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[[Al Gore]], the [[List of Vice Presidents of the United States|45th]] [[Vice President of the United States]] under [[Bill Clinton]], announced his candidacy for [[President of the United States|the presidency of the United States]] in [[Carthage, Tennessee|Carthage]], [[Tennessee]] on June 16, 1999. Gore became the nominee of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] for the [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000 presidential election]] on August 17, 2000. Victory in the general election would have made Gore the first Democrat since the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] to succeed another Democrat to the Presidency by election in his own right.
[[Al Gore]], the [[List of Vice Presidents of the United States|45th]] [[Vice President of the United States]] under [[Bill Clinton]], announced his candidacy for [[President of the United States|the presidency of the United States]] in [[Carthage, Tennessee|Carthage]], [[Tennessee]] on June 16, 1999. Gore became the nominee of the [[Democrat Party (United States)|Democrat Party]] for the [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000 presidential election]] on August 17, 2000. Victory in the general election would have made Gore the first Democrat since the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] to succeed another Democrat to the Presidency by election in his own right.


On November 7, 2000, projections indicated that Gore's opponent, [[George W. Bush]], had narrowly won the election. Gore won the national [[popular vote]] but lost the [[electoral college]] vote after a bitter legal battle over disputed vote counts in the state of [[Florida]]. Bush won the election on the electoral college vote of 271 to 266. One elector pledged to Gore did not cast an electoral vote; Gore received 267 pledged electors. The election was one of the most controversial in American history.<ref>{{cite web|title = Al Gore |url = http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037426/Al-Gore |publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate = 2007-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{ cite web|url = http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.ZPC.html|title = George W. Bush, et al., Petitioners v. Albert Gore, Jr., et al., 531 U.S. 98 (2000).|accessdate = 2007-10-13}}</ref>
On November 7, 2000, projections indicated that Gore's opponent, [[George W. Bush]], had narrowly won the election. Gore won the national [[popular vote]] but lost the [[electoral college]] vote after a bitter legal battle over disputed vote counts in the state of [[Florida]]. Bush won the election on the electoral college vote of 271 to 266. One elector pledged to Gore did not cast an electoral vote; Gore received 267 pledged electors. The election was one of the most controversial in American history.<ref>{{cite web|title = Al Gore |url = http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037426/Al-Gore |publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate = 2007-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{ cite web|url = http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.ZPC.html|title = George W. Bush, et al., Petitioners v. Albert Gore, Jr., et al., 531 U.S. 98 (2000).|accessdate = 2007-10-13}}</ref>

Revision as of 00:57, 11 May 2012

Al Gore
Democratic candidate for
President of the United States
Election date
November 7, 2000
Running mateJoseph Lieberman
OpponentGeorge W. Bush
IncumbentWilliam Jefferson Clinton
Personal details
Political partyDemocrat
SpouseTipper Gore
OccupationVice President of the United States 1993–2001
Gore-Lieberman campaign logo.
Gore-Lieberman campaign logo.

Template:AlGoreSegmentsUnderInfoBox Al Gore, the 45th Vice President of the United States under Bill Clinton, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Carthage, Tennessee on June 16, 1999. Gore became the nominee of the Democrat Party for the 2000 presidential election on August 17, 2000. Victory in the general election would have made Gore the first Democrat since the Civil War to succeed another Democrat to the Presidency by election in his own right.

On November 7, 2000, projections indicated that Gore's opponent, George W. Bush, had narrowly won the election. Gore won the national popular vote but lost the electoral college vote after a bitter legal battle over disputed vote counts in the state of Florida. Bush won the election on the electoral college vote of 271 to 266. One elector pledged to Gore did not cast an electoral vote; Gore received 267 pledged electors. The election was one of the most controversial in American history.[1][2]

Announcement and Democrat primaries

CNN interview

Prior to his announcement that he would be running in the 2000 election, Gore participated in a March 9, 1999 interview for CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Gore stated in the interview, "During my service in the United States Congress I took the initiative in creating the internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system."[3] Former UCLA professor of information studies, Philip E. Agre [4][5] and journalist Eric Boehlert[6] both argue that three articles in Wired News led to the creation of the widely spread urban legend that Gore claimed to have "invented the Internet," which followed this interview.[7] This urban legend became "an automatic laugh. Jay Leno, David Letterman, or any other comedic talent can crack a joke about Al Gore 'inventing the Internet,' and the audience is likely to respond with howls of laughter."[8]

