Nation needs smooth transition

The election is now a week in the past, and this nation is still waiting for the results. Texas Gov. George W. Bush, Vice President Al Gore and indeed the entire nation are watching Florida as county officials count and recount ballot after ballot.\nBoth Bush and Gore have spent almost two years campaigning for the office of president of the United States, meeting voters, raising funds, debating and braving the media. They have invested a considerable amount of time and money into becoming the next president. Both men come from families with strong political legacies, so they might feel their lives have been preparation for this office. And while Bush would hold his seat as governor of Texas if he lost this election, Gore would find himself without a job in January.\nWith so much at stake, both men, their campaigns, their parties and their supporters might be tempted to pursue every available avenue to victory, particularly in Florida, where scandals and controversies abound. Bush has requested a court order blocking a hand recount in four Florida counties, The Associated Press reported Nov. 12, because a hand count would rely too much on subjectivity and open the door for human error. The Democrats reported they are confident they will prevail in court.\nIt seems this election might be decided in the courts, based on which ballots and which recounts to allow. But the court system was not designed to decide the will of the people in an election; that's why we vote. Once the Florida recount is official, if it has been conducted fairly and without bias, it is time for this nation to move on and prepare for a new administration.\nThe candidates might want to pursue every shred of controversy they can find. They might want to parade disgruntled voters in front of national news cameras, support lawsuits, pursue court orders or take other action to further delay the results of this election.\nThat might be best for the one man who eventually wins, and for his running mate, but such a situation is not in the best interests of this nation. The two men vying for leadership of the United States ought to care more for the welfare of the country than for their own personal gain; otherwise, neither are worthy leaders.\nWhen the Florida recount is official, the man who loses should concede defeat, not drag this nation through months of court battles or scandal-mongering. It's not what this nation can do for them, but what they can do for their nation, to paraphrase John F. Kennedy. To bring the United States peacefully, and without bitterness, to a new administration, one man will have to step aside. It might be hard for a man who has invested so much into this campaign to admit defeat, but a smooth transition to a new presidency is the best thing for the United States.