Already?

We should be thinking of Christmas.

Not entirely, of course. There are storm windows to put up, gutters to clean, fallen leaves to compost, outdoor plants to mulch. But with December ‘round the corner, we Virginians shouldn’t be worrying about next year’s election.

Folks in New Hampshire and Iowa should, of course. They’re accustomed to it.

If the two major parties hadn’t mismanaged things so badly – if self-important states hadn’t begun leapfrogging each other in search of more clout – we wouldn’t have to think seriously about our presidential options until early March, when there’s not much else to think about.

But here we are. Thanks to a truncated nomination process, there’s an excellent chance the presidential field will have been narrowed two finalists before the first robin of spring – and a fair chance neither will be someone most of us would trust anywhere near the Oval Office.

If it turns out that way, we’ll have an eight or nine month “fall campaign” to look forward to. Great fun, no doubt, for hardcore loyalists – who’d vote for a trained chimp if it got their party’s nomination – but rather an ordeal for the rest of us.

Meanwhile, at this joyous season, those of us who want any say whatsoever in choosing our next president must turn our minds from higher things. It’s time to make that contribution. To write letters or make calls to voters in Iowa or New Hampshire. Or, if you’re really dedicated, to go there in person and hit the streets.

But first, you have to pick your candidate.

I’ve been following the campaign for nearly a year, now, and I still haven’t managed that trick. I’ve narrowed my list to a handful of individuals I can actually imagine voting for, but my true first choice isn’t in the field.

If Al Gore decided to run – as a Democrat, a Green, a Whig, or as the nominee of the Prohibition Party – I’d be there.

Please understand, this has little to do with the mess in 2000. I believe the wrong man won – or rather, was declared the winner – that year, but I wasn’t that emotionally invested. In 2000, after eight years as vice president, Mr. Gore had apparently lost touch with himself – so much so that he needed consultants to tell him how to talk, how to dress, etc. As a result, he presented himself as a man so wooden, so without personality, that he actually managed to lose to George W. Bush.

I am – by contemporary standards – fairly liberal, but I also value authenticity in public men and women. In 2000, I voted in the Republican primary – for John McCain – who appeared to have plenty of that.

Today, however, Al Gore is no longer the uncertain heir apparent of 2000. Since his defeat, he has, simultaneously, gotten back in touch with himself and grown in stature. He stands much taller now. He speaks with deep conviction. His passionate advocacy of environmental responsibility – which won him both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize – reflect lifelong, deeply held beliefs.

Al Gore has matured into a great man, yet you can see in him the youthful Senator from Tennessee. He’s regained his integrity.

And that’s important.

Any student of history knows that great presidents are neither born nor made. Of our 43 presidents, only George Washington entered office prepared for the role – which is logical, considering that the Framers shaped Article II precisely to fit him. Every other president grown into the job – or failed to. Indeed, the main quality shared by our greatest presidents has been a capacity for growth.

There are other essential qualities: intellectual curiosity; energy; an understanding of history and of human nature; and the personal experience of loss or defeat. It’s hard to name a great president – or a great ruler from any era – who did not enjoy these qualities.

But a capacity for growth tops the list. And Mr. Gore – in the past seven years – has clearly demonstrated that quality.

There are other things. Mr. Gore understands our planet’s environmental challenges – and how these relate to such issues as social and economic justice and global cooperation. He also understands that these interconnected issues will have far more impact on America’s future than the plotting of Islamic fanatics living in caves.

Of course, Mr. Gore says he’s not running – and I suspect he’s wise. His stature – nationally and globally – is now higher than that of any living president, including the incumbent. He enjoys a level of credibility which would inevitably be tarnished if he became a candidate.

Still, if he changes his mind, his candidacy would become – for many Americans – the crusade of a lifetime. Previous insurgencies – Bobby Kennedy in ‘68, Gary Hart in ‘84, Howard Dean in ‘04 – would seem like rehearsals. I just don’t see it happening.

Which leaves me with a harder choice. In coming weeks, I’ll take a stab at winnowing the field – looking for a president.