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Gore Launched His Fall Campaign For The Presidency ”As My Own Man”

Los Angeles – Al Gore launched his fall campaign for the presidency, pledging a”better, fairer, more prosperous America” in the climactic speech of the Democratic National Convention. After eight years as vice president, he said, “I stand here tonight as my own man” ready to turn a new page at the White House.

Gore had been a distant figure during much of his four-day convention, but he entered the hall to a thunderous ovation. He delivered a 51-minute address, dense with policy proclamations, drawing contrasts with Republicans on issues ranging from Social Security to tax cuts to abortion and more.

“In the name of all the working families who are the strength and soul of America,” said Gore, “I accept your nomination.” Sounding a Democratic drumbeat, he added, “If you entrust me with the presidency, I will fight for you.”

Gore touched a wide range of domestic issues and made only a brief mention of foreign affairs. He vowed to fight for expanded health care, environmental protection, better education, targeted tax cuts, campaign finance reform, prescription drugs for Medicare recipients. There was more: a fight to stop kids from smoking; hate crimes legislation, an end to racial profiling.

“That’s the difference in this election,” he said. “They’re for the powerful,” he said of the Republicans. “We’re for the people. Big tobacco, big oil, the big polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the HMOs sometimes you have to be willing to stand up and say no, so families can have a better life.”

“I know my own imperfections,” Gore said. “I know that sometimes people say I’m too serious, that I talk too much substance and policy. Maybe I’ve done that tonight. But the presidency is more than a popularity contest. It’s a day-by-day fight for people. Sometimes, you have to choose to do what’s difficult or unpopular. Sometimes, you have to be willing to spend your popularity in order to pick the hard right over the easy wrong.”

“I want you to know this,” Gore said. “I’ve taken on the powerful forces. And as president, I’ll stand up to them, and I’ll stand up for you.”

The vice president never mentioned Bush by name but the balloons were still falling on the Democratic end-of-convention celebration when the GOP launched a rebuttal.

Gore drew perhaps his loudest ovation of the night when he pledged to protect abortion rights and said, “The last thing this country needs is a Supreme Court that overturns” a woman’s right to choose. Bush got a similarly strong ovation at the recent Republican convention when he vowed to sign legislation outlawing a procedure known as partial birth abortions.

Gore praised President Clinton briefly at the beginning of his remarks and the powerhouse economy of his presidency. Clinton was at the White House, 3,000 miles away, but cast a shadow nonetheless, as word spread that a new federal grand jury had been empaneled to hear evidence in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Gore made it plain he was looking ahead.

“Now we turn the page and write a new chapter. And that’s what I want to speak about tonight,” he said.

“This election is not an award for past performance. I’m not asking you to vote for me on the basis of the economy we have. Tonight, I ask for your support on the basis of the better, fairer, more prosperous America we can build together.”

At that, cheers drowned out the rest of his sentence, “I want you to know me for who I truly am.”

“I know I won’t always be the most exciting politician,” he said. “But I pledge to you tonight: I will work for you every day and I will never let you down.” On cue thousands of red white and blue balloons streamed down on the podium. Confetti filled the air as Lieberman joined Gore on stage.

Even as delegates chanted “Go Al go,” the polls indicated that Gore had his work cut out for him. Most surveys showed Bush with a lead in the range of 10 percentage points. And some Democrats grumbled privately that the early days of the convention had fallen short of their own hopes as the Gore campaign maneuvered to reassure core Democratic constituencies such as blacks and liberals.

Lieberman was nominated by acclamation by the convention shortly before Gore spoke, a step that sealed the Connecticut senator’s place in history as the first Jew on a major party ticket. “Go Joe, go,” the delegates cheered in unison as he made an appearance at the podium. “I am humbled and I am grateful,” he said. “I am proud to accept your nomination.”

Lieberman’s ascension was followed by speeches designed to flesh out Gore’s life story, from his roots as a senator’s son in Carthage, Tenn., to his education at Harvard, service in Vietnam and time spent as a newspaper reporter. He got into politics in 1976, winning election to the House, then the Senate, and then, in 1992, the vice presidency.

Tipper Gore introduced her husband, cheered loudly by the delegates. She danced on stage to the pulsating beat that filled the hall before she began to speak. “Al has always been there for our family and he will always be there for yours,” she promised. An avid photographer, she displayed family photos and jokingly asked delegates not to head for the exits.

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