Al and Tipper Gore shocked friends and political observers when they announced that they would separate after 40 years of marriage. The couple that weathered some of the harshest marriage conditions including the scrutiny of life in the White House, the grueling demands of congressional and presidential campaigns, and the tragic loss of a child, were considered to be one of the rare stable pairs in American political life.

And while the inner workings of any marriage are difficult to discern from the outside, we speak to someone who did gain unique access to the couple back when Al Gore was running for president in 2000. The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty reported extensively on their relationship during Gore's presidential run, and joins us with her insights on why the couple may be divorcing after all these years.