“It’s funny how an insect, can cause, so much pain.”
- Elton John’s song Empty Garden, which was a tribute to John Lennon

Last week, I wrote about the widely known story of Ralph Nader’s runaway ego costing Al Gore a chance to be President.

Few people know that a drunk driver in Nashville might have been another reason that Gore was unsuccessful.

This March will be the fifth anniversary of the death of Alex Haught.

Only 34, Alex was an up and comer in national politics. It is not far fetched to think his death made a difference in who became President of the United States.

Both Alex and his law school roommate George Phillips had major roles in Al Gore’s first Presidential campaign in 1988. George was the state coordinator of Gore’s successful primary campaign in Kentucky and named me as an assistant.

The Gore campaign in 1988 was like a small, close knit family. Alex and George also became very close to Jonathan Miller, then a Harvard student and now Kentucky State Treasurer. The chemistry between the people in the campaign was tremendous and all of us remained friends in the years thereafter.

Alex went on serve as a top assistant to Johnny Hayes, a political powerhouse who is widely considered one of the best political fundraisers in the United States. Alex later became chief of staff to Nashville Congressman Bob Clement.

Alex was devoted to Al Gore and convinced that he would someday be President. When the word started spreading in 1992 that Gore would be Bill Clinton’s choice as his running mate, Alex tracked me down in a hospital room in Cincinnati, where I was visiting my terminally ill father. I never knew how Alex found me in that pre-cell phone era but he could not wait to share the news.

When Gore geared up to run for President in 2000, Alex was in the high ranks of the campaign. He was named Finance Director for the state of Tennessee and was putting on a major Gore fundraiser the week that he died. As he left Gore’s headquarters, a drunk driver on a suspended license ran a red light and killed him.

An example of how Alex drew friends from all walks of life was that Vice President Gore and the controversial musician Steve Earle were two that gave eulogies at his funeral. Both pointed out that Alex was drawn to politics for the opportunity to do good for people.

Shortly after the funeral, Alex’s mother sent me a long handwritten letter about what a great son he was. He was not just a political operative, he was an all around good person.

It is not inconceivable that the Presidency might have turned on Alex’s death. Alex was heading up the fundraising effort in Tennessee, a state that Al Gore lost by a close margin.

Before his death, Alex had already collected $1,000,000 for that fundraiser and had he lived would have likely played a major role in Gore's Tennessee campaign. It is not inconceivable to say that with Alex's personality and political skills he might have made a difference for Gore in Tennessee and Tennessee would have been the difference in Gore winning rather than losing the Presidency.
We will never know.

Like the song says, an insect can cause so much pain. Assassins and murderers like Timothy McVeigh, James Earl Ray and Sirhan Sirhan hurt society by harming people on purpose. However, a loser like the man who killed Alex did the same kind of damage with his selfishness and lack of self control.

The man who killed Alex had been arrested over 70 times for alcohol related violations. He was driving on a suspended license and was going to kill someone if he kept driving long enough. His life was worthless but he took away the life of someone who could do great good.

The man who killed Alex received the maximum 25 year sentence and it will be a long time before he ever gets parole. When he comes up in front of a parole board, I want to be there to let the board know that the man did not take just one life, he took something away from all of us.

Punishing his killer will not bring Alex back but will ensure that someone else does not suffer at his killer’s hands. We have suffered enough already.

Don McNay is President of McNay Settlement Group where we strive to have a positive effect on society.