"He (Gore) is about a close to being a 'scientist' as one can be without actually getting degrees in something"

His bio:
Gore began Harvard with English as his major and switched to Government, graduating with a BA in June of 1969. He later took some courses at a Divinity school.

Comment:
That education maybe gives Gore a couple of Arts credits towards a Bachelor of Science. If he took many more courses, and got his BS he then could be called a science technician...but,it would take quite a few years , hard work, courses and papers for him to get a Masters, and a PHD....before he could be called a Scientist.

If writing about, reporting on , being an advocate for any specialized field... lets say medicine, then there are very many such Doctors and Scientists in the media, in politics and in the film industry.