t this stage of the presidential marathon, George W. Bush appears able and ready for the final three-month stretch, and Al Gore does not.
Even with the last several days' scrutiny of running mate Dick Cheney's extremely conservative voting record, Bush still got a boost in the polls as he heads into this week's GOP convention. Gore, meanwhile, was struggling to find a solid campaign strategy before the Democratic National Convention opens Aug. 14 in Los Angeles.
An important part of Gore's strategy, of course, is picking a running mate who strengthens the ticket. But if he is to win this election, he is going to need more than a good running mate. He is going to need the active support of a man who has been relatively quiet during this campaign season: the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson.
Since he entered the presidential primary race in 1984 - the first African-American to make a serious run for the White House - Jackson has been deeply involved in virtually every presidential election, until this year. Indeed, in 1988, if nominee Michael Dukakis had offered him the vice-presidential spot, Jackson would have taken it. When Dukakis did not, Jackson campaigned for him anyway.
In 1992 and 1996, Jackson backed Bill Clinton in the weeks before each of those Democratic National Convention. He focused on getting black, liberal, and low-income voters to the polls - something crucial to Clinton's two successful presidential campaigns.
Yet in the weeks leading up to this year's convention, Jackson has kept a far lower profile, even considering his recent tour in Chicago with Gore.
Whatever the reasons, say some analysts, Jackson's relative absence on the campaign trail is not helping Gore's campaign.
Jackson's scheduled convention speech will no doubt be stirring. But if he had been actively campaigning with high visibility across the country in recent weeks, he might have made a larger impact at the convention, and energized more of Gore's core Democratic base.
Even if Jackson becomes more active in the Gore campaign during the next two weeks, it will not equal what he could have done to energize blacks and other traditional Democratic voters to work for Gore.
Perhaps Jackson's distancing has come at Gore's request. Perhaps he did not want to be linked to some of Clinton's close friends and advisers during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. Jackson, as well-publicized in the media, was Clinton's spiritual adviser in the White House during the ordeal.
Gore has cost himself support by failing to embrace Jackson as an asset, just as he is able to embrace Clinton's successful policies. With Jackson's high-profile support, Gore could win more support from the nation's 20 million eligible black voters.
And Jackson has the ability to move not just black voters, but Hispanics, liberals, farmers, union workers, and other groups that make up Gore's political base. Gore needs the edge those voters could give him.
Jackson could also be the key to bringing back disenchanted voters, especially African-Americans, who were turned off by Gore's support of the Cuban-Americans' efforts to keep Elian Gonzalez in the United States. They asserted that the issue should be resolved in a US family court rather than return the boy to Cuba with his father.
If Gore had called on Jackson to convene a summit of black leaders earlier this summer to win back the turned-off voters, Gore could be going into the Democratic convention with a stronger political base - and come out of it better-positioned to surpass Bush in the campaign's final weeks.
It may not be too late for Gore to tap what Jackson has to offer. But Gore must do something dramatic that will give Jackson's supporters a reason to watch him at the convention, without reducing Gore's own presence.
As for Jackson, there is no reason for him to resist a bigger role in the Gore campaign. Despite differences with Clinton, he campaigned on his behalf in the weeks leading up to the conventions. There is no reason why he would not do the same for Gore.
Now it's up to Jackson, Gore, and his campaign team to work out an approach. As Gore focuses on making his choice for vice president, he should also focus on making Jackson a key member of his team. Gore's choice may help his candidacy. But even a good choice for vice president may not be enough for Gore to win the November election without giving a choice role in his campaign to Jesse L. Jackson.
Robert A. Jordan is a Globe columnist.