In response to the controversy, Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn argued that they didn't think, "as some people have argued, that Gore intended to claim he 'invented' the Internet. Moreover, there is no question in our minds that while serving as Senator, Gore's initiatives had a significant and beneficial effect on the still-evolving Internet."[9]

Gore would later poke fun at the controversy on the The Late Show with David Letterman when he read Letterman's Top 10 List, which for this show was called, "Top Ten Rejected Gore - Lieberman Campaign Slogans." Number nine on the list was: "Remember, America, I gave you the Internet, and I can take it away!"[10] A few years later, on June 6, 2005, Gore was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award "for three decades of contributions to the Internet" at the Webby Awards.[11][12]

Announcement

There was talk of a potential run for president by Gore as early as January 1998.[13] Gore formally announced his candidacy for president on June 16, 1999, in Carthage, Tennessee. [14] He was introduced by his eldest daughter, Karenna Gore Schiff, who was pregnant at the time with her first child.[14] The speech was "briefly interrupted" by AIDS protesters claiming Gore was working with the pharmaceutical industry to prevent access to generic medicines for poor nations.[14] Additional speeches were also interrupted by the protesters. Gore responded, "I love this country. I love the First Amendment [...] Let me say in response to those who may have chosen an inappropriate way to make their point, that actually the crisis of AIDS in Africa is one that should command the attention of people in the United States and around the world."[15] In making the announcement, Gore also distanced himself from Bill Clinton, whom he stated had lied to him.[14] In an interview for 20/20 Gore stated, "What he did was inexcusable, and particularly as a father, I felt that it was terribly wrong."

Primaries

Gore faced an early challenge by former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley.[14] Bradley was the only candidate to oppose Gore [16] and was considered a "fresh face" for the White House."[17] Bradley, in comparing himself with the current administration, argued that "One of the reasons I'm running for president is to restore trust and public service and confidence in our collective will."[16] By the fall of 1999, a number of polls showed Bradley running even with the Vice President in key primary states."[17] Gore responded by switching his campaign headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Nashville, Tennessee, in an effort to further distance himself from Bill Clinton[18] Gore then challenged Bradley to a series of debates which took the form of "town hall" meetings.[19] Gore went on the offensive during these debates [20] leading to a drop in the polls for Bradley.[21] Gore eventually went on to win every primary and caucus and in March 2000, secured the Democrat nomination.[22]

Campaign

Running Mate Selection

Short List

Source:[23][24]

Candidate Gallery

Joe Lieberman and nomination

In August 2000 Gore announced that he had selected Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut as his vice presidential running mate. Lieberman became "the first person of the Jewish faith to run for the nation's second-highest office" (Barry Goldwater, who ran for president in 1964, was of "Jewish origin").[25] Lieberman, who was a more conservative Democrat than Gore, had publicly blasted President Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky affair. Many pundits saw Gore's choice of Lieberman as another way of trying to distance himself from the scandals of the Clinton White House.[26] Lieberman was selected from a group of potential running mates that included Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Senator John Edwards from North Carolina, both of whom ended up on the Democrat Ticket in 2004. [27]

Gore's daughter, Karenna, together with her father's former Harvard roommate Tommy Lee Jones,[28] officially nominated Gore as the Democrat presidential candidate during the 2000 Democrat National Convention in Los Angeles.[29] Gore accepted his party's nomination and spoke about the major themes of his campaign, stating in particular his plan to extend Medicare to pay for prescription drugs, to work for a sensible universal health-care system.[29]

Campaign trail and platform

Soon after the convention, with running mate Joe Lieberman, Gore hit the campaign trail. He and Bush were deadlocked in the polls.[30] During his first presidential run in 1988, Gore ran his campaign as "a Southern centrist, [who] opposed federal funding for abortion. He favored a moment of silence for prayer in the schools and voted against banning the interstate sale of handguns."[31] Gore's policies changed substantially during the 2000 campaign, reflecting his eight years as Vice President.[32] According to an article by PBS, Gore

promised to appoint pro-choice judges with more liberal leanings. Gore appointees are more likely to support gay rights and maintain a separation between religion and government [...] Gore has vowed to maintain a firm distinction between Church and State, and doesn't focus on religion as a major issue. However, Gore has promoted government partnerships with faith-based groups. His running mate, Senator Joe Lieberman, is an observant Jew and often talks about increasing the role of religion in public life [...] During Gore's eight years as vice president, the Clinton administration appointed 150 homosexuals to government posts. Al Gore says he wants to lift the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, which was supported by President Clinton. Gore has also promised to work toward expanding gay rights, and supports legislation such as the Hate Crime Prevention Act that would broaden the definition of hate crimes to include crimes committed against gay people.[32]

