>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>-- On the other hand, if Gore keeps
>> pushing, ... , especially given his win
>>in the popular vote.

>The popular vote is irrelevant.
>He has the right to make sure there is a
>proper count in Florida, even if he lost
> the popular vote.
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Hi Steve -- please be careful when snipping text from a comment you are copying! I think that the "..." you placed in instead of my comments alters somewhat what I was trying to say (I don't think it was intentional, I just want to point it out). Here's what I said:

"-- On the other hand, if Gore keeps pushing, he will be seen as a litigious whiner, especially if he loses; but, you can't blame him for wanting the legal circumstances to take their course, especially given his win in the popular vote."

To further clarify what I mean -- I agree that the popular vote has no bearing. But, in response to the original post, I was pointing out that one or the other of these men may feel a pressure to "just give in" especially if this drags on. In Gore's case, a candidate who feels he has the majority of people behind him may feel more of a desire and/or responsibility to push on in the legal challenges. I really do think this would be different if Gore had won only 46% of the popular vote to Bush's %50, let's say.... NOT because it's at all binding, but because it gives a certain sense of popular push and responsibility to the plurality of people who voted for him. I can imagine in that case that there would be more of a popular outcry against the actions --- right or wrong, there would be a sense of "well, you lost the popular vote too, so stop trying to win everything on a technicality."

I think most will agree though, that this makes for tremendous drama.

he has the will of the people behind him to continue the push..... NOT (as I fear a reader might take from my snipped comment) because he won the popular vote, but because continuing legal recourse still exists, and he has the backing of a large number of citizens.