If Gore is successful he will be one of the most ineffective and despised presidents since Nixon. He will have damaged not only his presidential administration, but the political fortunes of many of his Democratic party members who hold positions in Congress and in the state legislatures. This is why the pressure increasing upon Al Gore to concede by Friday if the votes indicate Bush is a victor.
Sure, he is free to litigate this matter in the courts, but once in the courts, the damage to the Democratic party, IMHO, will be irrevocable. If he concedes on Friday, he can at least save some face for himself and his fellow party members who now hold office. Gore must weigh his OWN political aspirations against the emotional health of the country on Friday. What's so intimidating to the many of us, and the market, is that the character that Al Gore has shown, or not shown, indicates that by Friday he may very well be willing to pursue his perceived right to office in the courts. In any civil proceeding, like an election, there is a winner and there is a loser, but unlike an election, in a civil proceeding very often there are damages that go beyond the court remedy and go to the very soul of the parties. If Gore takes this matter to the courts, the damage that will occur if he prevails will be substantial and long lived to everyone involved. Even if Bush prevails, there will be some damage, but more limited in scope and magnitude to Democratic Party interests. Gore needs to consider this before he single-handedly inflicts long lived damages upon his party and the interests of the nation. |
