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HenchPAC NewsDemocrat Al Gore took some tough questions in a live interview on NBC's Today
show Friday morning, among them: Who is the real Al Gore? and Why won't you let President
Clinton help you out?
But with the election extremely close, Gore dodged many questions Katie Couric asked him,
as she gave him the chance to set voters straight - about his personality; about his views
of George W. Bush; about his distance from President Clinton; and about who might serve in
a Gore Cabinet.
Gore was more forthcoming on policy questions, offering details on Social Security, his
spending priorities, and tax cuts for the middle class.
To the apparent annoyance of NBC's Katie Couric, Gore let several major opportunities to
"sell" his candidacy slide by during their live interview.
For instance, Couric prompted Gore three times on the personality question, noting that
his "Goldilocks" performance in the debates (too hot, too cold, just right)
"is precisely what seems to make some voters uncomfortable -- the many faces of Al
Gore. Who is this guy, really, they're saying?"
Instead of answering the straightforward question in a straightforward say, Gore did what
he frequently did in the debates. He turned the question into something it wasn't -
talking about the format of the presidential debates, not his perceived "personality
problem."
The debates have had many formats, Gore began, saying he particularly liked the town hall
meeting approach. In fact, Gore said, if he's elected president, "I hope to be able
to have town hall meetings all over the United States on a regular basis."
He seemed oblivious to the much-reported fact that many Americans found all three debates,
including the town hall meeting, very boring.
Let me get back to my original question, Couric tried again -- your reputation for having
a "chameleon-like personality." Gore indicated that the debates'
single-moderator format may have contributed to the impression that he's one person one
day and another person another day. Still no direct answer.
Couric tried again. "You must concede that this race has become somewhat personality
driven...too much style over substance?" she asked. But Gore insisted voters are
interested in both the issues and the individuals, and he insisted they see the
candidates' approach to the issues as a way of understanding what kind of person they are.
"I am the kind of person who wants to fight for middle-class families, for the
average citizen...I believe we have a chance to have a real golden era," Gore said.
"But we've got to make the right choices for the economy," he added, defining
those choices as "not squandering the entire surplus on a tax cut for the
wealthy."
Couric then played a tape of George W. Bush joking on the David Letterman show that
expectations for his debate performance were so low, all he had to do to win the debate
was show up and say his name.
Couric said to Gore, how about it? Was Bush was held to a different standard than you
were? But, dodging again, Gore said it wasn't up to him to judge.
Pressed for his opinion, Gore said most people are still weighing the information gleaned
from the debates to make up their minds. "This is about a big choice: will we have
prosperity for all, will we make the right choices for our children," he said,
completely dodging the opportunity to criticize Bush, gently or otherwise.
Couric tried again. Do you think Bush is smart enough to be president of the United
States, she pressed Gore. "I don't want to raise any questions about his
capacity," Gore demurred.
But your surrogates have, Couric said sharply. Don't you have any control over what
they're saying and doing?
Amid a forced laugh (Gore laughing alone; Couric wasn't even smiling), Gore said, "I
heard for example that Sen. Bob Kerrey did [raise questions about Bush's intellect], but I
don't have any control over what he says (still laughing).
Couric, unsmiling, sounding impatient: "So you don't want to answer the
question." Gore, more serious: "These are the kinds of judgments the American
people have to make.
Why didn't you mention President Clinton in the debates? Couric asked. "Because this
race is about the future," Gore said. He said Clinton is his friend and he's proud to
have worked with him on behalf of the American people, "But I'm not satisfied. I'm
running as who I am, and on my own, and on the basis of what we need to do from hereon
out."
If you're proud of the last eight years, why not use him more on campaign trail? Couric
pressed Gore.
"He is on the campaign trail, he will be on the campaign trail," Gore said,
never mentioning that the two never appear together and rarely mention each other by name.
Gore noted that Clinton's "got a full-time job" and is busy working on Middle
East and keeping tabs on a Congress that still hasn't finished its work - implying that
these concerns are keeping Clinton, the master campaigner, from his side. But a front-page
story in Friday's New York Times says Clinton is hurt and frustrated by Gore's decision to
keep his distance from Clinton - especially at a time when many Democrats say Gore needs
all the help he can get.
During the interview, Gore again denied Bush's charge that Gore is the Big Government
candidate. He repeated that under his proposal, "government spending as a percentage
of our economy will fall to the lowest level in fifty years."
Asked about Social Security, Gore eagerly talked about the new savings plan he's proposing
for young workers, which will allow them - if they can save enough of their own money --
to save and invest, on top of Social Security. He again criticized Bush's plan to let
younger workers divert some of their payroll taxes into their own accounts.
Does your plan pit grandparents against grandkids? Couric asked Gore. He said no,
mentioned a lockbox, tax incentives, and other now-familiar phrases that may or may not
penetrate the understanding of the average voter - the ones Gore is attempting to target.
Along those lines, Gore also talked about his plan to balance the federal budget, pay down
the national debt, set up a "rainy day fund" for the budget surplus, middle
class tax cuts, investing in education, etc.
When asked to give voters an idea of who might serve in a Gore administration, Gore turned
Couric's serious question into a joke, implying that Katie herself might be one of his
candidates. "Maybe someone that Americans are familiar with over their morning
coffee, maybe someone in whom Americans have great confidence... "Seriously,"
Couric interrupted him.
Gore responded, "It's not good for any candidate to start naming appointments before
you have the right to do that. But yes, I have a real good idea of who does a good job and
who doesn't. I've got the 24 years of experience fighting for the working people of this
country, and I want to put that experience to bear in putting these new fresh ideas into
effect. Yes, but I'm not going to name any one," he said.
Gore is also making appearances on the Regis Philbin show and the Rosie O'Donnell show
Friday.
HENCH adds: When Al can't get good publicity on Today with liberal Katie Couric, he's in a deep personality funk. I like this one:
The debates have had many formats, Gore began, saying he particularly liked the town hall meeting approach. In fact, Gore said, if he's elected president, "I hope to be able to have town hall meetings all over the United States on a regular basis."
Now check this out:
"I certainly learned a great deal from 3,000 town hall meetings across my home state of Tennessee over a 16-year period" in Congress, the vice president told NPR’s Bob Edwards.
Do the math. That’s 187 town hall meetings per year, or a meeting in Tennessee every other day for 16 years, including weekends, holidays, vacations, and time spent running for president in 1988 and for vice president in 1992.
(Source: http://www.cei.org/UpdateReader.asp?ID=777)
Al Gore........ LIAR!
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