Teens and young voters, page 3

Immediately Following Vice President Al Gore's Appearance on MTV on September 26, His Eldest Daughter Karenna Gore Schiff Took Questions from the Online Audience at MTV's ChooseorLose.com. The Event Was Moderated by ChooseorLose.com Producer Ethan Zindler. A Complete Transcript Follows.

karenna_gore: Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

MODERATOR: Before we go to the questions from the audience, I have one. How was today? Did you enjoy attending the MTV Town Hall with your dad?

karenna_gore: I had a fantastic time. I was really impressed with the tough, independent-minded young people, who were talking with my dad.

MODERATOR: Okay, here comes our first question from the audience...

dcrum35: What will Tipper's role be as first lady if Al Gore is elected?

karenna_gore: Whether or not my Dad wins the election, my mom will continue working for the causes of ending homelessness and making sure that mental health is a priority in our national health care system. She is a really unique, fun, gutsy woman and I know that she'll continue to be an effective spokesperson for those causes.

apoet: Karenna, do you ever plan to run for office someday? I think you could be the first female president.

karenna_gore: Wow, thanks... but I have no plans to run for anything myself.

elme1984: Mrs. Schiff... what will your role (if you want and receive one) in your father's presidency if elected??

karenna_gore: I have my own family and I want to have my own professional identity, so I probably wouldn't take a formal role, but I certainly would want to be supportive of his administration and do whatever I could to help him continue reaching out to young people... Maybe I could help organize the youth forums that he has promised to have if elected.

karahashley: What steps does your father expect to make to stop violence in schools?

karenna_gore: My Dad wants tougher gun laws, and more accountability for teachers, principals and superintendents, so the bad ones get fired. He also wants to lower class sizes and recruit more teachers. He really believes that if kids have responsible caring adults paying attention to them through the day, they will be less likely to be violent.

gqtn: Where does Mr. Al Gore stand on raising teacher salaries?

karenna_gore: My dad wants to raise teacher salaries as part of his multi-billion dollar plan to strengthen public schools. He also wants to give hiring bonuses to teachers that take jobs in under-served communities.

JSn98FAN: What kind of plan does Gore propose for education, such as college scholarships?

karenna_gore: My dad thinks we've relied too heavily on loans to help people afford college. It makes him really sad to see so many idealistic graduates saddled with huge debts to pay off, so in addition to loan programs he wants to give a college-opportunity tax-cut. He also has a national tuition savings plan so you can save for college, tax and inflation free. There are a lot of details that I can't go into here, but if you log on to algore.com you can find more information.

peternorlander: is there ever a spontaneous moment on the campaign trail, or is it all canned responses?

karenna_gore: (Laughs) There is definitely spontaneity!! In fact there was a lot of spontaneity in the MTV town hall meeting today, such as my dad's responses to pop questions about who he wanted to play at his inauguration (Lenny Kravitz) and what would be the best presidential perk (Air Force 1). And his exchange on hip-hop music with one of the ardent fans in the audience.

markspk: Your father claims to be against censorship of music, yet your mother pushed for parental advisory warning stickers...whassup?

karenna_gore: I don't think that parental advisory warning stickers are censorship. I think it is consumer information, like ingredients on a soup can. My parents both believe that artists should be free to express themselves however they want.

ethan801:what do you think of your father's comments on the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes?

karenna_gore: Before my dad is open to the idea of legalizing medical marijuana, he has to be convinced that it really is medically usable. Right now he is not convinced of that, and he does think that drugs ruin a lot of lives. So, he doesn't want to open any back doors to drug legalization.

thomasr8: Karenna -- As a recent young mother (congratulations by the way), what would you like to see change in the country for your child?

karenna_gore:Thank you! It really is amazing, what an impact motherhood has had on my political perspective. I want my son to have clean air and clean water. I want him to live in a peaceful world. A world where there's no discrimination. I don't want him to be saddled with a national debt. I want him to be proud to be an American.

micaqueen: How did you feel growing up in a political household? How has is shaped your views about the country as a whole?

karenna_gore: When I was growing up, my parents protected us from the spotlight. But I was immersed in their values and their social activism. One great lesson that I learned is that it feels much better to DO something, than to just complain. Another important lesson was not to let your sense of self be anchored to what other people say about you. I think that is as important in the school cafeteria as it is in politics.

MODERATOR: Karenna, thanks so much for joining us here tonight. Can I dare to ask that you might join us here again at ChooseorLose.com sometime in the future...?

karenna_gore:It has been my pleasure and I would love to join you again soon.

MODERATOR: Any last words you'd like to add...?

karenna_gore: If anyone is not registered to vote, I encourage you to go to algore.com where you can register online. And obviously it is no secret who I'd advise you to vote for, but I know you'll decide for yourselves...