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The Presidential Election is Finally Over
Posted
12-18-2000
Well, the election is finally over. I don’t think the outcome was a
surprise to anyone that watched things unfold over the last few weeks.
George W. finally found that the court that would rule his way. It became
apparent that politics plays a part in Supreme Court decisions too. That is
why I believe that the late Justice Frankfurter warned against the Supreme
Court becoming involved in election disputes.
Clearly, the integrity of the
Court has come into question, particularly Justice Scalia whose son is a
partner in the same law firm as Ted Olson, the chief litigant for George W.
Bush. For him not to recuse himself from such a politically charged issue
and then be the most vocal proponent for Bush really calls into question the
Justice’s integrity.
But, it is over now, and
history will remember this election as one in which the will of the people
was not recognized. Like John Quincy Adams who was the only other son of a
President to become President, George W. Bush needed something other than
the will of the people to become President. Coincidentally, the person John
Quincy Adams beat Andrew Jackson was from Tennessee, the same as Al Gore.
But, I bet Andy Jackson carried Tennessee. If Al Gore had done so, none of
us would have been talking about Florida.
I believe many Americans like
myself feel cheated by the results. But, it is over, and now we must look
forward. Our federal government and our country have many challenges ahead,
and I think more can be accomplished by cooperation rather than
confrontation. The majority in the U.S. House and the Senate will be so
narrow, partisanship will not get much done.
I believe George W. will
honestly try to work with the Democrats. His Texas experience, where the
Democrats control the State House has prepared him to work with the other
party. His real problem will likely be the true believers on the Right. They
hate democrats, and everything we believe in. They didn’t work hard for Bush
to see him compromise with us. So, watch the pressure Mr. Bush receives from
the extremists in his party.
I’m not sure how a Bush
administration will work out, and it concerns me that so many of his dad’s
buddies surround him. But for the sake of our nation, I hope we don’t move
backwards. The tremendous economic growth, stock market growth, and
employment growth of the 1990’s can’t be set back. Both parties have an
obligation to attempt to move forward on important issues like health care,
social security, education, and the economy. While the philosophies on how
to move forward may vary, the vast majority of Americans in the middle of
the political spectrum want progress, not regression, on a series of social
issues that the Far Right obsesses over. So let’s hold out hope that even
under the tainted circumstances of the Presidential Election, our country
moves forward. |