Debates

Gore and Bush participated in three televised debates. While critics debated over who won the first debate, they focused on the presentation style of each of the candidates. Issues of style and presentation would continue to be a theme throughout the election. Bush, during the debate, appeared to be a " 'deer in the headlights' in the first debate. But the governor was relaxed and authentic, and he seemed at ease on the same stage with the sitting vice president [...] Gore may have been more aggressive on issues, and he surely was more detailed. But the vice president also looked and sounded about as appealing as a case of the flu. His makeup was terrible, and his comments sounded canned. Gore has always had problems sounding natural, and his first debate performance made him look like a phony politician, not a sincere leader."[30] After the second debate, Gore was criticized as too "reticent" while Bush was "relaxed and self-confident." [30] Finally, critics argued that Gore's performance during the third debate was too aggressive.[33]

Florida recount and Bush v. Gore

See also: United States presidential election in Florida, 2000 and Bush v. Gore
Al Gore won the states in blue, George W. Bush won the states in red

On election night, news networks first called Florida for Gore, later retracted the projection, and then called Florida for Bush, before finally retracting that projection as well.[34]Florida Secretary of State Republican Katherine Harris eventually certified the Florida count.[35] This led to the Florida election recount, a move to further examine the Florida results.The Florida recount was stopped a few weeks later by the Supreme Court of the United States. In the ruling, Bush v. Gore, the Florida recount was called unconstitutional and that no constitutionally valid recount could be completed by the December 12 deadline, effectively ending the recounts. This 7-2 vote ruled that the standards the Florida Supreme Court provided for a recount as unconstitutional due to violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and further ruled 5-4 that no constitutionally valid recount could be completed by the December 12 deadline. This case ordered an end to recounting underway in selected Florida counties, effectively giving George W. Bush a 534 vote victory in Florida and consequently Florida's 25 electoral votes and the presidency.[36][37] The results of the decision led to Gore winning the popular vote by approximately 500,000 votes nationwide, but receiving 266 electoral votes(1 DC Elector abstained) to Bush's 271.[38] Gore strongly disagreed with the Court's decision, but said "for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession."[39][40]

In the introduction to his global warming presentation, Gore later jokingly introduced himself as "the former next President of the United States".[41] Gore became the fourth candidate in American history to win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote.[42]

Aftermath

Theories

There were a number of theories connected to Gore's loss. Gore, according to a 2002 NPR article, attributed it to "the economic downturn and stock market slide that began earlier that year."[43] His running mate, Joe Lieberman, criticized Gore for adopting a populist theme, stating that he had objected to Gore's "people vs. the powerful" message, as he believed that it was not the best strategy for a Democrat win (Lieberman also stated that he would still endorse Gore if he decided to run for the 2004 election).[44] Other critics attributed Gore's loss in part to Green Party candidate Ralph Nader who garnered 2.7 % of the vote, enough of whose votes which they argued might have otherwise gone to Gore to swing the result.[45][46]

Another theory suggests that Al Gore attempted to run a populist campaign but failed to separate himself from the abuses of the Clinton presidency. The public was not able to forget the Campaign fund raising controversy at the Hsi Lai Temple 1996 United States campaign finance controversy. There is also a theory concerning Al Gore first campaign interviews on CNN.[47]

Television appearances

A few years later, Gore began to make a number of television appearances in which he displayed a willingness to poke fun at himself, such as in episodes of Futurama and Saturday Night Live.[48][49] Some argued that this was evidence that he was "presenting a whole new side of himself" to contradict the perception of a persona "often associated with stiffness and caution." There was further speculation that it was indicative of a 2004 presidential run.[48]

