Al. Gore: US leader of the twenty-first century?

March 31 US Vice President Albert Gore celebrated his fiftieth birthday. Of all present US statesmen he is the closest to Ukraine, head of the American side of the Ukraine — United States Binational Commission. He is considered the most likely Democratic candidate for the presidency in the elections of 2000.

The reserved and rational Gore is the direct opposite of the impulsive Bill Clinton. He is far from calling himself a self-made man, while another American saying is more attributable to him, “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” or, as Ukrainians say “born with a shirt on.”

Despite his youth (for a politician) Gore managed to become a Congressman, Senator, and now serves his second term as a Vice President. The US political system designates a specific role for Vice Presidents, to stay in the shadows and bide their time, demonstrating loyalty to the President. That is what their political lot looks like. From this point of view Gore, to some extent, turned out to be a lucky exception, since no one harbors doubts about his leading role in the development of American environmental and technological policies as well as his weight in foreign policy.

Since President Clinton is constitutionally barred from running for a third term, the idea has been expressed of nominating Albert Gore for the elections to be held on the eve of twenty-first century. This idea is based on maintaining the Clinton heritage: the achievements of the new democracy i.e., a balanced budget, social security system reform, economic growth, and a foreign policy assuring US a global role in international affairs, including NATO expansion to the East. What role will Ukraine play then in the balance of forces in Europe? In any case, Ukraine will hardly remain a neutral and nonaligned country, particularly against the background of the Russian-German-French triumvirate, that lately has been clearly outlined and is showing its anti-American orientation. What will be relations between Kyiv and Washington be then?

Photo:
War correspondent Al. Gore during the Vietnam War