Interview: Gore on VP Candidates

W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 6, 2000 -- As his search for a No. 2 winds down, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore said Friday that gender, religion or length of experience in public office — all issues potential running mates face — would not sway his decision.

Democratic sources involved in the search process confirmed Thursday the vice president is looking at a “short list” of six possible contenders for the slot. They are Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri. And then there’s one still unknown candidate, whom Gore has described as a “wild card.”

The final decision is promised by next Tuesday.

Throughout the process, Gore has carefully and consistently avoided talking about specific vice presidential candidates, their likelihood of being chosen, or potential issues that may affect their chances.

On Religion, Gender and ExperienceStill, in an interview Friday with ABCNEWS, Gore commented on potentially difficult matters raised by some of the possible running mates.

Asked if he thought America was ready for a woman to hold the office of vice president, Gore responded, “Oh, of course,” but quickly added: “But I’m not going to get into specific individuals, whoever you ask about.” Shaheen is the only woman on Gore’s short list.

Asked if he thought a Jewish candidate would face as much or even more prejudice from some voters than a member of another minority group, Gore noted: “I don’t think those old distinctions and categories matter these days, the way they did in the past.

“I think we’ve grown as a nation,” Gore continued. “I think we’ve grown beyond that kind of attitude. I think that the day is coming when that’ll be completely irrelevant in all of our politics.”

Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, faces not only the prospect of possible discrimination, but also an unusual set of questions about reconciling his religion’s rules against work on the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday, and Jewish holidays. He could also face questions about whether the rigors of the campaign might conflict with his religious restrictions.

Gore also dismissed lack of experience in public office as a potential stumbling block. Questions have been raised about whether Edwards — first elected less than two years ago — would be able to fulfill Gore’s oft-cited prime criterion for the job, “to become president at a moment’s notice.”

“I don’t think Washington experience is the only experience that’s relevant to leadership and to this country,” Gore said.

How Dark a Horse, Really?

Earlier in the day aboard Air Force Two, the vice president’s official jet, Gore referred to his list as “six plus one … an out of the box possibility.”

However, it seems that Gore’s seventh choice couldn’t stray far enough outside of the box to avoid the scrutiny of his vice presidential search team. When asked if that “dark horse” candidate had been vetted by lawyers, Gore told reporters to “assume that that process is over with.”

If the “wild card” candidate was vetted, this would narrow the list of possibilities considerably. Earlier this week Democrats knowledgeable about the vice presidential search process said that they had vetted fewer than ten potential running mates.

ABCNEWS’ Terry Moran contributed to this report.