For the few Americans to whom the thought had not yet occurred, television and newspaper commentators pointed out again after President Clinton’s speech Monday at the Democratic National Convention that Al Gore is not nearly as effective a speaker as the president. Given that the president is not running for re-election, it is an entirely meaningless observation, no matter how often it is made. Especially so, because whatever speaking faults the vice president possesses, his opportunity to determine the tenor and outcome of his race with Gov. George Bush can be made when he presents himself to his party tonight.

The speech, as it has been thoroughly leaked, was written by the vice president himself and will include specifics on education, health care and Social Security. The specifics are to contrast with the generalities offered by Gov. Bush during his GOP Convention speech; the wrote-it-himself part may be to show sincerity or to lower expectations. It ought to be the former; the nation is not yet old enough to have low expectations and anyway deserves better. The vice president’s pedantic style and scolding intonation aside, Mr. Gore will be successful if he not only says what he would do as president, but why.

The why part seems obvious. Forty-three million – or is it 45 million? – Americans lack health care coverage, and Mr. Gore has a plan that he says at the very least will significantly reduce that number. A plan is needed, but he cannot expect the other 220 million Americans with some form of health coverage to get excited about it unless he can help them understand what it means to not be able to get your ailing child needed care because of cost or how even a minor accident to you or a family member can clean out a family’s savings account. His challenge to find relevancy is similar with education in that an ever-smaller minority of voters has school-age children.

President Clinton has been endlessly complimented for his ability to connect with people, and in the romance of a presidential election, he won a lot of hearts. Mr. Gore will depend on an intellectual connection, which requires voters to meet him halfway. Tonight is his chance to tell the nation why such an effort would be worthwhile.