Carey is a fourth-year political science student and a field
coordinator for Rock the Vote.
By Tim Carey
Vice President Al Gore should concede the election immediately.
It’s the smart move. But before I get to that, let me assure
all of you that I am a loyal Democrat. I proudly voted for Gore in
the primary and general elections, and am for the most part
terrified of the prospect of George W. Bush being our next
president.
Putting all that aside, there is no way around the fact that to
save his candidacy, Gore must destroy it. Conceding now before
countless lawsuits drag this decision out for weeks would save the
nation the agony of waiting and instantly make Gore the bigger man
in this election.
At this point he is ahead in the popular vote, and though he
lags in the electoral college, he can still claim himself to be the
preferred choice of the American public. By declining to pursue the
presidency any further, he would show that he adheres to the
Constitutional rules he knew when he entered the race. He would
also open up the opportunity to be a constant thorn in Bush’s
side over the next four years.
Considering the fact that this country is more divided than it
has been in decades, it will be a Herculean feat for whomever is
declared our next president to try to bridge that gap. Better to
let the Republican do it, in my opinion.
While Bush struggles for the next few years to be the leader he
has been claiming to be for the past year, Gore can reserve the
right to stand on the sidelines and be critical of every move.
Every time Bush makes a decision, there’s Gore on the talk
shows and in the editorial pages telling the American people how he
would have done it better, as they know full well since most of
them voted for him.
Four years is also a long time to build up one’s war
chest. As he’s going around the country on speaking
engagements convincing everyone why they made a terrible mistake by
not rallying behind him, Gore will be raising money with the
“if you’d only given a little more money we
wouldn’t be in this mess” line.
As Bush turns out to be the lousy President he’s so
capable of being (and my money says he will), we’ll see the
Democratic donor base desperately throwing money at the Gore 2004
fund. In all, Al Gore has the capacity to cast himself as the
sympathetic character in this fiasco. He knows how our Republic
elects its leaders and he knows that factors like confusing ballots
are anomalies inherent in any election of this scale. He should
make the public view him not as a ruthless, power-hungry politician
willing to pursue these minor discrepancies to the end, but as
someone with the integrity to do what’s best for the
country.
It was the same course Richard Nixon took in 1960, and eight
years later he indeed turned out to be ““ at least for a while
““ one of the most successful presidents of the 20th century.
Love him or hate him (and if you love him please write to me and
let me know how that’s possible), he knew what was best for
the country, and more importantly, what was best for his career. He
was a shrewd politician, and Gore should follow his lead. Conceding
in this case doesn’t have to mean admitting defeat.