FLAILING in postelection frenzy, Albert Gore Jr. may be exiting politics much as he lived it: in a slash-and-burn rage at a threat to his destiny—and his goal of winning his dead father’s praise. Raised to be president—told that he must be president—and believing that to be less would make his life worthless, he is now in a terminal tantrum at being denied what is “his.” The crisis has come down to this.
The Bush—Gore election was billed as a battle of equals, two dynastic heirs of political families, both groomed for power and prominence. The reality, however, is something quite different. Bush was raised around power, but not wholly in it, with a political life posed as but one of the options. Gore was raised in a family driven by politics, with power and office the unique goal. The prized only son (Bush has three brothers), Gore became the sole focus of parental exertions toward power. In the past century, two hungry men failed in their final ambitions, and brought up their sons to surpass them. The first was Joseph P. Kennedy, who raised his four sons as a corps of avengers. The second was Albert Gore Sr.
Comments