BRIAN McGRORY

Running behind, but right on time

By Brian McGrory, Globe Staff, May 18, 1999

These are not good days for the vice president of the United States, not good days at all.

Poll results wash over him with a relentless regularity, numbers that show him getting trounced by George W. Bush, beaten soundly by Elizabeth Dole, losing ground to his lone Democratic primary challenger, Bill Bradley.

His campaign appears to be in a top-heavy state of disarray -- too many generals with too little talent trying to execute a plan with too little passion. His style, his public persona, appears to be growing duller by the day.

And you've heard all the jokes by now, the litany of insults on the late-night talk shows -- stiff as a board, more statue than man, our vice president, Al Bore. Even his boss, the president, expressed concern last week, publicly saying that his understudy should "go out and have a good time."

So there he was, Al Gore, sitting cross-legged in a wing chair in the presidential suite of the Park Plaza Hotel late yesterday afternoon, attired in his trademark blue suit, jacket on, tie knotted tight. If he was worried, he didn't say it. But if there was reason to disbelieve the negative hype, he didn't easily provide it.

The private interview began with the easiest question of all: What would he like to tell voters about himself that they may not already know? Imagine how President Clinton would handle such fluff, how he'd silently bite his lower lip, how he'd cock his head and squint in that empathetic way he does, how he'd talk about all those miles traveled to get where he is and the journey remaining to get where he wants to go.

And then there's Gore. No metaphors there. He chose to recite his resume, beginning with the fact that he's a Vietnam veteran, a former newspaper reporter, a husband and father of four.

"I served in the House of Representatives for eight years and served in the Senate for eight years and had town hall meetings all over the state of Tennessee," he said. "And my final reelection was the first to carry all 95 counties in the state in modern history."

It is stultifying, this response, notable only for what it couldn't be. Eventually, he talked about living in a trailer with his wife, Tipper, having the laundry blown off the line by nearby helicopters. By then, the splash of color comes too late.

The truth is, you want to like Al Gore. Those who know him well say he is terribly winning among friends, outright funny in both a sophisticated and sophomoric way, even relaxed. On campaign trips, he banters easily in off-the-record sessions with the gathered reporters, often appearing in the press cabin in the back of Air Force II with a beer in his hand and a smirk on his face. There is no dark side, no violent temper, no sadistic or deviant streak. He is indisputably smart.

But the question remains, is it enough? And now members of his own party murmur the once unthinkable question: Is it enough to win the Democratic nomination? Those who venture to Washington to meet him come away perplexed about his appeal.

To make matters worse, Clinton has become an albatross in a nation distinctly tired of too many years of controversy. When asked yesterday if the president would play a significant role in his campaign, Gore quickly replied "No," then added, "He has a full-time job and is doing extremely well."

In fact, Gore was said to be livid when Clinton placed an unusual call to a New York Times reporter last week to offer public advice and support for his vice president. The ploy backfired, solidifying images of Gore as Clinton's politically inept little brother and resulting in a headline that read, "Clinton admits to concerns as Gore campaign stumbles."

So he carries onward, confident that as the public gets to know him, they will get to like him. He may well be right. But it's not as easy as it looks, shedding the indelible image of the second in charge. As he tends to do these days, he referred often to his wife. "When you're that close with somebody, you just feel more grounded when you're with them," he said.

Ironically, he suffers in comparison to the president, the master politician. One example: Clinton interviews routinely spilled long over the allotted time as he regaled reporters with stories and left the impression he didn't want them to leave.

Yesterday's session with Gore ended precisely on schedule. On cue, Gore stood and shook hands cordially goodbye. "He likes to be on time," an aide explained. It's his way. And right about now, maybe that's just what the country wants and needs.