The Environment Loses a Spokesman: U.S. Vice President Al Gore Faces Public Relations Problem - DailyFinance

"I certainly don't revel in someone else's travails," says James Taylor, a senior fellow at the libertarian Heartland Institute, who disagrees with Gore on climate change, in an interview. "[This scandal] has taken a little of the veneer off the illusion of his moral superiority."

Gore, whose office couldn't be reached for comment, will have to tell his side of the story to explain to the public why his private actions do not square with his public persona, says Michael Robinson, senior vice president of Levick Strategic Communications and an expert on crisis communications. That won't be easy given Gore's reputation for hubris. His lawyers are also probably advising him to keep his mouth shut.

"Those who live in eco-friendly glass houses should not throw rocks," Robinson says. "He is forever changed or tainted by this. It needs to be addressed."

Which media outlet should Gore speak with? He probably should avoid the harder news shows such as "60 Minutes" and opt for a more sympathetic audience from a talk show such as "Oprah," Robinson says.