Chris,

>>I just read a column in the NY Times by William Safire and he postulates an interesting theory (along with Rush Limbaugh - where I got the link).
>>
>>Essentially it goes like this: Typically, the party out of power picks up seats during the mid-term election. If Gore wins the Presidency (and he still could I suppose but I wouldn't bet on it) then it would be the Republicans who would tend to pick up seats. Additionally, if Gore wins that means Lieberman ditches his Senate seat and the now 50-50 split would go 51-49 Republican as the Connecticut governor is a Republican.
>>
>>If Bush wins then there's a better than even chance the Democrats could pick up one Senate seat and perhaps the 20 or so House seats they'd need.
>>
>>So.. If you are Dick Gephardt, who doesn't really like the pompous Al Gore, would you really mind it if Bush won now - particularly if you could marginalize him (in your onw mind if nowhere else) beforehand?
>>
>>I'd think not.
>>
>>Look for the phrase, "Et tu' Dick?" soon. <g>
>
>Is that the last restort of the Republicans, try and turn Gephardt? Man you guys are getting desperate... next time, hire better lawyers (you Republicans are known for being cheap) < bg >.
>
>We'll take the Presidency, with veto power, over senate power anytime.

No, I'm being serious here. I don't think we'll have to 'turn' Gephardt at all. I started seeing articles last night on the Washington Post site (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63386-2000Nov27.html) in an articla entitled, "The Radicalization of Al Gore" where the authors state:

"On the other hand, the considerable anxiety among Democrats last night before Gore spoke reflected their view that he continues to be erratic in making the case for himself to a broader public."

Now, to me the significant thing here is that it is Democrats that are voicing these concerns and using words like "erratic". Usually when they start to do this in the press it's a clear sign that they are sending signals.

My guess here Chris is that Mr. Gore will concede shortly "for the good of the nation" which I personally think will be the only way, short of winning in the courts outright, that he has a proverbial snowball's chance of making a return later. Perhaps even then he's finished.