The 2000 presidential election was close — close enough to trigger an automatic recount in Florida. We understand why Vice President Al Gore would find it agonizing to concede defeat when the difference in votes between him and George W. Bush is well within a statistical margin of error. Nonetheless, the time has come for him to concede.
On Monday, Bush won twice — first at the U.S. Supreme Court, which remanded a Florida Supreme Court decision that allowed manual ballot recounts, and then later, in a more decisive victory, when Circuit Judge N. Sanders Sauls refused to order a recount in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
Gore and his attorneys have had plenty of time and opportunity to challenge the results in Florida. Monday's rulings must be viewed as decisive. The American people thus far have shown remarkable patience. We believe this is mostly due to their confidence in the Constitution and to the American tradition of fairness and stability. But any further legal appeals and challenges, in the wake of these rulings, would be seen as bad form. Gore must understand that to continue his fight to win the election is to divide the nation needlessly.
Like any judge in a similar situation, Sauls did not reach his conclusion lightly. He heard more than 22 hours of arguments and testimony. Gore's attorney, David Boies, argued that a buildup of chads in a voting machine could cause it to malfunction by making it more difficult for a voter to punch a hole in a voting card. Bush's attorneys, on the other hand, argued that a dimpled ballot is not necessarily an indication of a voter's intent.
In the end, Sauls said he found no evidence that canvassing boards abused their discretion or that the counting process included any "illegality, dishonesty, gross negligence, improper influence, coercion or fraud." He left in place the Florida secretary of state's decision to certify the election in favor of Bush, which would grant him the 25 electoral votes he needs to become president-elect.
Nearly one month has passed since Election Day. In order for an orderly transition of government to take place, the next president must begin planning and organizing with certainty. Bush has been quietly organizing his administration, but he has had to do so under a cloud of uncertainty, and with one eye on the court system. More importantly, he has had to wait to begin the difficult task of uniting the nation behind his leadership.
A certain amount of recounting and contesting was understandable, but Gore must now accept that he has lost. His attorneys already have promised an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. But Gore would serve his party and his nation best by graciously stepping aside.