In 1974, he enrolled in Vanderbilt’s law school. Just two years later, he began to campaign for the Democratic nomination for Tennessee’s Fourth District congressional seat. When he won the nomination over Stanley Rogers, it was a big enough success to predict his win in the 1976 general election. After serving four terms, Gore jumped at the chance to fill the open Tennessee senatorial seat. He won the election in 1984. Among other things, Gore was particularly active in environmental issues. He played an integral role in the creation and passage of the 1980 Superfund bill to clean up chemical spills and dangerous land dumps. He has also worked for nuclear disarmament.

In 1988, Gore made a bid for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He won five southern states on Super Tuesday, but eventually lost to Michael Dukakis. Gore remained in the Senate until presidential candidate Bill Clinton chose him as his running mate in 1992.

Claire McCaskill:

Claire broke new ground again in 1993 when she became the first female Jackson County Prosecutor, a position she held until she was sworn in as Missouri Auditor in 1999.

As State Auditor, Claire has been credited for revolutionizing the office and making it into a true watchdog for taxpayers and citizens. In 2004, Claire took on her own party establishment and became the first person to ever defeat a sitting Missouri governor in a primary election.

McCaskill lost the race for Governor in 2004. then she ran and won the race for Senate in 2006, defeating Jim Talent in a tough race. She has not yet served 2 years in the Senate. So to recap, McCaskill was the Jackson County Prosecutor for 6 six years, the State Auditor of Missouri for 4 years and United States Senator from Missouri for less than 2. No Al Gore she.

Tim Kaine:

Governor Kaine entered political life in 1994 and was elected to four terms on the City Council, including two terms as Richmond’s mayor, where he worked to build Richmond’s first new schools in a generation, cut taxes and slash the city’s crime rate. Richmond’s success in reducing violent crime won national recognition from Presidents Clinton and Bush and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The improvements in Richmond’s economy during Kaine’s tenure earned the city its first-ever listing in Forbes Magazine’s annual ranking of the top 10 cities in America for doing business.

Governor Kaine was elected Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor in 2001. He worked for four years with Governor Mark Warner to reform the state’s budget and invest new resources in education.

Kaine was elected Governor of Virginia in 2005. to recap, Kaine was a City Councilman in Richmond for 4 terms, a two term Mayor of Richmond, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia for 4 years and Governor of Virginia for 3 years. No Al Gore there.

There are certainly persons with more experience than Al Gore in 1992 or Hillary Clinton now who Obama can consider. Joe Biden, Carl Levin, Russ Feingold, etc. Tim Kaine, Claire McCaskill and Kathleen Sebelius are not those people.

Compare them to whomever you like, but do not for a moment equate them to Bill Clinton's choice of Al Gore in 1992. Not even in the ballpark.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only