No, it wasn't Al Gore. The answer will vary depending on whom you ask. So the answer for some people is that Cerf and Kahn were the fathers of Internet. Others, including myself, go back earlier to Paul Baran in 1964. I go with Paul Baran as the founding father of the Internet.
Packet switching is a virtual connection.
All data is transmitted in clusters called packets and each packet takes whatever route is available to its destination. As the packets arrive at the destination, they're reassembled back in the order transmitted. The advantage is that circuits carrying the packets operate more efficiently. It is also more reliable because packets can route around failed facilities. Frankly I don't think anyone knows anymore.