A recent article by E. J. Dionne [“It Couldn’t Happen Here,” The Washington Post, July 7, 2006, page A17.] recalls the rancor and high theater of our 2000 presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush.
Dionne, as usual, has penned an entertaining and enlightening piece, this time paralleling Mexico’s current struggle to identify its newly-elected President with our 2000 experience.
With often tongue-and-cheek illustrations, implying naughtily and jokingly that such events could not possibly happen in this country, which, of course, they did, E.J. betrays his and others’ lingering belief that the Democrats were robbed of the Presidency a half-dozen years ago.
Obviously, that election is seared in the psyche of many, especially those who believe Gore should have been inaugurated as our 43rd President. Also, today, in light of Iraq, immigration, intelligence, and fiscal debates, it raises the question of whether or not American life and politics would be different if Gore took the Oath of Office.
How and when can this debate end? When can we stop re-living this whole mess? Can’t we move on -- finally?
Yes, we can. I’ll end it right here.
First, I’ll give the disillusioned their due. More people in Florida voted for Gore. He really won Florida. Wining Florida won the election. Gore should have been President of the United States in 2001 and should have been the one to deal with September 11th and all that has followed.
Yet, Gore received fewer “votes” and, thus, lost the election. Why was that? Many of Gore’s supporters were unable to cast a properly executed, bonafide ballot.
As I relayed to Mr. Dionne, the 2000 election experience is no different than the case last month of the Italian World Cup soccer player, who accidentally kicked the ball into his own goal, thus awarding the opposing U.S. Team a point.
This reminded me of the many reports from Florida where thousands of people, it seemed, claimed that they “intended” to vote for Al Gore. Well, the soccer player “intended” not to allow that ball into his own goal. Nevertheless, he, the Italian team, and the world had to deal with the natural consequence of that action, advertent or not, erroneous or not, intended or not.
The cold, hard truth is that Gore’s supporters did not cast proper ballots 100% of the time. Of course, many will charge corruption, collusion, nepotistic protection (George Bush’s brother was Governor of Florida, a circumstance slyly portrayed in E.J.’s artricle), and a host of other charges because they won’t, in fact, they can’t as a matter of their own constitutional make-ups, acknowledge and accept the sometimes painful repercussions of personal responsibility.
Yes, if Democrat claims are more true than not, then the 2000 election should have gone their way. But that did not occur because Gore partisans were unable to accurately or correctly fulfill their civic responsibilities to elect him according to the rules, rules which had been in place long before the year 2000 was even on the distant horizon of our country’s future.
Don’t blame the messenger. Deal with the problem at its source. Educate your voters. Accept the results of others’ actions. Recognize and embrace personal responsibility. Learn from it. Then move on. Please, move on! [I’d say the same thing if the tables were reversed, but we’ll never know how the Republicans would have responded.]
Don’t keep re-living the past, the shoulda, woulda, coulda beens of the world. It happened and we all must live with the consequence for good or ill. It’s called life. Sometimes you get what you like. Sometimes you don’t.
Yes, E.J., your article was entertaining and elucidating. But the deeper, and real, message is that everyone has to know the rules of the game and play by them. If you don’t, sometimes the results may not be to your liking. But, in the end, the key is to accept the results.
Anything less serves no one, no thing, and no nation.
P.S. Read my earlier articles immediately following the 2000 election at my "politics" home page.
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 660 words.
© July, 2006