Al Gore & Tipper Gore to Divorce

The marriage of Al Gore and Tipper Gore is over. The couple announced their split via an email. After 40 years of marriage the couple has decided to move on in separate directions, reports Politico. The couple stated the split is "a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together," reports Talking Points Memo.

Al & Tipper Gore Met in High School

Al and Tipper married in 1970. They first met at a high school dance. Their marriage seemed blessed with a joyful love. But who knows what any marriage is really like? Each relationship is unique and fraught with its own set of positives and negatives.

Al and Tipper Gore have four children. The upcoming divorce of their parents will surely be a difficult time for the children, even though they are grown. Any time a marriage ends the event sends ripples of change through the lives of everyone who knows them.

This couple always seemed to have an aura of liberal privilege around them. The rumors of Al being the inspiration for the novel "Love Story" always provoked a feeling that there was more depth to him than the public saw.

The author of "Love Story" and Mr. Gore and his roommate Tommy Lee Jones all lived in the Dunster House at Harvard for a brief period. The writer, Erich Segal, told the NY Times that Al Gore inspired the aspect of the protagonist where he is under intense familial pressure to live up to expectations.

Al Gore: A Serious Man

Al Gore has always had a look of pressure about him. He seems the Southern gentleman who carried duties about with him. He has an aura of responsibility about him.

It will be fascinating to see how Tipper and Al proceed in life. They must have struggled long to make the decision to end their marriage. What adventures await them as they start a new chapter in life?

So this love match is over. It is a sad day for those who felt their marriage was an example of a nurturing and loving bond.

High Divorce Rate in America

Do love ever last forever? Not too often in America it seems. The divorce rate is said to be around 50%. What is it about our society that causes so many marriages to crash and burn? Does love just fade or is it the stress of day to day living in this chaotic world that rips marriages apart?

It seemed miraculous that the Gore marriage survived the political events of the 2000 election. When the Supreme Court gave the election to George W. Bush a huge injustice was done to Gore. This faulty decision changed America forever. It gave power to a man who abused it and who started wars that leave a black mark on American history.

Al Gore had to handle not only defeat but the theft of the election. He had to continue on in life with his dreams smashed and his pride wounded. That must surely take a toll on a marriage. It seemed reassuring at the time that he had upbeat Tipper to guide him through the swampland of discontent he must have been swimming in after such a political debacle.

How Did the Election 2000 Impact the Gore Marriage?

It seems like just yesterday as Gore gave his initial concession speech in the wee hours of late night. It was a rainy night in Tennessee. As I watched the news I recall bursting into tears and walking around the living room chanting "no, no, no."

The 5 to 4 vote of the Supreme Court placed Bush in power. That decision occurred on December 12, 2000. that was a sad day indeed for America. Our country is still struggling to regain stability after his disastrous time in office.

The Democrats in the nation were devastated that the 36 days of turmoil after the election ended in the defeat of Gore. Imagine the pain he must have been feeling. Imagine the conflict he must have felt the entire time Bush was in office.

Imagine the toll all that could take on a marriage. Any political marriage has to withstand enormous stress and public scrutiny.

So now Al and Tipper are over. Another romance fades off into the sunset.

Sources:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38001.html

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/report-al-and-tipper-gore-separating-after-40-years-of-marriage.php?ref=fpa

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/14/us/author-of-love-story-disputes-a-gore-story.html

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/gore-concedes.htm