Why didn't Al Gore campaign for TN in 2000?

[GenerationTerrorist]

Hi all. First post on this forum, after many years of reading. Love watching American politics from this side of the pond.

One thing I'd like to know is why Al Gore didn't really put any effort into winning Tennessee in 2000? If he had won his home state, he'd have won the election - Florida or not. He lost it by around 5% in the end.

Had he put more resources into his home state, would he have won it? Or was it always destined to go for Bush in 2000?

[Tintrlvr]

He did invest heavily in TN. A lot of people thought he was favored there at the time.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

[Mr. Smith]

He did.

[Lechasseur]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Yeah absolutely

The question is how much better does McCain do up North than Bush? I'd imagine quite a bit and Gore would be losing non-Southern states in exchange for his gains in the South. The question then is is that enough for McCain to win or not?

[Samof94]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Yeah absolutely

The question is how much better does McCain do up North than Bush? I'd imagine quite a bit and Gore would be losing non-Southern states in exchange for his gains in the South. The question then is is that enough for McCain to win or not?

He doesn’t have drunk driving scandals to deal with.

[Lechasseur]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Yeah absolutely

The question is how much better does McCain do up North than Bush? I'd imagine quite a bit and Gore would be losing non-Southern states in exchange for his gains in the South. The question then is is that enough for McCain to win or not?

He doesn’t have drunk driving scandals to deal with.

True, but that doesn't answer my question

[RINO Tom]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Whether or not you’re right, that would lead to a better US right now.  Culture War bullshlt is, alas, a self-fulfilling prophesy for simpletons of all political persuasions.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Yeah absolutely

The question is how much better does McCain do up North than Bush? I'd imagine quite a bit and Gore would be losing non-Southern states in exchange for his gains in the South. The question then is is that enough for McCain to win or not?

McCain definitely wins OR, and has an excellent shot at WA & ME. I have no clue how states like WI/IA/MN go down in this matchup.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Whether or not you’re right, that would lead to a better US right now.  Culture War bullshlt is, alas, a self-fulfilling prophesy for simpletons of all political persuasions.

No war but the class war, eh, Tom?

[RINO Tom]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Whether or not you’re right, that would lead to a better US right now.  Culture War bullshlt is, alas, a self-fulfilling prophesy for simpletons of all political persuasions.

No war but the class war, eh, Tom?

The Federalists will rise again, no matter how odd and long the journey is!

[Lincoln Republican]

Hi all. First post on this forum, after many years of reading. Love watching American politics from this side of the pond.

One thing I'd like to know is why Al Gore didn't really put any effort into winning Tennessee in 2000? If he had won his home state, he'd have won the election - Florida or not. He lost it by around 5% in the end.

Had he put more resources into his home state, would he have won it? Or was it always destined to go for Bush in 2000?

Welcome to the forum.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

Not just Tennessee, but also Arkansas, the home state of Bill Clinton.

[Samof94]

Gore would have won TN, WV, AR, and had a decent shot at LA against McCain.

Whether or not you’re right, that would lead to a better US right now.  Culture War bullshlt is, alas, a self-fulfilling prophesy for simpletons of all political persuasions.

No war but the class war, eh, Tom?

The Federalists will rise again, no matter how odd and long the journey is!

Any day now. Once the redcoats return, we’ll have New England secede.

[User2836]

“From DC not Tennessee”

[Lurker]

In hindsight it seems to me that Gore may have gotten too much criticism for not winning TN, despite it being his home state and Clinton winning there both times. Perhaps the state was simply moving rightwards/to the GOP at a faster level than anyone could have anticipated back then, and Gore did well in simply keeping it relatively close.

Clinton only won by 2% in 1996, despite his very comfortable national victory, and in the next three elections the Democrats lost the state by massive margins (14%, 15%, 20%). 

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

In hindsight it seems to me that Gore may have gotten too much criticism for not winning TN, despite it being his home state and Clinton winning there both times. Perhaps the state was simply moving rightwards/to the GOP at a faster level than anyone could have anticipated back then, and Gore did well in simply keeping it relatively close.

Clinton only won by 2% in 1996, despite his very comfortable national victory, and in the next three elections the Democrats lost the state by massive margins (14%, 15%, 20%).  

This is why I don’t think Gore winning the state against McCain is even close to a slam dunk. A ticket with no southerners losing badly nationally only lost the state by two points.

[beesley]

Hi all. First post on this forum, after many years of reading. Love watching American politics from this side of the pond.

Welcome from a fellow Brit. There are a decent number of (left-wing) Brits here, so good to have another.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

He picked Lieberman, if he picked Graham he would have won

[Lechasseur]

In hindsight it seems to me that Gore may have gotten too much criticism for not winning TN, despite it being his home state and Clinton winning there both times. Perhaps the state was simply moving rightwards/to the GOP at a faster level than anyone could have anticipated back then, and Gore did well in simply keeping it relatively close.

Clinton only won by 2% in 1996, despite his very comfortable national victory, and in the next three elections the Democrats lost the state by massive margins (14%, 15%, 20%).  

This is why I don’t think Gore winning the state against McCain is even close to a slam dunk. A ticket with no southerners losing badly nationally only lost the state by two points.

I'm actually of the opinion that in a matchup against McCain, Gore would have had a better chance of winning Louisiana than Tennessee

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

In hindsight it seems to me that Gore may have gotten too much criticism for not winning TN, despite it being his home state and Clinton winning there both times. Perhaps the state was simply moving rightwards/to the GOP at a faster level than anyone could have anticipated back then, and Gore did well in simply keeping it relatively close.

Clinton only won by 2% in 1996, despite his very comfortable national victory, and in the next three elections the Democrats lost the state by massive margins (14%, 15%, 20%).  

This is why I don’t think Gore winning the state against McCain is even close to a slam dunk. A ticket with no southerners losing badly nationally only lost the state by two points.

I'm actually of the opinion that in a matchup against McCain, Gore would have had a better chance of winning Louisiana than Tennessee

Maybe...Louisiana had one of the biggest swings from '96 to '00 and that was largely because Bush Jr. was a much, much better fit for the state than Dole. With McCain as the nominee, there's not as much of a swing...

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

As you remember the South was against Clinton due to Lewinsky that's why Bush W appealed to them.

Gore was never gonna win TN Bob Graham would have worked for Gore by the fact he could have won NH alone.

Kerry would have won CO, NV, NM with Dick Gephardt

[Lechasseur]

In hindsight it seems to me that Gore may have gotten too much criticism for not winning TN, despite it being his home state and Clinton winning there both times. Perhaps the state was simply moving rightwards/to the GOP at a faster level than anyone could have anticipated back then, and Gore did well in simply keeping it relatively close.

Clinton only won by 2% in 1996, despite his very comfortable national victory, and in the next three elections the Democrats lost the state by massive margins (14%, 15%, 20%).  

This is why I don’t think Gore winning the state against McCain is even close to a slam dunk. A ticket with no southerners losing badly nationally only lost the state by two points.

I'm actually of the opinion that in a matchup against McCain, Gore would have had a better chance of winning Louisiana than Tennessee

Maybe...Louisiana had one of the biggest swings from '96 to '00 and that was largely because Bush Jr. was a much, much better fit for the state than Dole. With McCain as the nominee, there's not as much of a swing...

Exactly