ne of Al Gore's key political assets in his run for the White House is his endorsement by US Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Kennedy, who has appeared with Vice President Gore in Iowa and New Hampshire, is contributing more than his physical presence and eloquent rhetoric to the campaign.
By standing with Gore, Kennedy is sending a message to Democrats that the candidate's issues are his issues, and that they represent the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. Those issues include affordable health insurance, education, Social Security, and an increased minimum wage.
Ironically, Kennedy's support of these and other such issues less than a decade ago prompted conservatives to dismiss them as ''liberal.'' Even Kennedy himself might have been considered too liberal in those days to be an asset to a Democratic hopeful seeking to gain the political center. But times have changed, especially for Kennedy.
Gore, as well as Bill Bradley, is pushing the need to put more money into public education, a traditionally liberal issue that is now also embraced by some moderate Republicans.
On health care, Kennedy's support for Gore is sending the message to Democrats that Gore's approach is right, while Bradley's health care plan is not as well thought out.
President Clinton and now Gore have adopted the Kennedy-led proposal for a patients' bill of rights, which includes the right to sue a health maintenance organization. The idea, which has liberal roots, has become so popular that even conservative Republicans acknowledge it is possible to pass a bill of rights law that includes suits against HMOs. The only difference between the Democratic and Republican versions may be on who can be sued and for how much.
Saving Social Security has been an issue strongly embraced by Kennedy and other Democrats in Congress, and has become a rallying cry for Gore as well as Clinton in the past year. And while keeping Social Security solvent appears to be a big concern among many Americans, Republicans seemed to have jumped on the bandwagon too late to wrest that issue from the Democrats.
Many of these Democratic issues, of course, have also been embraced by Bradley. But Kennedy's support of him gives Gore extra credibility, which may help to explain his surge in the New Hampshire polls.
Kennedy's role may be even more important to Gore after the national conventions this summer, from which Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush are expected to emerge as their parties' nominees.
If, for instance, Kennedy pursues raising the minimum wage in Congress during the Gore-Bush campaign, it could become a thorny issue for Bush, particularly if his Republican backers oppose an increase, which is likely to be popular with voters. And if Kennedy continues, as he will, to push for the patients' bill of rights in the Senate, strong GOP opposition could again make things difficult for Bush.
Another bill, which would provide prescription drug benefits to senior citizens, is also likely to be championed by Kennedy. Again, if Republicans in Congress who back Bush's candidacy strongly oppose a bill that senior citizens need, that can only help Gore.
Kennedy will also be conducting his own bid for reelection this year. But he appears to be even stronger now than when he defeated Mitt Romney six years ago. Even some of his Republican critics agree that Kennedy has enhanced his image since then.
Nonetheless, Plymouth County District Attorney Michael Sullivan may stick with his plan to challenge Kennedy after the New Hampshire primary, giving Kennedy a GOP opponent. Another person who has said he will run against Kennedy is Phil Hyde of Somerville, an independent and a perennial candidate for local and congressional seats.
While the GOP's support might make Sullivan a stronger candidate than Hyde, the question is whether he has the name recognition, the finances, and the political skills to even rate consideration as a serious contender.
In a recent Globe article, Sullivan said, ''While the economy appears very strong, unemployment is way down, and wages are way up, people are asking, `Are we headed in the right direction?''' If Sullivan decides that we are headed in the wrong direction with these pluses, then his campaign may be in trouble even before it begins.
Right now, polls suggest that most Americans believe the nation is going in the right direction. Other polls show that Gore is headed in the right direction, with one poll last week showing him only 3 points behind Bush in a general election matchup. Kennedy's popularity also says he is going in the right direction.
And if the economy continues to go in the right direction, Gore - with Kennedy's help - may be giving Bush more than a run for all of the GOP front-runner's money.
Robert A. Jordan is a Globe columnist.
