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The psychology of political dynasties
From an interview by Kathryn Lopez of National Review with Noemie Emery about her new book, Great Expectations:

Lopez: Should I feel bad for Al Gore?

Emery: Of course you should. He was pushed out of his own line of work (which was academic and technical), and into something he didn’t quite understand. He rose quickly and effortlessly, because he always stepped into the shoes (or the seats) of his father, and because he always looked so fantastic on paper: the good looks (he once looked like Clark Kent, about to duck into the phone booth); the picturesque family; the showy intelligence; and the really hard work. Bill Clinton picked him for exactly these reasons, and pushed up him to the head of the line as his heir. Then, starting at the 1996 convention, he was thrown into the deep end of the pool, which was the first contested election of his life, unprotected by his father’s name, or by Bill Clinton’s talent, and began making mistake after mistake.
Posted by: Mike 2006-12-14
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=175071