Gore hits the campaign trail with Clinton for the first time Tuesday in Florida, wooing those reluctant, uninspired young voters in the state where Ralph Nader famously cost him the presidency in 2000. The former vice president is there primarily to talk climate change—his signature issue, and one millennials prioritize—but his most powerful play is warning about the consequences of third-party voting, hoping to peel off young supporters of Gary Johnson and Jill Stein who ultimately don’t want Donald Trump in the White House.
As a personality, Gore is a perplexing surrogate for millennial outreach. Analysts are rightly skeptical about how relatable a 68-year-old can be in this role, especially one whose last big cultural contribution was a documentary released a decade ago. Besides, Clinton already has plenty of effective millennial surrogates—Bernie Sanders, celebrities like Lena Dunham and America Ferrara, even a well-liked guy named Barack Obama.
That’s why, in his pitch to millennials, Gore shouldn’t waste any time trying to inspire them. He should stress that third-party voting could give us Trump, just like it gave us George W. Bush. That should terrify millennials as much as Republican climate denial does.