Gore, who won the vice presidency in 1992 and 1996 on a ticketwith Bill Clinton, announced Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes" that hewould not try again for president, an office he first sought in1988.
He won the presidential popular vote by a half-million votes in2000 but conceded to George W. Bush after a tumultuous 36-dayrecount in Florida and a 5-4 Supreme Court vote against him.
The attention on that race was a primary reason for hisdecision, he said Monday.
"Because a race this time around would have focused on aBush-Gore rematch, I felt the focus of that race would inevitablybeen more on the past than it should have been, when all racesshould be focused on the future," he said.
"I made the decision in the full awareness that that probablymeans I will never have another opportunity to run for president,and I'm at peace with that."
Gore and his wife, Tipper, were in Raleigh to sign copies oftheir book, "Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of theAmerican Family." His appearance at Quail Ridge Books is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets are required. His appearance was scheduled long before Sunday's announcement.
The decision took many by surprise. Some close aides hadexpected him to start making calls to political and financialadvisers, then make his decision over the Christmas holidays.
Gore said he had those conversations in the past week as friendsand family gathered in New York to watch him as guest host of NBC's"Saturday Night Live."
"I felt I'd rather make the decision sooner rather thanlater," he said. He told CBS reporter Leslie Stahl of his plans onFriday, then kept the decision to himself until Sunday's broadcast.
During the "60 Minutes" interview, Gore, 54, said he still hadthe energy and drive to run again. But he said "there are a lot ofpeople within the Democratic Party who felt exhausted (by the 2000race) ... who felt like, OK, `I don't want to go through thatagain.' And I'm frankly sensitive to that feeling."
With Gore out of the running, the field of Democraticchallengers to President Bush in 2004 could grow. U.S. Sen. JohnEdwards of North Carolina has been mentioned as a possiblecandidate, along with Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle,Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, VermontGov. Howard Dean and U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut,Gore's running mate in 2000.
Gore said he hadn't decided whether to endorse any of them.
"I have not ruled anyone in or anyone out. I probably willendorse someone," he said. "I have contacted directly senatorsEdwards, Lieberman and Kerry, and each of them has asked for mysupport and I am grateful for that."
He added with a laugh: "It's not just my support. I'm veryinfluential with my wife and children - and take it from me, a halfa dozen votes could make a difference."
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