Even conservatives dare not speak against him, and most have come to accept him as a civic hero, a genuine American Founding Father, the man who had race relations sorted out the right way before Black Power, government spending, affirmative action and irresponsible race hustlers came along to wreck the Dream, that beautiful articulation of a color-blind America.
But if, for other reasons of his own, he should take a non-Reaganite line on abortion or federal spending or affirmative action, the old Reaganites will not find it easy to prevent him.
He increased social security spending, introduced forms of affirmative action for racial minorities, passed new anti-crime laws and launched a broad environmental programme.
Many of those who defend abortion rights, or affirmative action, have spent decades of their careers on patched-together holding actions to preserve gains that have come under assault.
"Despite our strong disagreements on cardinal issues ― think for example, of controls on political campaign spending, access to the ballot, affirmative action, access to abortion, same-sex marriage ― we genuinely respect one another, even enjoy one another's company," she said.
And tonight, Mr. Gore aimed his message squarely at the party base -- and away from the broader messages of Mr. Clinton's two acceptance speeches -- by sounding traditional Democratic themes of abortion, affirmative action and government spending.
They have marched in near total lockstep with the party, and Democratic presidents, Obama and Clinton, on health care reform; affirmative action; increased government spending on education, jobs, and social programs; tight reins on Wall Street and the banking industry; opposition to endless proposed GOP tax cuts for the rich; and a massive urban reconstruction program.
With the courtroom overflowing, filled with people who have spent their careers fighting for or against affirmative action, only one side talked about fairness.
Much of his jurisprudence protected the powerful, such as corporations with money to spend on elections, and white plaintiffs against affirmative action.
For another, you spend your entire early life as both a chosen star of the affirmative action machine and a "representative of your race".
He is an African-American who opposes government-mandated affirmative action, and a social worker in Bedford-Stuyvesant who wants to reduce government spending on social services.
