The man running for the Democrats

Al Gore has a balanced mix of a rural, Southern background and the experience of living in a political family.\nHe grew up in a small town in Tennessee and his dad was a U.S. Senator. He worked on the family farm, but also attended a private school in Washington, D.C.\nNow, he's running for president.\nBorn March 31, 1948, Gore's time in his early life was divided between Carthage, Tenn., and Washington, D.C., according to his Web site, www.algore.com.\nAfter attending St. Albans Academy, he attended Harvard University, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in 1969. About two months later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.\nHis time in the military took him back to the South, stationed in Fort Rucker in Dothan, Alabama, working as an information officer for the aviation school. In January of 1971, he would begin service as a military journalist in Vietnam, being stationed at two bases near Saigon.\nIn between his time in Alabama and Vietnam, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson on May 19, 1970. Her mother gave her the nickname "Tipper, " which is what she is commonly known as.\nWhen he left Vietnam in May 1971, Gore began working at The Tennessean, a newspaper in Nashville, as a reporter. Covering city hall, his reporting uncovered corruption of a councilman who owned stocks in companies the city granted zoning variances to, according to Gore's Web site.\nFrank Gibson, now a political editor at The Tennessean, took over Gore's position on the city hall beat, after Gore was working on a special projects department on his corruption stories.\n"I had some experience by the time I got out of college, but he worked very hard so it was kind of hard shoes to fill because he was very intense," Gibson said.\nHe said Gore's reputation for wanting to learn details and facts was seen in his writing.\n"I know that editors from the time often accused him of over-reporting stories. He always got more information than he needed for the stories," Gibson said.\nHis editors would have to order him to stop working on stories and turn them in, even if Gore continued to make calls to sources after the story had been submitted.\n"If you waited, the story would never get in print," he said.\nGibson said at least one thing Gore taught him still makes an impression on him today.\n"He introduced me to hot chinese food I'd never tried."\nHe said he still enjoys cashew chicken, and said he believes Gore has mentioned that Chinese food is still one of his favorite foods.\nAccording to the Associated Press, Gore also enjoys water skiing and playing harmonica. He hiked Mount Rainier with his son last year and ran in the Marine Corps Marathon in 1977.\nGore's first child, Karenna, was born August 6, 1973. Al and Tipper Gore have four children, Karenna, Kristin, born in 1977, Sarah, born in 1979 and Al Gore III, born in 1982.\nGore attended Vanderbilt University Graduate School of Religion for a year, and later Vanderbilt's Law School. \nHe served in both houses of Congress, as a U.S. Representative from 1976 until 1984, when he was elected to the Senate.\nHe ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, securing about 3 million votes, according to www.algore.com. \nGore has been the vice president under President Bill Clinton after winning the election in both 1992 and 1996.\nPrimary source for biographical information: www.algore.com