A true victory

Republicans are furious at Vice President Al Gore's attempts to steal the election.\nDemocrats are either flabbergasted by or consigned to George W. Bush's tin victory.\nAnd all of us are worn out by both men's endless rounds of legal boxing -- not so worn out that we want our guy to concede, but worn out enough to eliminate CNN from our television schedules.\nIt's too bad this election saga has distracted us, because there were some wonderful victories Nov. 7.\nFor instance, the American voters sent a clear message. With a high turnout (anything beyond 50 percent is fairly remarkable these days), voters had every opportunity to elect someone by a landslide, or even a little bit of a dirt slide. Instead, Gore and Bush are almost tied. Neither can claim to have earned a majority. Gore will walk away with a plurality of votes, a popular lead of just more than 350,000. If Bush does win, it will be with an electoral count of 271. He'd have only one vote to spare. \nApparently, we were deeply dissatisfied with our choices. It didn't help that tantalizingly different candidates, such as Bill Bradley, Elizabeth Dole and John McCain, rocketed to media attention and were vanquished by the primary process. (A process, I hardly need to mention, controlled by big money and behind-the-scenes party operatives.) Then, the operatives and the money moguls chose two princes: sons of powerful men who could be counted on to deliver "on message" campaigns scripted by the best advisers millions of dollars can buy.\nBut look what happened! Despite the best-laid plans of the rich and powerful, Americans bit back. They created a practical tie that sends the message: "OK, we're paying attention. Next time, we want better choices."\nAnd while denying the princes of power their victories, Americans continue to offer hope of a larger idea of "We the people."\nEarlier this year, I wrote about the women who sit in the United States Senate. There are only nine, and they have all fought hard to serve their states. When this election began, it looked like their ranks might increase by one or two.\nSo it will be a wonderful upset Jan. 3, when four new women swear to faithfully discharge the duties of a U.S. senator. One is the wife of our president. One is the wife of a deceased Missouri governor, appointed to serve the term he just won. One is a Washington state millionaire who just days ago learned she won in a recount. And one is Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.\nStabenow is unique among the crowd, in that she did not have the advantages of being a first lady, a governor's widow or a dot-com millionaire. Instead, she became a senator-elect the old fashioned way: She earned it.\nStabenow has served as a county commissioner, state representative, state senator and U.S. congresswoman. Her route to power, although not as titillating as Hillary Clinton's, is important. Although not as tear-jerking as Jean Carnahan's, it is inspiring. Although not as expensive as Maria Cantwell's (who spent $20 million of her personal fortune to defeat Slade Gorton), it is groundbreaking.\nWhy groundbreaking? Because Stabenow worked her way up the ranks of government without having been born into a wealthy, influential family. She's done it without relying on the good-ol'-boys network. And she won her place in the Senate despite having far less money than her opponent. \nThe people who are tired of this election yearn for a better story -- one that doesn't end with the election of an entitled party front man. A story that reaffirms our faith in this country.\nThat is Debbie Stabenow's story. It doesn't matter that she is a Democrat. It doesn't matter that you might or might not agree with her politics. What matters is that she isn't rich, isn't a man and didn't buy her office. Despite these "handicaps," she was elected to the most exclusive club in the world.\nMaybe it's because she's spent 26 years working hard as a representative of her people. Maybe it's because she's a working mom, not a son of privilege. Maybe it's because she's a real person.\nThat's the promise of our Constitution. All it takes to participate in this democracy is citizenship and hard work. That's easy to forget when 94 percent of the people who win House seats have more money than their opponents.\nIf the story of Bush and Gore isn't working for you, remember the best story of this election. Remember Debbie's story.