Word: counted
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Dates: during 2000-2000
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...William Rehnquist have the final say. Bush even declined Gore's offer of a pre-endgame peace summit. "Once this election is over, I would be glad to meet with Vice President Gore, and I join him in pledging that regardless of who wins after this weekend's final count, we will work together to unite our great country...
...Gore's offer, in short, to the governor: Let's count 'em all and I'll drop all the lawsuits and we'll both abide by the result. And hey - let's be statesmen about this...
...Next, the offer: "First, we should complete hand counts already begun in Palm Beach County, Dade County and Broward County to determine the true intentions of the voters based on an objective evaluation of their ballots." (Gore misstatement alert: Palm Beach County has not yet begun to count, and Dade County has actually decided not to. Broward, of course, had also decided not to but was forced to reconsider by the Democrats.) The results of those recounts would be added to final tally - and Gore drops all his lawsuits and both sides abide by the result...
...then Gore hit his silent rival with the statesmanship sucker punch. "Now, second, I propose that Governor Bush and I meet personally, one-on-one, as soon as possible, before the vote count is finished, not to negotiate, but to improve the tone of our dialogue in America." Not only before the outcome, but afterward too, wherever Bush wants, so that the pair can "unite the country behind the winner as soon as this process is completed." Get it? Unite, not divide? Fade out: They walk arm in arm into the sunset...
...advantage of Gore's plan is its apparent simplicity and fairness. The disadvantage is... seven - count'em, seven - more days. Gore has obviously now given up on challenging the butterfly ballots. That is his peace offering to George W. And because of the way the courts are looking, this may be as good a deal as Bush is gonna get, and if Gore loses it and walks away, he could leave town a political saint - or a political martyr...