Don't blame yourself, either, if you didn't know that Gore's Internet howler was just the latest in a long line of Gore gaffes. No politician is immune to uttering the occasional blooper. Gaffes typically result from engaging the mouth before putting the brain in gear.
Gaffes can also be revelations.
When Michael Dukakis urged Iowa farmers to diversify into Belgian endive, everyone realized how little he understood about American agriculture. Quayle telling that kid that he needed an 'e' at the end of 'potato' was hilarious. George Bush's assaults on the English language were pure comedy. A lot of things I'd forgotten. Which returns us to Gore.