News Tip: Gore Biggest Loser So Far in Democratic Presidential Race

DURHAM, N.C. -- The real loser so far in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is former Vice President Al Gore, who endorsed Howard Dean when Dean was a front-runner but who now trails a field of other candidates, said a Duke University political scientist.

"Gore took a calculated risk in jumping out front in endorsing Dean, primarily from the polls, in an effort to keep his name on the big board," said Kerry Haynie, an associate professor of political science whose expertise includes American politics and race and politics.

Haynie acknowledged that endorsing Dean seemed a good bet in December, when Gore praised Dean for opposing the war in Iraq and mobilizing support through a grassroots campaign. But it was also an unusual move; most party leaders wait until the dust settles before putting their own reputations on the line.

"Gore would have been well-advised to have waited. Bill Clinton has waited. He knows his endorsement matters," said Haynie, who was an associate editor of two volumes of "The Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics." His research interests include campaign finance reform and how the structure of American political institutions affects African-Americans' efforts to exert influence in politics.

"It seals his fate in the party," Haynie said. "He's not a major player anymore. It was odd behavior for someone who wanted to be a standard bearer."

Haynie can be reached for further comment by email at klhaynie@duke.edu, in his office at (919) 660-4366 or at home at (919) 544-4375.

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