Oprah, Leno Host Candidates

Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush yesterday delivered a polite kiss to a surprised-looking Oprah Winfrey as he took to the Chicago studio stage of her nationally syndicated TV show. (By contrast, when Al Gore appeared with the talk show queen, he merely shook her hand.) For an hour, a humorous Bush chatted with Winfrey, who is so good at getting her guests to confess to something. In Bush’s case, it was about the public’s biggest misconception about him. And that is: “I’m riding on my daddy’s name.” Meanwhile, in Los Angeles last night, Al Gore showed up on TV, too, on NBC’s “Tonight” show. He was spotted holding cue cards for host Jay Leno. They read, “Al Gore is the handsomest, smartest, most qualified man to be elected.”