ore needed to convince independent voters that he is both moderate and likeable. He failed.
On issues from abortion to vouchers for education, Gore showed himself beholden to special interest groups, refusing to stake out common ground.
Moreover, Gore's answers indicated that his approach to solving almost every social problem is to throw good money after bad, all the while increasing government bureaucracy.
On Social Security, Medicare, and education, Gore defended the status quo, promising to increase spending without fixing the problems that threaten to bankrupt the system.
Mr. Know-It-All also showed us just how patronizing and disingenuous he really can be. On numerous occasions, Gore sighed condescendingly as Bush attempted to answer Jim Lehrer's questions. And right out of the box, the vice president began hedging the truth.
When asked about his comments to The New York Times that Bush does not have the experience to lead, Gore denied having ever made the claim.
Later, the man who solicited money at the White House and at a Buddhist temple had the nerve to say that the first bill he would send to the Hill as president would be a bill for campaign finance reform.
Last night, Al Gore asked us to see him for the man he really is.
What we saw was a man who is demagogic, condescending, and entirely too certain that big government is the answer for all that ails us.
Jennifer C. Braceras is an attorney and research fellow at Harvard Law School. Her column appears regularly in the Globe.
