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CNN Live Sunday
Al Gore Drops Out of '04 Presidential Race
Aired December 15, 2002 - 18:48 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In less than 12 minutes we are expecting to hear from Al Gore himself on the program "60 Minutes," where we expect that he will formerly and publicly make the announcement that he is not running for president in 2004. This has caught many people by surprise, and right now we have got CNN's Mark Shields, host of "CAP GANG," on the telephone with us to get some of his reactions to it. Mark, what do you think?
MARK SHIELDS, CNN CAPITAL GANG CO-HOST: Well, first of all, Carol, let me say I am amazed and in shock. First of all, I think we have to remember that every morning that Al Gore got up, there was something that haunted him, and that was of all the candidates that have ever been nominated for president of the United States, he got more votes than any of them except Ronald Regan. He got more votes than Bill Clinton did either time, or more votes than even George Bush did, and he wasn't president.
So not to run is merely a personal decision because the presidential virus, which went to -- seizes any individual, the only known cure for it is embalming fluid usually. And I think it is a reminder to all of us who cover politics that these people are people, and it was a personal decision. It was not probably a political decision. It was a decision he made, and I am sure in consultation with his family, with whom he is genuinely close.
LIN: I mean, how did at conversation go, do you think? I mean, did he think that he was going to lose in 2004?
SHIELDS: No, I don't think it was that. I mean, I don't think that you ever think you are going to lose. I mean, otherwise we wouldn't have a field full of candidates every time. And everybody who ever runs for president, Carol, has basically been successful at every level along the way. They have been a member of Congress, they have been a governor or Senator or whatever, before they run. So they don't -- it isn't the idea of defeat that is discouraging.
You know, I don't know. I -- maybe the fire flickered out. Maybe he has decided he wants to do other things with his life. But, you know, it was an amazing decision in the sense that he walked away from a nomination for which he had to be considered the favorite.
LIN: Did you see "Saturday Night Live" last night, Mark?
SHIELDS: You know, I didn't, but everybody I have talked to today, I have to say, and people who were not Gore fans among them, said that they just thought he was terrific. And that they said that they'd never seen him that loose and that easy, and you know, maybe that daring, I guess.
LIN: Right, right. And certainly, I don't recall anybody ever seeing him in a Jacuzzi, so that was a break-through moment, too. Thanks so much.
SHIELDS: Thank you, Carol. Take care.
LIN: Mark Shields. OK. Hope to chat again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 15, 2002 - 18:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In less than 12 minutes we are expecting to hear from Al Gore himself on the program "60 Minutes," where we expect that he will formerly and publicly make the announcement that he is not running for president in 2004. This has caught many people by surprise, and right now we have got CNN's Mark Shields, host of "CAP GANG," on the telephone with us to get some of his reactions to it. Mark, what do you think?
MARK SHIELDS, CNN CAPITAL GANG CO-HOST: Well, first of all, Carol, let me say I am amazed and in shock. First of all, I think we have to remember that every morning that Al Gore got up, there was something that haunted him, and that was of all the candidates that have ever been nominated for president of the United States, he got more votes than any of them except Ronald Regan. He got more votes than Bill Clinton did either time, or more votes than even George Bush did, and he wasn't president.
So not to run is merely a personal decision because the presidential virus, which went to -- seizes any individual, the only known cure for it is embalming fluid usually. And I think it is a reminder to all of us who cover politics that these people are people, and it was a personal decision. It was not probably a political decision. It was a decision he made, and I am sure in consultation with his family, with whom he is genuinely close.
LIN: I mean, how did at conversation go, do you think? I mean, did he think that he was going to lose in 2004?
SHIELDS: No, I don't think it was that. I mean, I don't think that you ever think you are going to lose. I mean, otherwise we wouldn't have a field full of candidates every time. And everybody who ever runs for president, Carol, has basically been successful at every level along the way. They have been a member of Congress, they have been a governor or Senator or whatever, before they run. So they don't -- it isn't the idea of defeat that is discouraging.
You know, I don't know. I -- maybe the fire flickered out. Maybe he has decided he wants to do other things with his life. But, you know, it was an amazing decision in the sense that he walked away from a nomination for which he had to be considered the favorite.
LIN: Did you see "Saturday Night Live" last night, Mark?
SHIELDS: You know, I didn't, but everybody I have talked to today, I have to say, and people who were not Gore fans among them, said that they just thought he was terrific. And that they said that they'd never seen him that loose and that easy, and you know, maybe that daring, I guess.
LIN: Right, right. And certainly, I don't recall anybody ever seeing him in a Jacuzzi, so that was a break-through moment, too. Thanks so much.
SHIELDS: Thank you, Carol. Take care.
LIN: Mark Shields. OK. Hope to chat again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
