| Al Gore | |
| |
| 43rd President of the United States | |
| Assumed office: January 20, 2001 | |
| Left office: January 20, 2009 | |
| Vice President: | Joe Lieberman |
| Preceded by: | Bill Clinton |
| Succeded by: | George W. Bush |
| 45th Vice President of the United States | |
| Assumed office: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 | |
| President: | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by: | Dan Quayle |
| Succeeded by: | Joeseph Lieberman |
| United States Senator from Tennessee | |
| In office: January 3, 1985 – January 2, 1993 | |
| Preceded by: | Howard Baker |
| Succeded by: | Harlan Mathews |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 6th district | |
| In office: January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985 | |
| Preceded by: | Robin Beard |
| Succeded by: | Bart Gordon |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 4th district | |
| In office: January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by: | Joe L. Evins |
| Succeded by: | Jim Cooper |
| Biography | |
| Born: | March 31, 1948 (age 60) Washington, D.C., U.S.A. |
| Birth name: | Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. |
| Nationality: | American |
| Political party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" A. Gore |
| Children: | Karenna Kristin Sarah Albert III |
| Alma mater: | Harvard University Vanderbilt University |
| Occupation: | Politician, environmental activist |
| Religion: | Baptist (formerly Southern Baptist) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance: | United States of America |
| Service/branch: | United States Army |
| Years of service: | 1969 - 1971 |
| Rank: | Private; Journalist |
| Unit: | 20th Engineer Brigade |
| Battles/wars: | Vietnam War |
The Gore Presidency (2001-2009)
The presidency of Al Gore is likely to prove as more of one with the seizure of opportunities and the true growth of a nation than none other before it.
Contemporary political commentators have sometimes suggested Gore would not have been elected president had it not been for a razor thin victory in one particular Florida county. Gore's presidency was thus accepted by the American people until he took the oath of office in January 2001. Still, the sheer narrowness of Gore's victory stressed the facts of how small the mandate he received really was. The election could have gone differently had it been for a single large state going the other way.
The Gore Administration was not the first to focus from the outset primarily on domestic affairs. Gore's early efforts did not invariably appear to improve matters. The rejection of the first bill sent to congress proved the difficulties of dealing with a hostile legislative branch. Russian-American relations did however improve, after the removal of U.S troops from Turkey and the subsequent meetings between Gore and Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
On some critical issues, the Administration does not seem to have been very well served by the terrorism experts retained from the prior Administration. These officials pushed their own pet projects and gave advice that almost invariably turned out to be misdirections. In any case, though the Administration came into office with a raft of proposed reforms for health care, education, infrastructure, and so on, these were shelved until the second term by the events of September 11: even the small, temporary, tax hike that the Congress had enacted to deal with a mild recession was revoked to help pay for the subsequent unplanned military expenditures.
The president was in Washington at the time of the attacks in 2001. His address to the nation from an undisclosed location was viewed as one of his finest oratory moments. The subsequent war in Afghanistan reminded American's of how fragile peace truly was, but the success of the operation and the execution of those responsible proved to be a massive boost for Gore's credibility.
The ongoing insurgency and continuation of the war proved to be a continuous strain on the administration, costing him politically as time passed.
Strengthened by high popularity Gore ran a successful campaign for reelection, defeating New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani by a margin more convincing than his immediate predecessor. Running on a platform of security, democracy and prosperity it was no doubt that given the events of his first term that the Democrats were in for a convincing victory over any Republican.
The Administration’s predilection for comprehensive, systematic treatment of domestic issues had mixed results. The new strategy of replacing the ailing health care system with a more modern (but still private) system of insurance based around purchase across state lines caused a temporary but noticeable decrease in costs.
Other enthusiasms of President Gore proved less happy. His insistence on a complicated campaign-finance scheme alienated the ad hoc majority in Congress on which he relied for support. The measure was of doubtful constitutionality, and the Administration was probably saved an embarrassment when it failed.
Attempted overhaul of immigration policy produced reforms that were at best shaky and at worst a failure. The inability of the federal government to secure its own borders, ports and airports showed the inability of Gore to compromise with an increasingly hawkish and conservative congress.
Gore's response to Hurricane Katrina proved to be something that greatly improved his popularity in times of deep crisis. The acceptance of the facts behind the disaster occurring within the city showed his excellent crisis management skills and stood to solidify his image as a true leader aware of the dangers of federal ineptness.
Following scathing Democratic defeats in the house and Senate in 2006 it became apparent that fifth term of Democratic control on the White House was unlikely. With the G.O.P resurgent and Democratic support waning Gore launched a campaign to complete a final overhaul of American climate policy. Though the bill faced harsh Republican criticisms it eventually paced both the house and senate, being signed into law on March 1, 2008. The landmark bill became Gore's final farewell to the nation, displaying the ability of America to control it's own destiny and truly lead in the throughout a new era.
As the nation bade a final goodbye to Gore with the election of returning candidate George W. Bush in 2008, the general consensus was that America had received fair leadership in the first decade of the twenty-first century.
List of Presidents of the United States of America (President Gore)