14-DEC-2000
A Good Ending -- And a Good Beginning
by DLC President Al From
Last night's speeches to the nation by Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush put an end to the longest presidential election in 124 years with finality and style. The Vice President's concession speech was about as good as it gets: clear, concise, eloquent, and even funny. We are not surprised, but are still gratified, that he rejected the counsel of some understandably bitter supporters who suggested that he refuse to concede that he actually lost the election. People will debate who actually won Florida for a long, long time, but in the meantime, the country must be governed.
The speech by the new President-elect was notable not so much for its content (for the most part, a toned-down version of his campaign stump speech) as for its setting: in the Democratic-controlled Texas House of Representatives. It was a nice touch, reminding Americans of his ability to work with Democrats in Texas, while indicating he understands the ability to work with Democrats in Congress will almost totally determine the success or failure of his Administration.
Now that the speeches and the campaign are over, the hard part begins. Democrats need to emulate the equanimity and even forgiveness of the Vice President's speech, and Republicans need to exhibit the humility shown last night in Austin.
We hope the President-elect will quickly move to support a combined federal and state effort to address the ballot irregularities and inadequate voting technology that created so much anguish in Florida, especially in minority communities; such a step will help all of us put the Long Count behind us. But most of all, we hope the new Administration understands the difference between token and real bipartisanship.
Everybody's for bipartisanship in theory, but in practice it requires sharing credit with the opposition, real policy compromises, and a determination to build coalitions from the center out, not from the party base in. A Bush legislative agenda focused on issues of universal concern like education and health care, rather than Republican totems like "repealing the death tax," could help make it clear that last night's charitable gestures represented not just a good ending, but a good beginning.
Related Material:
Transcript of Vice President Gore's remarks: http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=105&subid=119&contentid=2790
Transcript of President-elect Bush's remarks: http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=105&subid=119&contentid=2791
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