The Nation -- Gore Story

Al Gore's makeover (assuming he sustains it and does run) has a bittersweet subtext of what might have been. If he had displayed genuine strokes of boldness two years ago, he would be the President. The Clinton White House, with Gore in full accord, missed its great window of opportunity in the run-up to 2000. Instead of proudly clutching their hard-won budget surpluses, they should have launched new ideas for spending the money on people--healthcare was the most obvious--as Democrats are expected to do. That would have given Gore real meat to run on. Instead, he talked about the "lockbox," while Bush talked about tax cuts. And Gore still got more votes.

The Democrats have the better ideas when they present them and people can hear them.