, 2007 — -- As he continues on his mission to draw attention to global warming, former Vice President Al Gore is sure to make a splash at the Oscars Sunday night for both his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and speculation about a potential bid for the 2008 White House.

"I was just at a party with him last night. I got less time with him than anybody else," said Laurie David, a producer on "An Inconvenient Truth." "I couldn't get near the guy. He was being crushed by everybody. But you know he's our modern day Paul Revere. So I guess Paul Revere is our modern day rock star. It's Al Gore."

Gore and David's documentary is up for two Oscars tonight. This week in Toronto, Gore's road show on global warming sold out as fast as a boy band would.

Gore is organizing a huge concert event slated for summer; the event will be similar to Live Aid, but for global warming. He's also up for a Nobel Peace Prize.

"Al has struck, you know, the exact right chord in saying, 'Here's the science. Here's you know our contribution to this problem and here's what we have to do about it,'" David said. "I think it's resonating."

Although it may be hard to remember, Gore is the same man who gained weight, grew a beard and virtually disappeared from the public spotlight after losing the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush.

In 2002, the former vice president resurfaced in a hot tub on Saturday Night Live.

People said the skit was a sure sign Gore would never think of running for president again. Even now, with the book and the movie, he repeatedly says he has no plans to run.

"I don't expect to and can't foresee circumstances in which I would," he has said.

But his Hollywood friends say it's the perfect time to give it another go.

"That's my fantasy would be for Al Gore to run," David said. "I believe -- think if he did run, he would win . … Every time I bring it up with him and he's on his cell phone, he pretends like it doesn't work. He goes, 'Laurie, I'm sorry. I can't hear you.'"