First a major caveat: The five-element story model is
descriptive, not predictive. It can tell you the strengths of a candidate’s
story, but it can’t tell you what a candidate will do next. Still, knowing “the
elements of persuasion” can help predict which story is likely to prevail in
the long term “story war” that is a political campaign, and so suggest smart
strategy.

So why would Obama-Gore be “the dream team”?

Because Gore brings the missing element to the Dem story. The
one I’ve been waiting for. Awareness. And that can make all the difference.
Awareness corresponds to the element air. It is the moment in a story when the Hero understands what they need to
do to prevail. It leads to specific actions.

It is one thing to believe in change, something else again
to actually know the levers of power well enough to make it happen. Thanks to
eight years of carefully politicized appointments the government’s bureaucracy
is now actively malignant (if it wasn’t before that). Someone is going to have
to roll up their sleeves and dive in to fix things. Gore, who headed up the
“streamlining of the government” during the Clinton years knows the basic
architecture. And he has shown himself comfortable with being in the number two
slot. Plus he has spent years working on how to address our biggest problem –
the environment – while at the same time stimulating the economy and rebuilding
our energy infrastructure so his approach will have focus.

Better yet, from a tactical perspective – which is where the
Obama campaign excels – putting Gore on the ticket allows Obama to open up a
line of attack on the Repubs that his campaign against Hillary almost closed
off.

I’m talking about the classic: “Are you better now than you
were eight years ago?” That is the question Dems want voters carrying into the
voting booth in November. And Gore personifies it.

So what do you do for Hillary? After her GREAT concession
speech she deserves something. My suggestion – the Supreme Court. If there is
one position that will allow her to continue her fight for universal equal
rights, that is it. Plus, it will be fun to watch Justice Alito’s head explode when he has to argue with her on the bench.