Can "Internet Inventor" Al Gore Redefine Himself As A Winner ?

We Look Forward to a Year and a Half of Lively Presidential Politics

May 13, 2006
By: Dave Rogers

Al Gore is being talked about as a Presidential candidate once again.

Several websites are active trying to revitalize the former vice president who finished in almost a dead heat with George W. Bush in 2000.

If this talk continuesthe old "I invented the Internet" story about Al Gore will no doubt resurface.

The news media has portrayed Gore both as a Democratic bumbler and a luckless figure who, except for a dicey ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, could have been the nation's Chief Executive.

Trite phrases used in dozens of political campaigns are appearing on bumper stickers like: "Don't blame me, I voted for Gore."

None of that kind of talk matters much. The time was not right for Gore in 2000, and it was right for George W. Bush. They say you can't look back and Al may be trying to defy tradition that has bamboozled the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and others who futilely tried to make comebacks in the Presidential sweepstakes.

As a mainly mid-Michigan pundit whose Washington experience is limited to six months on the Hill during the John F. Kennedy administration and coverage of Barry Goldwater and Hubert Humphrey campaigns locally, I am only marginally qualified to opine about the national political scene today.

However, a local pundit can always try to emulate William Allen White who talked big talk from the middle of Kansas in the Teddy Roosevelt days.

"Roosevelt bit me and I went mad," exclaimed White, the Emporia Gazette editor who gained a national reputation in 1896 with one editorial entitled "What's the Matter With Kansas."

White rode with Roosevelt on the Bull Moose, a Progressive Republican movement that Bay City claims as part of its stormy political heritage.

Teddy and the liberal Republicans supported programs that some ultra conservatives today would just as soon do without: like the federal income tax, government regulation of big business and the minimum wage. But he still got beat by Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

A recent review of Internet history states: "Although Gore never said that he "invented the Internet," he did say he "took the initiative in creating the Internet." As a U.S. Senator he was an early promoterof high speed data networks.

Authors of (and participants in) Internet history state clearly that as early as 1988, then-Senator Gore became involved in the goal of building a national research network.

Gore has started to speak outabout the Bush White House recently, belatedly, of course for he is cautious to a fault. But he issued a peroration to MoveOn.org recently that included these statements:

"Whenever both houses of Congress are controlled by the President's party, there is a danger of passivity and a temptation for the legislative branch to abdicate its constitutional role. If the party in question is unusually fierce in demanding ideological uniformity and obedience, then this problem can become even worse and prevent the Congress from properly exercising oversight. Under these circumstances, the majority party in the Congress has a special obligation to the people to permit full Congressional inquiry and oversight rather than to constantly frustrate and prevent it.

"Whatever the reasons for the recent failures to hold the President properly accountable, America has a compelling need to quickly breathe new life into our founders' system of checks and balances -- because some extremely important choices about our future are going to be made shortly, and it is imperative that we avoid basing them on more false impressions."

Al Gore may or may not be the nominee of the Democratic Party. If he is successful, he will have to reinvent himself and convince lots of people that he is a winner.

Another political figure did that after serving two terms as vice president and losing a Presidential race: Richard Nixon.

The word on Wall Street is that Gore made enough money on Google stock, that went from $85 at its IPO in 2004, to over $400 today, to finance his own run for the roses. The Internet finally paid off for big Al.

Early poll leader Senator Hilary Clinton of New York, may not end up as the nominee, either, although Jerry Falwell would dearly love to see her pitted against Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona.

And it's kind of scary to see Bill Clinton all over television constantly. What's he up to? Would another Bill Clinton run be possible? That would be an amazing turn of events. Whatever happens, it will be an interesting next year and a half in Presidential campaigning nonetheless.###