A nation divided

This week our nation is in the middle of an uncharted ocean with no map and no compass.

Partisan politics that have held this country in gridlock for decades have reached an apogee. We are a nation divided. A mere 200,000, out of an approximated 100 million popular votes, separates the two leading presidential candidates.

Al Gore has called George Bush "snippy." Bush's supporters called voters in Palm Beach, Fla., "stupid." Legal action has been taken. Tension is mounting. The two sides are hurling rhetoric at each other over tangled political barbed wire they have unfurled.

John Caldwell
How I see it

I am thrilled. People who might otherwise be totally disinterested are asking questions. What is the Electoral College? Do we need an Electoral College? Is our two-party system working? What is voter fraud?

A much needed civics lesson has been force-fed to the American people. They are discovering that their vote does count after all. And the next presidential election could see an increase in voters seeking to make a difference.

Right now, the two candidates have a unique opportunity. The next president will have to work with a country that is deeply divided. He will have to make some sort of significant gestures to the other side in order to get anything done.

Bush claimed throughout his campaign that he would "reach across the isle" to work with the Democrats. As the likely winner, he has the opportunity to set the stage for that by working with the Gore camp to help them achieve a satisfactory result. Florida law requires a re-count and the inclusion of all absentee ballots. That will take until Friday to officially complete. Bush should be encouraging that process then waiting until Friday before doing or saying anything.

There is plenty of time. The Electoral College does not meet until Dec. 18 and the president is not sworn in until January 20. This is a powerful opportunity for Bush to make concessions and look bipartisan, thereby starting his presidency with a positive tone and endear himself to the American people.

But "Dubya" is not doing any of this. He declared a victory before he was declared president. He is putting together a transition team while filing a lawsuit to stop a recount of votes by hand in Palm Beach. Bush is practicing the very partisan politics he said he would do away with.

Bush has set himself up for a permanent lame duck presidency.  Since he is not working with his opponents right now, how will not be able to get anything done if he becomes president? Therefore, he will go down in history as a retarded joke.

Gore should be waiting for the law to run its course as well. By supporting lawsuits to get a run-off in Palm Beach, he stands to alienate the people he might need down the road.

Bush said that Gore should concede for the good of the country. However, I doubt that Bush, or Gore, has the country's interests in mind. They are clearly focused on power and not public interest. They are politicians, after all.

With any luck, this election will cause change. It has the potential to go down in history as a turning point for our country. We should all appreciate the significance of our time and learn from it.

John Caldwell is a print journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.

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