Albert Gore, Sr. (World War III-1956)

Albert Arnold Gore Sr. (1907–1998)

Democratic US Senator from Tennessee (1952-1976)

Democratic nominee for President (1976 Presidential election), defeated by incumbent President Ronald Reagan.

Gore is often seen as a "throwaway" candidate by the Democrats, due to the fact that Reagan was polling well into the 60s%tiles going into the summer of 1976.

He was also unfairly called "elderly", though only 4 years older than Reagan, due to his less vigorous, even un-healthy pallor compared with the energetic, sun-tanned Californian.

His selection of Robert Kennedy as his running mate was considered the only positive aspect of his campaign. But as Kennedy began to overshadow the "top of the ticket", the weakness of Gore became even more apparent.

Ultimately he lost to Reagan by nearly 11 million votes and only won his home state of Tennessee and Kennedy's Massachusetts.

Leaving the Senate to campaign for President, he retired from politics fully after that election. His son, Al Junior, ran and won his father's old Senate seat. He attempted a run at the Presidency in 2000, but the "taint" of his father's defeat was felt too strong and he lost the primaries.