Update to the update--Last word I heard was Gore had knocked down Bush's lead to around 1,100 votes.
Let's hope, for the sake of the nation, that Gore wins outright the recount in Florida. Any good karmaist would tell you that Gore deserves to win Florida, what with the thousands and thousands of ballots assigned defunct status due to being marked both for Gore and Buchanon. Obviously, these voters intended to vote for Gore and not Buchanon.
Given this backdrop, I don't see how anyone can question the will of the Floridians to have Gore carry Florida's 25 electoral college votes. Were Bush to claim the presidency, knowing that more Floridians voted for, or tried to vote for, Gore would be the equivalent of seeing someone accidentally drop a twenty dollar bill on the floor and waiting for them to leave the room, before picking up the money; rather than immediately picking up the twenty and giving it back to the person who accidentally dropped it.
If character were ever an issue in this campaign, it appears the true test will become how one candidate respects the clear will of the people.
Interestingly, I think if Bush were to win the recount by a few votes but he ascertained that Gore would have, could have and should have been the victor but wasn't only due to ballot descrepancies (double-marked Gore/Buchanon ballots), were Bush to concede Florida to Gore...yes, were this to happen, most assuredly, Bush would some day become a president of the United States. Doing this would enable him to gain the complete and utmost respect from members of both political parties, would prove he is a "uniter and not a divider," and unquestionably become the favorite in any future presidential election. Would Bush do this? Probably not, but, ironically, it might be his best move. |
