Nixon and Gore

I don’t mean to denegrate Gore, or to imply any unethical behavior on his part by a comparison with Richard Nixon. Instead, I intend to illustrate through Nixon’s career an eminently reasonable trajectory in Gore’s political career.

There are several parallels between the careers of Nixon and Gore. Both were elected to Congress at a young age. Both were serving their second term as Senator when selected as Vice President. Both served two terms as Vice President: Nixon under Ike, Gore under Clinton. Both became the nominee for their party to the Presidency at the end of their President’s second term. Both lost that race in two of the closest races in the last 100 years: Nixon to Kennedy in 1960, Gore to Bush in 2000. Both elections were contested; Nixon didn’t concede for three days, until it became apparent the Texas was not in play.

Both Nixon and Gore spent 8 years in political exile, without public office, after their stinging, narrow defeat.

Nixon spent his time running unsuccessfully for California Governor and stumping and fundraising for GOP candidates. In 1964, Nixon was passed over for, and endorsed, the conservative grassroots rebellion of Goldwater, who lost to the incumbent, Johnson.

Gore spent his time creating new media and financial ventures, speaking on national issues, writing a book, and touring tirelessly on the issue of global warming. In 2004, Gore didn’t seek the nomination and was thus passed over, and endorsed the grassroots rebellion of Dean, though Kerry was the ultimate nominee, who lost to the incumbent, Bush.

In 1968, with a poorly conceived war raging that was losing public support, and no incumbent President due to Johnson’s decision not to stand again, Nixon emerged as the strongest, most qualified, candidate, shouldering aside a more ideological candidate in Reagan, and a more moderate one in Rockefeller. He went on to trounce the troubled campaigns of McGovern, whose party base was fractured, and the racist Wallace.

In 2008, with a poorly conceived war raging that has lost public support, and no incumbent President due to Bush’s term limits and Cheney’s heart condition, Gore may emerge as the strongest, most qualified, candidate, shouldering aside a more ideological candidate in Feingold, and a more moderate one in Hillary. He may go on to trounce the troubled campaigns of McCain, whose party base may be fractured, and the racist Tancredo.

It’s not that Nixon and Gore are connected in any way (besides having their vivified heads stored in the same facility and running on the Robot Party ticket in the year 3000, that is), these parallels in their careers just demonstrate that it is not unprecedented, even in recent American political life, to lose the Presidency, stay out of the race the next time around, and come back to win the Presidency 8 years later. Gore is only 58. He’s not done with public life, whatever he says for modesty and to forestall preemptive attacks upon him by the GOP before he has the reliable bully pulpit of an active primary campaign from which to fight back. Compared to John McCain, he’ll look like a spring chicken.

And he’s gotten so much better. Having to hold people’s attention with his ideas, rather than his office, for the last 8 years has sharpened his public personae and honed his communication skills considerably. He’s wiser, more relaxed, more focused, and more compelling than in 2000. He’s more than ready to be President.