Gore's Backing of Dean Doesn't Seem to Help in State [TN]

The Tennessean 2/6/04 Bonna de la Cruz

Some fault candidate; others say ex-VP lacks clout in Tennessee

Tennessee voters will get their first glimpse of Al Gore during this primary race on Sunday at a Democratic Party rally, when the former vice president presumably will speak up for Howard Dean before he and two other prominent Democrats are feted.

Gore came out in support of Dean two months ago and there's disagreement over why the endorsement isn't helping Dean in Gore's back yard.
''People don't feel Al Gore's still a Tennessean,'' said state Sen. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, who is backing John Kerry.

''I don't think Gore brought anyone with him to Dean, and I'm not sure he tried to. It was simply Al Gore, and I don't know how involved and visible he's been in Tennessee.''
But others say Dean's poor showing in Tennessee has more to do with the candidacy of the former Vermont governor than with Gore.

''I think the vice president is held in extremely high regard here,'' said Chris Lehane, who served as Gore's press secretary during his 2000 bid for the White House. He is now a senior adviser to Wesley Clark's campaign.

''I think Dean is not polling better because of Dean. It has no relationship to the vice president. … Ultimately, campaigns and candidacies rise and fall on the strength of the candidate.''

The Tennessean Poll conducted late last week ranked Dean fourth among likely Democratic voters in the state with 7%, trailing Kerry's 31%, Clark's 22% and U.S. Sen. John Edwards' 13%. The poll has a margin for error of 5.7 percentage points.

Gore lost Tennessee to George W. Bush in the 2000 election. Gore got 47.3% of the vote to Bush's 51.1%.

HENCH adds: The only "person" they could get to say something in support of Gore was his former campaign assistant and head weasel Chris Lehane