hile Texas Governor George W. Bush appears to be enjoying a relatively easy ride at this early stage in the Republican presidential nomination process, Vice President Al Gore is finding it tougher going on the Democratic side of the race for the White House.
Gore's campaign is being eclipsed not only by the unexpected strong showing of Democratic rival Bill Bradley, but also by the high-profile media presence of two of his stalwart supporters, President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Even on vacation or when house hunting, the Clintons seem to be capturing more media space than Gore. So, too, Clinton's battles with Republicans over his promised veto of the GOP's big tax cut proposal.
And Clinton's controversial agreement to grant clemency to jailed Puerto Rican nationalists (also called terrorists) has also held the media spotlight, although not always flattering, on the president and the first lady.
Hillary Clinton's apparent flip-flop on the clemency issue - first she supported it, but when that angered the powerful voters in upstate New York, she said it should be rescinded - upset both New York voters and Puerto Rican voters in New York. The GOP is also saying that Clinton's offer of clemency was politically motivated to help gain the Puerto Rican vote in New York for his wife, who is expected to run for the US Senate seat being vacated by Daniel Patrick Moynihan's retirement next year.
While such controversies continue to rub off on Gore - forever linked to Clinton as his vice president - Bush's campaign is rolling along, despite a few bumps in the road over how he handled questions of past drug use.
The Clintons' media profile is not, of course, the only source of Gore's campaign problems. As he demonstrated on his recent visit to Boston, he can create problems without anyone's help.
On the visit, he announced $5 million in emergency aid for New England fishermen, suggesting the help was primarily of his own doing. However, the all-Democratic Massachusetts congressional delegation found out that Gore was talking about a grant that was not only more than a year old, but also was the result of a lot of hard work by members of the delegation. Gore later called US Senator John F. Kerry to apologize, but he will have to do more to earn the strong, active support he will need to win big in the Bay State.
Gore's biggest dilemma is how to separate himself from the negatives of the Clinton administration without disconnecting himself from the administration's economic success story.
As popular as Clinton is with the electorate, there are signs in various polls that voters would like to see his administration come to an end. Bush's current lead in the polls over Gore may reflect voters' views that a Gore presidency would be an extension of the Clinton administration, not a new Gore era. If that perception continues for another year, Gore could be in serious trouble.
Gore's clean image does not appear to help him in his battle with Bradley, who has the same image, or against Bush, who is slightly tainted with the alleged drug and alchohol issues from some years ago. Bush's decision to go no further than his statement that he has not been involved with drugs for 25 years may even be helping him with voters, who like the way he has challenged the media on the topic.
Strangely, Bush's ability to connect with so many voters at this early stage makes him more like Clinton who, with his flaws, always kept his strong appeal among a wide range of voters. And perhaps Bush can be forgiven for past drug use as the voters forgave Clinton for his past misdeeds.
Gore is still likely to be the Democratic nominee for president. Bradley will gain support as the campaign rolls along, but most of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention are expected to support Gore.
And Gore, with all his seeming stiffness and his current inability to articulate a clear message, will have the strong backing of organized labor. He will also need the help of key people such as the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, who can help him gain a strong black vote, and Hillary Clinton, who can help him gain support among women, in New York and across the nation.
Perhaps sparring with Bradley will get Gore in fighting shape - make him less stiff, quicker on his feet - for the big bout with Bush.
And it may be just what Gore needs to fight his way out of Clinton's shadow. In the end, however, his biggest challenge will be to win the support of the electorate. He had best start loosening up.
Robert A. Jordan is a Globe columnist.
