Let there be no mistake about it. In the afternoon, delegates also heard from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. When he arrives at the convention today, Gore must demonstrate that he is the right man to inherit the mantle, not just of the Clinton administration's successes, but also of the party's liberal social agenda. He so far has had trouble matching the charisma of Kennedy and the warmth of Clinton. Lyndon Johnson had a tough act to follow.
Life is nothing but a tough act to follow.
It will work out. A new poll released Tuesday suggests Democrats are beginning to consolidate behind Gore. The gains, the pollsters said, have been because undecided Democrats are rallying behind Gore and that now 87 percent of Democrats say they will vote for the vice president. But a Los Angeles Times poll had much less encouraging news for Democrats, showing that Bush had far more success rallying Republicans than Gore had pulling Democrats into his fold. According to that poll, Gore had consolidated only 78 percent of Democrats.