Goodnight, sweet chad.
Where are we today, on Day 21? Well, Vice President Al Gore is contesting the results in the counties that will most likely help his cause. Big surprise. Meanwhile, Gov. George W. Bush of Texas is hard at work trying to act like the legitimate president of the United States. (By the way, W., loved the quixotic acceptance speech on Sunday, but you could give that speech with the pope standing on one side of you and Steven Hawking on the other and you would still not be the legitimate president of the United States. In fact, you'd have an easier time just getting the pope and Hawking together.)
It will be easier to reconcile science and religion than to reconcile Gore supporters and Bush supporters.
Let's face it, the man who loses this election will win (and set himself up for 2004); the winner of the election is not going to be the big winner.
That is why, and if you have read any of my columns you know this comes with a heavy heart, Gore should concede.
Gore? Concede?
Yes and Yes. But let me make a few things clear: Gore won the popular vote and Gore was the intended choice of more voters in Florida. It is too bad that we likely will never know the count of every single dimpled vote in Florida, because they should be counted, all of them. After all, since 1997, that has been the standard in Texas.
The only way to have those votes counted is for Gore's motion to contest the results be granted. In Florida's messy electoral history, there has never been a successful motion to contest. But, even if Gore were successful in that, and did get enough votes from further hand counts, it still would not be worth it to be president.
Bush has run the best scorched-earth policy since the Russians fought Napoleon. He's made the White House look black. By uttering the words "stolen election," "fraud," "pregnant chad" and "thief," Bush has tarnished the presidency without setting foot in it. That's pretty impressive; Nixon would be proud. It took him over two decades in public service to accomplish what Bush did in just six years.
And since there is no way for Gore to scrub off the soot that Bush has placed on the eventual president, he may as well let W. deal with the mess he's made. When the Russians scorched their earth, they eventually had to go reclaim it. If you scorch the earth and lose, then you can make a comeback. If you scorch and win, you've got a smoldering mess on your hands. Bush is, without a doubt, the wrong man for messy details. The presidency is not a place for those who are flippant toward detail. That's why Bill Clinton was so successful in his policies and other presidents were, well, not, well, as, well, successful.
Gore should not want to govern from a White House that has a scarlet "I" for illegitimate draped over it.
So let Bush have it. Help Bush burn it.
Mr. Gore, announce that the country must come first, and say that even though you are certain that you won more votes in Florida and won the popular vote, for the safety and security of America, you must step aside.
Since Bush will have a cloud of illegitimacy over his head and since the Democrats hold 50 seats in the Senate, America is safe from Bush's radical agenda. The next four years will likely be an attempt to mimic Clinton's success in the face of adversity. But without the Man at the helm, it will not go so smoothly.
Oh, Mr. Gore, do not forget to tell the people that you will not be fading into the background so quickly. Say that it is your duty to be a watchdog for those 50 million Americans who voted for you, and that you will keep your eye on what happens over the next four years.
Then go and spend the next four years building up the party, campaigning for others, doing some Jimmy Carter-esque humanitarian efforts and have some fun. Run against the hobbled incumbent in 2004. If you work on just being yourself and just enjoying these next couple years (no heavy exhaling during any speeches or public appearances), then you will be ready to bounce Bush back to his ranch or summer home or yacht or whatever.
What will W. use against you? "Hey, didn't he lose the Electrical College vote last time?"
"Do we really want a copular vote winner in the White House?"
"Should we try to mimic the successful politicies of Bill Clinton?"
In 2004, Mr. Gore, you'll find the answer to all of those "Bushism-ed" questions is yes.
Martin Barna is a Trinity junior and editorial page editor of The Chronicle.
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