HBO film

The election is the subject of a 2008 made-for-TV movie directed by Jay Roach, produced by, and starring Kevin Spacey called Recount. It premiered on the HBO cable network on May 25, 2008.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Al Gore". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  2. ^ "George W. Bush, et al., Petitioners v. Albert Gore, Jr., et al., 531 U.S. 98 (2000)". Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  3. ^ "Transcript: Vice President Gore on CNN's 'Late Edition'". CNN. CNN. 1999-03-09. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  4. ^ Agre, Philip (2000-10-17). "Who Invented "Invented"?:Tracing the Real Story of the "Al Gore Invented the Internet" Hoax". Red Rock Eater Digest. Red Rock Eater Digest. Archived from the original on 2004-06-03. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  5. ^ Finkelstein, Seth (2006-04-28). "Al Gore "invented the Internet" - resources". Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  6. ^ Boehlert, Eric (April 28, 2006). "Wired Owes Al Gore an Apology". huffingtonpost.com. huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  7. ^ Urban legend on Snopes.com: "Al Gore Invented the Internet"
  8. ^ Wiggins, Richard (October 2000). "Al Gore and the Creation of the Internet". firstmonday.org. firstmonday.org. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  9. ^ Kahn, Bob; Cerf, Vint; et al. (2000-09-29). "Al Gore and the Internet". Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last4= (help); Missing |author3= (help)
  10. ^ Boehlert, Eric (2000-09-14). "Gore Does Dave". cbsnews.com. cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  11. ^ A.P. (May 5, 2005). "Webby Awards not laughing at Gore's contribution to Net Former Vice President of the United States". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-06-15. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Carr, David (June 8, 2005). "Accepting a Webby? Brevity, Please". American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 2008-06-15. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ "Al Gore: Waiting in the wings". BBC. Jan. 27, 1998. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ a b c d e "Gore launches presidential campaign". CNN. June 16, 1999. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ "AIDS Activists Badger Gore Again". Washington Post. June 18, 1999. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b "Bradley returns to boyhood home to launch fall campaign". CNN. September 8, 1999. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ a b Berke, Richard (September 19, 1999). "Republicans Express a Joint Fear: Of Bradley, Not Gore". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Gore challenges Bradley to debates; moves campaign HQ to Tennessee". CNN. September 29, 1999. Archived from the original on December 5, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ Dao, James (October 20, 1999). "Bradley Accepts Gore's Offer, And 7 Debates Will Be Held". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ "Gore Takes Another Swing at Bradley". Washington Post. October 10, 1999. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Benedetto, Richard (March 8, 2000). "Little time left on Bradley clock". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Colby, Edward (March 10, 2000). "Bradley, McCain Drop Out of Race". Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/080400/ele_0804000019.shtml
  24. ^ http://www.gq.com/news-politics/politics/201112/andrew-cuomo-gq-interview-january-2012?currentPage=2
  25. ^ "Joe Lieberman". The New York Observer. August 13, 2000. Retrieved 2008-07-15. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Sack, Kevin (August 9, 2000). "THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT; Gore and Lieberman Make Tolerance the Centerpiece". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-00. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ Barstow, David; Seelye, Katharine Q. (August 9, 2000). "THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE SELECTION; In Selecting a No. 2, No Detail Too Small". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-00. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ "Joe Lieberman, Karenna Gore Schiff Speak to the Democrat National Convention". CNN. August 16, 2000. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ a b "Democrats nominate Gore for presidency". CNN. August 17, 2000. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ a b c Ferullo, Mike (September 4, 2000). "Bush, Gore kick off fall campaign season with appeal to working families". CNN. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Cite error: The named reference "kickoff" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  31. ^ "The first presidential run". CNN. 2000. Archived from the original on January 1, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  32. ^ a b Spencer, Jane (September 20, 2000). "Who Cares Who Wins?". PBS. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  33. ^ Novak, Robert (October 18, 2000). "Robert Novak: Big win eludes Gore in final presidential debate". CNN. Retrieved 2008-07-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  34. ^ Online NewsHour
  35. ^ Bush begins transition, urges Gore not to contest
  36. ^ Supreme Court Collection: Bush v. Gore
  37. ^ Bush camp tries to halt Florida recounts
  38. ^ "It's a Mess, But We've Been Through It Before". Time Magazine. Retrieved on September 6, 2006
  39. ^ VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE DELIVERS REMARKS
  40. ^ Gore concedes presidential election
  41. ^ Gore family values
  42. ^ "For Gore, It's Now or Never". Salon. Retrieved on October 14, 2007.
  43. ^ "Al Gore Takes on Al Gore". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
  44. ^ Nagourney, Adam (2002-07-29). "Lieberman Critical of Gore for Moving Campaign Off Center". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-30. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  45. ^ Morin, Richard; Deane, Claudia (2000-11-08). "Why the Fla. Exit Polls Were Wrong". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  46. ^ Moore, Jessica (2004). "Ralph Nader: The 2000 Election" (Document). Online Newshour, PBS. {{cite document}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |editor2-first=, |editor-first=, |contribution-url=, |editor2-last=, |contribution=, and |editor-last= (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)
  47. ^ Template:Cite article
  48. ^ a b Marlantes, Liz (September 19, 2002). "A 'new' Al Gore returns: front, not quite center". USA > Politics. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  49. ^ "Al Gore Appears on "SNL"". CNN. December 15, 2002. Retrieved 2008-02-24.

External links

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