Picture this. It’s a tough political race for the highest office in the nation. The Republicans _ who have been out of the White House

for eight years _ have had a rather contentious nominating process before finally settling on a candidate with broad name recognition.

However, the candidate is not too specific on the issues and is reticent about

talking about his past with the press.

To face the Republican challenger, the incumbent Democratic Party

goes through major conniptions and an extended series of primaries that see a

number of challengers to the President’s chosen representative. After an

extremely disruptive national convention, the party units behind their new leader:

the standing Vice President.

Sound familiar? It should, because this is what the nation faced in 1968.

In that violent year, Vice President Hubert Humphrey _ the proud old

“Happy Warrior” from Minnesota, and probably one of this nation’s finest statesmen

_ took his shattered party into the Presidential elections against Richard

Nixon. Notably, Humphrey not only ended up running against Nixon, but also had

to run against his own president, Lyndon B. Johnson, and the

Johnson administration’s handling of the Vietnam War. He ultimately lost, returning

the Presidency to the Republicans.

If current Vice President Al Gore reads his history, he may take some

comfort in the fact that Humphrey _ despite all the baggage incurred by the

Johnson administration _ almost pulled off the victory. Still, it would probably be

scant comfort, because Gore faces much more difficult competition, both from

the Republicans and from within his own party.

As Humphrey was tied to Johnson’s policies and performance in the

1968 election, Al Gore is forever and irrevocably tied to Bill Clinton and his

legacy. On every occasion in the last seven years where Clinton wagged his

finger, made a blustery pronouncement or otherwise denied knowledge or

involvement, there was Al Gore, standing at his side, nodding affirmation. After

Clinton was impeached, Gore led the charge to Capitol Hill, pronouncing to the

world that his president would go down in history as “one of the greatest.”

Never mind that his boss had promised the “most ethical administration” in

history and then failed to deliver.

Above and beyond faithfully supporting a president who can’t be

trusted, Gore has other problems with his image, and they will probably contribute

to his undoing. His campaign gives all the evidence of being in disarray, as

witnessed by the recent strategic withdrawal to his “native” Tennessee.

As an aside, as someone who’s family came out of Tennessee 90 years

ago, I’m not sure I recognize the Vice President as a fellow native of the

Volunteer State. In reality, he has spent the majority of his life in and around

Washington, D.C. But, hey, claiming to be “down home,” “one of the boys” and “a friend

of the working man/woman” is traditional in politics.

Former Senator Bill Bradley presents the biggest threat. Earlier this

year the former NBA star picked up an early endorsement from New York

Senator Pat Moynihan, which is supremely ironic, as the seat Moynihan is

retiring from is the one Hillary Clinton may run for … or my not run for.

Bradley’s picked up other endorsements, as well, and while Gore did pick up a

recent endorsement from the AFL-CIO, the rest of organized labor is apparently

sitting back, waiting to see who actually comes out on top.

Bradley is catching up quickly, and when Gore isn’t attacking Bradley

for not being a real Democrat, he’s attempting to attack front-runner George Bush.

Neither plan seems to be working.

Adding to the mix are recent calls by other Democratic Party leaders

for Bradley to “step aside for the good of the party.” One _ former New

York Governor Mario Cuomo _ even suggested Bradley could step down from

the race, in return for a position on the ballot as Gore’s running mate.

Does this sound like a confident, forward-looking campaign? Not

exactly, at least from this perch. It sounds like a campaign that can’t get

kick-started and is now scratching for any advantage.

A little over a year from now, American voters will take to the polls

_ probably in low numbers, as usual _ and cast their vote for the first president

of the 21st Century. Whoever the two major parties pick, this could shape up to

be a most interesting election.

And it might even turn out to be Al Gore on the Democratic side, but

don’t take any bets.

Poor guy; unlike his boss, he doesn’t even have a Fleetwood Mac song

to rally his troops with.

Mark Morgan, Editor