Gore trades quips with Leno on 'Tonight Show'

February 11, 2000
Web posted at: 4:39 a.m. EST (0939 GMT)

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Vice President Al Gore traded quips with talk-show host Jay Leno and defended his boss Thursday night in his first appearance on NBC's late-night mainstay, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Gore fields questions from Leno on The Tonight Show on Thursday

Entering to the tune of the O'Jays' "Love Train," wearing cowboy boots with a blue suit, Gore tried to soften the starchy, sober image that has followed him throughout his career. Leno joked in the show's opening monologue that "Computer hackers actually shut Al Gore down for two hours."

"I think you ought to loosen up a little bit," Gore told Leno.

The vice president is currently facing a challenge for the Democratic presidential nomination from former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, but has beat Bradley in the first two contests of the campaign, in Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire.

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CNN's Mark Potter has highlights of Gore's appearance. Windows Media 28K 80K

At one point, Leno -- whose monologue jab about Monica Lewinsky left a Secret Service agent laughing on-camera -- asked Gore how he could stand by Clinton after the Lewinsky scandal.

"Have you ever had a friend who made a mistake?" Gore asked.

"Yeah, but I was the guy who made the mistake," Leno replied. Gore received a substantial ovation when he went on to say, "I think people are tired of talking about it."

The 10-minute appearance included questions about Bradley and both leading Republican candidates. Asked whether he would rather face Texas Gov. George W. Bush or Arizona Sen. John McCain in the general election, Gore deadpanned, "Whichever one loses."

Leno asked Gore about the campaign and President Clinton during his 10-minute appearance

"Seriously," he said, "In 1980, as a Democrat, I said this a number of times: 'If only the Republicans would nominate Ronald Reagan, we'd be set then.' And I was so wrong about that I decided I wouldn't try to pick the opposition anymore."

Asked about his race with Bradley, Gore said he was a better campaigner because of the challenge the former senator offered this year.

Bradley is a former basketball player with the New York Knicks, while Gore played basketball in college. When Leno asked Gore whether he could go one-on-one with Bradley, the vice president replied, "The difference between me and Bill Bradley is I don't make a big deal about my career."