ndle key issues, including traditional Democratic ones such as health care, education and Social Security. Even more important, those same polls showed him with a significant advantage over the vice president in the area of leadership.But Gore changed all that with his performance on the last day of the Democrats' Los Angeles national convention. Whether it was the highly publicized kiss he gave his wife, Tipper, or his fiery, populist speech, Gore changed the public's view of him. No longer was he a political opportunist or stiff second banana. Instead, he was a passionate, loving father and husband who lacked many of Clinton's weaknesses. Public sentiment turned on a dime. Instead of being down double-digits in the polls, as he was going into the Democratic convention, Gore jumped a few points ahead of Bush. Gore's luck didn't change when he left California. He and his running mate, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, began a whirlwind campaign swing, with Lieberman -- the highly regarded Orthodox Jew and critic of the president's personal behavior -- vouching for Gore's integrity, morality and sincerity.Gore's selection of Lieberman was regarded as a bold move. While some liberals and African Americans in the Democratic Party complained about the senator's moderate stands, Lieberman reiterated his support for the Gore agenda and helped the Vice President re-introduce himself to the country. At the same time, Bush's running mate, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, was fanning the fuels of controversy by delaying a decision about what he would do with certain Halliburton stock options, and Bush was floundering when asked about his tax cut plan and about his charge that the U.S. military was not fully ready. While Gore looked relaxed and energetic, Bush made mistakes, including miscalculating how the "debate over debates" would play, a much publicized gaffe in front of an open microphone, and his mispronunciation of the word "subliminal....
