The Gore breakup: Sad, odd, or neither?

Posted Jun 3, 2010 by Laura Fiorilli

Updated Jun 3, 2010 at 01:58 PM

I’ve never been particularly attached to either Al or Tipper Gore, but the breakup of their 40-year marriage actually shook me a bit. Their family life always seemed stable and affectionate - the opposite of the sparring Clintons’. And when the news first broke, that seemed to be the prevailing view.

Here, though, is an essay by an insider who says the Gores always seemed a bit mismatched to him. According to Newsweek’s Howard Fineman, Al lived life in the public sphere and Tipper would have preferred more privacy; her photography hobby could have been a way of distancing herself from events. Like many political couples, their life involved plenty of theater - they were known to dress in Disney-created costumes at Halloween parties, completely disguised. (I have to wonder - Mickey and Minnie? Chip and Dale? Pluto and Goofy? Alas, there are no photos.)