Democrat Convention Casts Al Gore As His Own Man

On a scale of 1 to 10, the Democratic Convention at Los Angeles rates a commendable 7 – a success considering the difficulties facing Al Gore going in.

Gore’s speech was well delivered, the best of his career. It was a laundry list of “New Guard” promises of hand outs for the “people” and curses for the “powerful.”

It sounded like the New Deal of the Democrats’ glory years. But, hey, this is necessary to assuage a coalition of special interests.

The acceptance speech consumed 50 minutes, five shorter than that of Bush. According to the Washington Post who count such things, Gore was accorded 109 bursts of applause, Bush 107.

Strangely the liberal media described the Dem convention as “listless,” “dispirited,” “dejected.” They said it, not me.

It was depressing to see Joe Liberman self-destruct. He scurried from one delegation to another assuring them he didn’t really mean it when he spoke kind words about school vouchers, mitigation of affirmative action, free trade and a cut in the capital gains tax.

Before our very eyes we saw the centrist Liberman morph into a left-wing liberal when moderation is the name of the game this year.

His declaration that he would support President Gore’s decisions, no matter what, is standard operation procedure for a veep. Nonetheless, it is contradictory to Liberman’s supposed independence that was ballyhooed when he was chosen as Gore’s running mate.

Gore and Liberman provided enough cover for the labor unions, teachers, government employees and minorities to bring them on board. However, the question resurfaces about the impact on unaffiliated “moderates” who waver between parties.

The same problem of scripting to accommodate television plagued the Democrats as well as Republicans. Four years from now, drastic changes in the primary and convention format will have to be changed. Of this, more later.

Gore had several big problems to try and overcome -- in addition to that of being joined at the hips with Bill Clinton.

Promises of government largess worked wonders for liberal government during the Great Depression, World War II and the communist threat. Now peace and prosperity have descended upon us.

Times, indeed are good – primarily as a result of Republican Congresses in recent years. They released the productive energy of capitalism through balanced budgets, welfare reform and a reduction in the capital gains tax.

No president ever raised or spent a dime. Clinton owes his economic success and a bit of budget surplus to a Republican majority in Congress. Also, to the steady hand of Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan inherited from President George Bush.

Gore barely mentioned Clinton, and Bush not at all. In this writer’s opinion, Gore came across as a decent guy with good intentions – not at all “wooden.”

The memorable phrase in Gore’s speech is: “I stand here tonight as my own man.” Whether this is enough to cut Clinton’s apron strings is yet to be determined.

Bush went into his convention with the theme of “compassionate conservatism,” and his core constituency solidly on board. He left Philadelphia with a unified party and reassured independent voters.

Gore approached his convention with no theme, wavering liberals and almost-persuaded centrists. After four days of oratory at Los Angeles, he left with liberals back in the fold, centrists disappointed and a dubious theme of class warfare – “the people versus the powerful.”

In acknowledging Bush’s 10-point lead in public opinion polls, Gore declared: “The presidency is more than a popularity contest. It’s a day-by-day fight for people. Sometimes you have to choose to do what’s difficult or unpopular.”

This is a weak reed, but better than nothing.

Presidential candidates customarily benefit from a post- convention “bounce” in public-approval ratings. Bush got 6 percent. Somewhere from today and Nov. 7, Gore has to get 16 percent to pull even.

Now the race is for electoral votes rather than popular votes. It appears that Bush has locked up 135 electorals, as compared with Gore’s 107 which includes California’s massive 54.

The wild card in the electoral contest is Ralph Nader’s Green Party . It polls 5 percent of the popular vote, mostly from California Democrats. A couple more points of erosion among the Democrat majority there and Bush will have a fighting chance to take that state also.

Assuming electoral giants California and New York hold for Gore, and Texas for Bush, the election will be decided in the Midwest “battle ground.” Folks in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois can expect a lot of electioneering in the next 12 weeks.

Fasten your seat belts.

Lindsey Williams is a Sun-Herald columnist

williams – DemConven

Sunday – aug. 20, 2000

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