Al and Tipper Gore are Getting a Divorce?

I’m not a huge fan of the Gores, even though Al gave us the internet, but I am sad to hear that they have decided to get a divorce after 40 years of marriage.

I try to stay away from politics on my blog, even though the first year I talked about nothing but politics.  Blame it on the two year long presidential election which was just filled with things to talk about and the fact that I was a campaign manager right before I started blogging. I have since realized I know nothing about politics and it is better if I keep my opinions to myself. If I don’t Jayne will come over and kick my ass. I love her blog but feel as if my welcome there is tenuous at best, even though I am her token republican. I need my Sunday Recap so I keep my mouth shut even though I am not convinced she says some things just to get my goat.

As such I’m not going to talk about the Gores’ politics except to say that my dislike for them started back in the 80’s when Tipper decided that record albums needed warning labels. I’m sure her plan to protect children from questionable lyrics backfired and she probably created millionaires out of some musicians who wouldn’t have otherwise made a splash, but that was not her intent. I also have a hard time with hypocrisy. Al Gore is Mr. Environmentalist and all things green and yet he consumes more energy and pollutes more than I could ever hope to in my lifetime. Of course he buys his carbon offsets so it makes up for everything.

So, no, I don’t care that much for the Gores. But, I am sad to hear that their marriage is ending after 40 years. According to their ‘people’ there was no affair, though I find that hard to believe, they simply grew apart.

I’m no expert on marriage, though I do know quite a bit about divorce, but it seems to me that after 40 years you might just want to stick it out. Apparently these two were high school sweethearts. They have no idea what they are about to face. The dating world is brutal. Okay, it might be a little easier for both of them because they are celebrities but still, dating is no fun.

The whole world is talking about  Al and Tipper, maybe not the whole world, maybe just those of us in countries where we have so much extra time on our hands, because we don’t have jobs, that we can concern ourselves with this kind of thing. Or maybe everyone is talking about their divorce because it really is scary.

I’ve never made it past the three year mark in a marriage but I always assumed that once you got past the seven year itch (which seems to happen around the three year mark) and got the kids out of the house, that marriage was a little easier. That after a certain amount of time together, ups and downs, and all out fights, that if you could survive those things you could coast for a little while. That you could maybe relax a bit and know, really know, that you were going to hit that rocking chair on a porch next to your spouse. You both might have dementia and gravity has taken over but still, you had your person who made you not alone.  If you were lucky and no one had dementia or Alzheimer’s, you might be able to remember the past with fondness, look back at what the two of you had created and smile.

Now both of the Gores will have to find someone else to sit with them on that porch. They won’t be able to talk fondly about their past because they won’t have much of a past with the new person. If Al finds some hippie chick to spend his golden years with there will be certain subjects that are not allowed. Subjects like his life as a VP, his invention of the internet and all the other things he did while he was married to Tipper. I don’t know what Al Gore does these days but his glory days are probably over. He probably isn’t going to run for president again, he might create something just as awesome as the internet, say, the iPad or the Hubble Telescope, but my guess is his inventing days are over too.

Tipper probably fares a little better than Al in finding a lasting mate. She looks pretty good, she seems to have mellowed over the years and men are dogs who will bang anything. They don’t really care who she was married to before. Since they don’t often listen anyway they probably won’t care if she talks about Al’s campaign or that kiss they shared on election night.

I’m sure both Al and Tipper will be just fine. They have gobs of money and can do what they want. They don’t have to stick it out for the kids or because of the crappy economy. Which is really a sad thought.

Who do you think will get the Clintons in the divorce settlement?