Bush, Gore Battle to Maintain Dignity, Composure

At press time, Bush was the unofficial winner in Florida, and consequently in the national election. Election Day has stretched on for three days, and the world is on tenderhooks awaiting recognition of George W. Bush or Al Gore as the next president. But who wins and loses in this situation is about more than who moves into the White House. Thanks to a series of historically unprecedented events, a political puzzle has been created that could leave the power of the presidency in question.

As it now stands, each candidate holds too few electoral votes to be declared the winner. Victory for either man rides on the 25 electoral votes in Florida, but a winner in Florida is still unclear. Although Bush leads the popular vote in the state by only a few hundred votes, mail-in ballots still need to be counted. An incident of misread ballots in a strongly Democratic area that possibly gave thousands of Gore votes to Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan adds an extra complication. A recount of all the Florida votes was incomplete at press time.

Right now the two candidates are engaged in a game of guts. The typical election rules have failed, leaving neither man the clear victor. Although Bush has cautiously claimed a victory, it could be days or even months before he is officially recognized as the winner. Lacking prescribed rules to declare a winner in a flawed but extremely close election, it is up to the candidates to set the standard, thereby breaking the gridlock. He who does it first gains a great deal of legitimacy.

"This is chicken at the presidential level," professor of politics Paul Dawson said. "The person who swerves first in the most principled and political way wins the most, and maybe the presidency."

On the losing side, Gore must strike a balance between staging a protracted legal fight over election results, and saving face. Dawson said, "The way to win is to wrap yourself in a mantle of legitimacy, which unfortunately may not be a presidential garment."

Gore must define a set of reasonable conditions under which he will accept the outcome from Florida. By defining the criteria, Gore is not only showing he is playing graciously, he's providing a standard to judge the fairness of the outcome. Whether he wins or loses the White House, he will appear principled and a noble loser. By contrast, Bush will be a sore winner, as he takes office having lost the national popular vote and winning the electoral vote by only a tiny margin.

The presidential election, one of the most basic parts of the governmental process, has come down to a political game. This could have long- term repercussions for the power of the government.

"It has been left vulnerable to all the negative connotations of politics. The ability of government to function as an independent force just got weaker. Government is less scary today," Dawson said.

First-year Mara Brecht saw this election dispute as drawing in more people to the process. "I think this election has done, and is doing, a lot for politics. People are more excited and engaged. So in some ways, I feel like all this is a really good thing."