Roger,
You are correct to point out that President Gore could very well have pursued Saddam to the point of invading Iraq.
But possibilities are not the same as probabilities, and it seems to me that you are neglecting to incorporate some reasonable estimations of the likelihoods of various scenarios.
For example, the probability that a President Thompson or a President Giuliani would vigorously prosecute the war on Islamist terror/jihad: somewhere between 90% and 100%. The probability that a President H. Clinton or a President Edwards would do the same: somewhere between 70% and 90%.
Or looking into alternate versions of the past, the probability that a President Gore would have competently handled Afghanistan after 9/11: somewhere between 70% and 90%. That he would have invaded Iraq: between 60% and 80%.
When you play poker, or international politics, you need to consider the odds before you make any decisions.
