Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: Gore succeeded in moving from politician to celeb
By David Morin
The Collegiate Times (Virginia Tech)
07/06/2007

(U-WIRE) BLACKSBURG, Va. — Al Gore's life reads like a Hollywood script. He rose through the political ranks to become both a congressman and senator in the 1970s and '80s. In 1992, Gore joined Bill Clinton's ticket and became the vice president of the United States. Seven years after the tumultuous 2000 presidential election, Gore has become less of a politician and more of a movie star.

Gore's trip from a position one heartbeat away from the presidency into a world- renowned celebrity has not come without struggle. As the junior senator from a Southern state, Gore gave Clinton the necessary experience on the national stage. The Clinton-Gore ticket proved to be quite formidable in the 1990s as it won two national elections. In 2000, Gore ran for the presidency but ultimately lost to George W. Bush in what some would call an election decided not by the people, but by the Supreme Court.

While Bush was leading the nation into the disaster we now know as the Iraq debacle, Gore was slowly crafting a message that has since resonated with millions of people worldwide. The message is based on Gore's lifelong commitment to the environment. While in the U.S. Congress, Gore sponsored hearings on a wide range of environmental matters, including toxic waste cleanup and climate change. According to the "Concord Monitor," Gore stated early in 1988, "The carbon dioxide and other pollutants we have already let out of the bag ensure that no matter what we do, the problem will get worse before it gets better." Gore has now made one of his primary concerns in the 1980s (global warming) into one of the most salient environmental issues of the 21st century. Although Gore has always fought for the environment by sponsoring bills in the U.S. Congress, pushing for environmental reform as the vice president and even writing a book ("Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit"). The documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" propelled him from a national spokesman on the environment to a global environmental leader. "An Inconvenient Truth" tells the story behind global warming. Human action and inaction has caused the world to heat up. Droughts, floods, famines, hurricanes and host of other weather disasters will become more prevalent unless humanity comes to the realization that our survival depends on utilizing alternative energy solutions that do not pump pollution into the atmosphere.

Gore's new place in American society gives him an unprecedented chance to dramatically alter the United States. He is one of the few people who can jump into the presidential race and still raise enough money to capture not only the Democratic primary, but the White House as well. His newfound star power could even outshine the media's golden child, Barack Obama. Gore has dismissed recent attempts by individuals and grassroots organizations to draft him into the presidential contest, but some Washington insiders have said he will still run. According to the famed political consultant James Carville, "He's going to run, and he's going to be formidable. If he didn't run, I'd be shocked."

Others feel Gore should not become a candidate.It has been argued that he may have already reached his political peak. Even when running on Clinton's extraordinary economic record, Gore could not beat George W. Bush. Those who criticize Gore, however, tend to forget American history. Gore is not former President Richard Nixon, but his career could parallel Nixon's insomuch as he too could rise from the ashes of defeat to become the next president of the United States.

In 1960, then Vice President Nixon lost the presidency to John Kennedy by the narrowest of margins. For the next eight years Nixon kept himself in the spotlight within the private and public spheres. Nixon became respected by so many that he eventually captured the White House in 1968.A man who could have been dismissed after the 1960 presidential election persevered to eventually win the highest office in the land.

Nixon and Gore's politics are extremely different, but their career paths strike a similar chord. Both were sitting vice presidents when they lost close and disputed elections. Like Nixon, Gore has maintained a high profile even after the presidential contest. In 1968, Nixon overcame a crushing electoral defeat and rose to prominence as a political phoenix.It has been 40 years since the American electorate saw a presidential phoenix. It is now time to let them see one again.

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