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Tipper Gores Declines Run at Senate

Aired March 18, 2002 - 12:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Tipper Gore ends speculation of a possible political career. The wife of the former vice president, Democratic presidential candidate, says she has decided not to run for Tennessee's U.S. Senate seat. She says she made that decision after three days of talks and discussions with friends and supporters back in the Volunteer State.

In Washington, Jonathan Karl is tracking this for us. Jonathan, good afternoon.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill. But she will be on a political stage here on her own. She is going to be here not in a lead role, but in a supporting role, she is supporting the Democratic candidate here, Bob Clement. He is a representative. He is a member of Congress. He is also -- you can hear the music starting behind us as they prepare for this rally -- he is also the son of a former governor and he's got a name that is very well known in Tennessee.

But Tipper Gore seriously looked into this. Both she and her husband, Al Gore, the former vice president, made calls to all the political operatives around the state, Democratic operatives, talking about a possible candidacy. But one thing that was interesting here, Bill, is that, you know, Tipper Gore -- the idea of her running for Senate generated a lot of excitement nationally. National Democrats like Hillary Clinton came out and said they really hoped she would run. She would generate excitement and could bring a Democratic victory in Tennessee.

But here in Tennessee, there was far less enthusiasm because the Tennessee Democratic establishment had already come together behind Bob Clement, this, as I said, somebody who is very well known throughout the state. Not as well known nationally, obviously, as Tipper Gore, but somebody who had worked hard to get the support. And then all of a sudden, Tipper Gore started thinking about it, and that was not something that Democrats here in Tennessee were all that excited about, although she may run again in some future date.

Meanwhile, when she -- when Bob Clement does run, one of the big Republicans running is Lamar Alexander, who if you of course remember from his plaid shirts. A former presidential candidate, two-time presidential candidate. Lamar Alexander is off and running and he has already got ads running, if you can believe it, here in Tennessee for his candidacy. He will face a challenge though. There is another Congressman, Ed Bryant, who is saying that he is the real true conservative in the race and he will challenge Lamar for the Republican nomination -- Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Jonathan, she has been reluctant, Tipper has, to enter into the political fray in the past. How much of this was a trial balloon and how much of it was serious? Have you been able to gauge that?

KARL: Well, from everybody I have spoken to within the Gore family inner circle, this was something that she really seriously did consider. You know, she would go through different phases during the campaign. She was often a very eager campaigner for her husband when he ran for president. Was out there, you know -- I saw her at, you know, countless political rallies. But she is also somebody that would occasionally want to step back from a limelight.

And, clearly, a major factor here was a personal decision because if she had run for Senate, it's not the kind of thing that she could step back from. The spotlight would have been on her and solely on her, unlike when she was in that supportive role supporting her husband. But everybody says this is something that she very seriously considered. And, in fact, we've spoken to Democratic operatives throughout the state who say that they got calls, not only from Tipper Gore, but also from Al Gore about here possible candidacy.

HEMMER: And we understand Al Gore has shaven his beard as of this weekend. Perhaps there is something in there too.

KARL: And, by the way, Bill, he said he shaved his beard as a show of support. Their Spokesman is saying that he shaved his beard this morning before she -- yesterday before she made her final decision statement. If she was ready for a new start, he would be ready for a new start as well.

HEMMER: A sign of solidarity. Hey, thanks, John. By the way, I misplaced you. I said you're on Capitol Hill. You are not. You are in Nashville. So I will stand corrected here and we'll talk to you a bit later, that announcement coming up at 2:00 Eastern time. Thank you, pal. Appreciate it.

KARL: Sure, Bill.

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