Did the Gores Split Because of the 2000 Election?
CNN anchor John Roberts says that Al and Tipper Gore's marriage first began to unravel during the stress of the 2000 presidential election and subsequent recount. Mark Halperin suggests that it may have been their son's 2007 drug arrest. Well?
Was it their obviously heartbreaking, cruelly extended 2000 loss? The strain of their son's prescription drug problem? Well, no one really knows, so they're all just kind of spitballing, because, why the hell not. In fact, we may never know the facts behind the sudden end to the Gores' legendary partnership. But we can access a higher truth than mere facts: That of art.
I present to you: Al and Tipper: The Play. What can it tell us about the mysteries of the Gore relationship?
Scene: The living room of a well-appointed house in Washington, D.C. TIPPER, a dignified woman of a certain age, sits on a couch. Standing nearby is AL, a tall, awkwardly paunchy man.
AL: [Makes "stressed out" noise] I am stressed out.
TIPPER: Why are you stressed out, former Vice President Al Gore?
AL: The 2000 election, which I lost, despite winning the popular vote, of course! [Stretches, in stressed-out way]
TIPPER: Sheesh! [Stressed-out face]
AL: What's the big deal? [He says this all stressed out, in a way that makes it clear he's stressed out by the 2000 elections]
TIPPER: I can't do this anymore! "This" means marriage. [She makes some kind of stressed out hand gesture that conveys the horror of coming mere inches away from the White House and falling short thanks to a blatantly political Supreme Court ruling]
AL: Oh well, I guess that is the end of the line for us, Tipper. [Takes three valium, the prescription for which reads, "for stress related to not being President"]
TIPPER: I'll never forget you. [Tears hair out, bitterly looks at photo of "President" George W. Bush]
AL: Nor I you. [Passes out from rage and stress]
They embrace. AL exits. TIPPER sits on the couch. Somewhere, the sounds of 2 Live Crew begin to play.
So, what art tells us is: It was definitely the stress of the 2000 elections.
