by Diane M. Calabrese

WHAT DOES A presidential candidate do after winning the popular vote but losing in the electoral college? This fate befell Andrew Jackson in 1824. He returned to his Tennessee plantation, The Hermitage, worked his slaves hard and reminded everyone who would listen of his military exploits in the War of 1812 and of his success at opening lands to white settlers by killing the Native Americans who had lived there. The strategy worked. Cerebral John Quincy Adams was no match for Jackson, who coasted to the Oval Office in 1828 with the slogan: "Would you rather vote for a man who can fight or a man who can write?"

Another Tennessee native, Al Gore, faced Jackson's predicament. He may yet emulate King Andrew, as critics dubbed him. But for the moment, Gore has chosen a more prudent course: life as a visiting scholar. He accepted a position at Columbia University's School of Journalism in January, 2001, where he teaches part-time and visits his daughter and grandson, according to CNN.

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