Speculation as Gore surfaces after hibernation

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

SAN FRANCISCO, AUG 14. For some time now, there has been media speculation on the political future of the former Vice-President, Mr. Al Gore. After dropping out of sight for the last six months, the former Vice-President ``surfaced'' again this week only for columnists to start the game all over again - is Mr. Gore testing the waters, and if so, will the Democrats rally behind the person who many believe was ``cheated'' last November?

The Gore phenomenon in the political spectrum and within the Democratic Party cuts many ways. First, there are those within the party who believe that he was given a shoddy deal last November; that he was virtually denied the Presidency in spite of having won the popular vote.

Second, there are those in the Democratic party who are outraged that the former Vice-President simply threw away the election which was his by any stretch of imagination given what was going for him, the party and the country thanks to the former President, Mr. Bill Clinton. Third, there are Democrats and those on the outside who question Mr. Gore's belief that he could pull off an election without Mr. Clinton. To an extent, that was true of many Democrats too - those in the party who wanted the ``big man'' for his fund-raising abilities but did not want to be associated with Mr. Clinton on the personal front.

And fourthly, the question for Mr. Gore now - can he still make a comeback in the party, patch up with pro-Clinton Democrats without coming to terms with the former President himself? Whether Mr. Gore and his supporters like it or not, Mr. Clinton is indeed a major factor within the party and is someone who still has fund-raising muscle. The Clinton phenomenon aside, the big problem for the former Vice-President is the other contenders within the party who may not feel any great obligation to give Mr. Gore another shot at the Presidency. The Democratic contenders have not yet come out in the open but it is not too hard to fathom who may be interested for 2004.

At least 10 names are floating around, many of whom will be taken seriously even if questions are raised on their fund-raising abilities which is critical to get through the long campaign season. And every one of the names that have cropped up and the ones that will be coming up from between now and the electioneering time of 2004 will be problematic for Mr. Gore. The one exception, according to media reports, is that Mr. Joseph Lieberman, the running mate of Mr. Gore last November, will not be inclined to stay in the ``race'' should the former Vice- President decide to seek the party ticket again. Ms. Tipper Gore apparently does not want her husband to throw his hat in the Presidential ring again.

Whether it is Mr. Gore, Mr. Richard Gephardt, the House Minority Leader, Mr. Tom Daschle, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator John Kerry of Massachussets, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware or the California Governor, Mr. Gray Davis, the party must throw its weight wholeheartedly behind a team in the final showdown.

Democrats eyeing the Presidency in 2004 will not start their campaign openly now. The testing of the waters will crystallise into something more concrete once the off-year Congressional elections are out of the way in November 2002.

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Section  : International
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