|
 |
 |
UNITED NATIONS — As the post-election Florida follies drone on, Americans are treated to a near comic opera mix of sanctimous politicians, high paid lawyers, and a gaggle of Democratic party hacks who have descended upon the Sunshine State. Now after numerous recounts, recants, and recriminations, Gov. George W. Bush finally seems to have achieved the obvious — that he won the Presidential election nearly a month ago!
The whole point of the tedious recounts seemed not "getting the count right" as the mantra went, but to get the "right winner," namely to anoint Prince Albert of Tennessee as the President-elect. Recounts had less to do with accuracy than achieving the desired result — wonderful opportunities for shenanigans and tricks rise dramatically the more you keep shuffling the votes.
Somehow, many people did not seem to realize that there would have to be a winner and a loser. Gov. Bush won Florida by a certified 537 votes. If the results were opposite, we would be assured that since every vote counts, even such a slim margin still means victory. So give up acrimonious recounts and divisiveness for the sake of the country, as Richard Nixon did in Chicago in 1960! Ha!
Let's not forget that in the Olympics, sometimes one hundredth of a second means the difference between Gold and Bronze and that a full second will often decide between first and perhaps thirtieth place. Again the problem is not the tiny number but the fact that in the opinion of those who know better, the wrong fellow won!
Given that Katherine Harris, Florida's Republican Secretary of State, certified the results, naturally the demonization machine would have to sully her status and reputation. Forget the fact that democratic-dominated canvassing boards passed on the recount results from selected Gore stronghold counties! Forget the fact that many overseas U.S. military ballots were crassly excluded from the tallies. Forget the fact that 10,000 ballots machine counted twice, did not list a preference for President but votes for other races.
A few questions. Does President Bill Clinton really want the Dauphin designate Al Gore to win? Should Gore be President, he will naturally have the inside track for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2004 — against the Empress Hillary (temporarily serving as NY Senator elect). Citizen Gore will not have the cachet against a Clinton.
As importantly, with the seemingly strong economy showing tatters, wiser Democrats may be willing to sit out a mini-recession as to then blame Bush for anything which goes wrong on the financial front. In other words, an economic slowdown or worse, and the Democratic Donkey can eagerly pin the tail on the Republican Elephant, and sell the analysis to an increasingly gullible portion of the American public.
The inbred arrogance of a sanctimonious political class, the smirky hauteur of the DNC apparatckiks, and the media's tawdry circus, puts the Republic in dangerous waters. The legitimacy of an already diminished Presidency, looms. Realistically, the winner will have to dispel a dark cloud and the loser will refute the Florida election well into the future.
Foreigners tend to view this with amazement and amusement more than acrimony. To be sure, it's hard to believe that the country which so sagely proclaims how to run foreign elections can't seem get its own numbers right. Having covered a score of elections overseas, I hesitate to say that this is not exactly our finest hour.
Sadly places like Panama come to mind.
While the courts will likely determine the eventual outcome, the court of public opinion wants finality. The American people, sadly divided, nonetheless will come together despite the whimsical whining of high priced lawyers and spinmeisters. Many will then tell the defiant Al Gore — Just say Go!
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.
