Is it too late for Al Gore to get in the race?

John Podesta thinks so.

"Yeah," said Podesta, when I caught up with him yesterday at the Clinton Global Initiative conference in midtown. "I don't think he wants to."

At last year's conference, the speculation surrounding Gore's potential bid was very much a running theme.

Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress, former Clinton chief of staff and current Hillary Clinton supporter, said that the enthusiasm for a Gore candidacy had diminished compared to last year, but he also figured that was probably something Gore wanted.

"I think it's changed, but I think he wanted it to change," said Podesta. "He is just going way deep on this one issue. And I think that's what he wanted to do."

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