Election is over -- Bush wins

Our nation held an election Tuesday. The results showed Texas Gov. George W. Bush was the winner. An unofficial recount total in Florida seems to confirm it.\nThe Democrats have requested a selective recount of ballots in four counties. But we simply can't go on counting until Vice President Al Gore gets the results he wants.\nThe only votes left to be counted are the overseas absentee ballots, which in the past have favored Republican candidates by a large margin. Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole had 54 percent of the state's absentee ballots in 1996, compared to 40 percent for President Bill Clinton, though Clinton won by a landslide across the nation and in the state, according to a Republican National Committee press release.\nLet's set the record straight about Florida.\nDemocrats would have you believe the ballot in Palm Beach was confusing, causing many voters to choose two candidates for president, or choose Reform Party presidential candidate Pat Buchanan instead of Gore by accident.\nIn 1996, an election year with much lower voter turnout, a similar number of 14,872 ballots were invalidated in Palm Beach County, according to the RNC press release. In Cook County, Ill., Tuesday, 120,503 votes were invalidated.\nAs the Palm Beach Post explained Nov. 10, "If a voter makes a mistake on the ballot, he or she can vote again. If a voter still has the ballot, poll workers are supposed to write, 'void' on that ballot and give the voter another. They may give the voter as many as two do-over ballots, or three ballots total."\nManual counts are far less accurate than electronic counts. This is why we use electronic counts instead of manual counts. Manual ballot counts can be compromised by human error, human interpretation or tampering, which can all be avoided in electronic counts. \nThe Palm Beach Post reported Nov. 10 that manual counts in some cases could be the equivalent of "mind reading." It quoted election officials saying they were trying to "reconstruct" the "intent" of the voter. Election results should not be determined by election officials trying to read minds.\nIt is important we make sure the counts in this election are accurate. Doing manual counts reduces Florida's ability to make sure that happens and could undermine confidence in the process.\nThe vote in Florida has been counted. It has been recounted. Bush won both counts. The Gore campaign will not accept the finality of these results. They now want to proceed with a third recount -- this after they have filed at least eight lawsuits in Florida challenging the results of the election.\nThere is no reasonable end to this process if the vice president continues to pursue it. Gore should accept the recounted vote of the people of Florida.\nLet me address those of you who think the Republicans would do the same thing if the symbolic shoe was "on the other foot." You are wrong. There is precedent here.\nIn the election of 1960, then-Vice President Richard Nixon did not contest the election despite allegations of serious irregularities in Chicago. For the good of the country, Nixon stepped down and allowed Democrat John F. Kennedy to become the president-elect.\nIn 1976, President Gerald Ford was faced with a choice similar to the one Al Gore faces now. Ford also lost a close election to then-Gov. Jimmy Carter in 1976. He was urged to call for just one recount. Ford said no. He put the country's interests first. \nIf the Gore campaign decides litigation is the route, we start down a slippery slope with no foreseeable end. For the Gore campaign to keep re-counting ballots until it likes the results is neither fair nor responsible.\nThis election is over. We've had a count -- and a recount that has confirmed the count. It's time for this process to come to a close. It is time for Gore to do the right thing -- to choose patriotism instead of partisanship.