While some of Gore's recent compromises have disappointed environmentalists, the vice president's record over the years is solid. Gore has been a consistent and knowledgeable advocate for reducing air and water pollution, developing alternate sources of energy and protecting pristine lands. By contrast, Texas' indefensible environmental record under Bush is not a figment of the Gore campaign's imagination. Bush has said he would maintain the moratorium, but many Republican leaders in Congress are ready to start drilling. The campaigns' differing views on abortion and the environment illustrate the larger institutional stakes of this election.
Presidents are more than a collection of issue positions.
They also play a crucial role as a check and balance on the powers of Congress and the Supreme Court. The next president is likely to make at least a couple of Supreme Court appointments. The next president also must build a working relationship with Congress, which Gore, as a former Congressman knows intimately. Many of President Clinton's greatest successes have been defensive. His veto pen and bully pulpit turned back many of the worst excesses of the Gingrich revolution.