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Emil Amok

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Gavel to Gavel

By Emil Guillermo

Al Gore can’t catch a break. He takes the high road and people snicker. There he was telling the nation this week he wants every vote to count — despite the time it might take. Said Gore: “I believe our Constitution matters more than convenience.”

So why does he start resembling the guy at the racetrack who goes through discarded losing tickets on the floor, hoping to catch one that got away?

Or he’s the guy at the beach with the metal detector.

He might find something. But in the meantime, he looks pretty pathetic.

Here we are in a new phase of electoral politics, the post-election litigation, giving new meaning to the term “gavel to gavel.” From county court, to state court, to U.S. Supreme Court, we’ll have a winner before you have to ask, “How many more shopping days before a president-elect?”

Bush is already loading things up on the sidewalk at Pennsylvania Avenue, ready to go. Maybe he’ll show some compassion and talk to a few homeless. He’s also dropping names like “General Colin Powell,” just to remind you he’s not as dumb as you think.

Meanwhile, Gore battles in the courts of law and public opinion. In the latter especially, Gore is at a distinct disadvantage.

There’s something about Al Gore that people love to hate. It’s what I call his “restrained superiority.” Restrained, but still somewhat insufferable.He’s better than you, and he’s trying hard not to show it. Of course, it’s the one thing he’s not very good at it.

So when he demands a recount, it’s like the “A” student demanding a re-tab of his SAT score saying, “1500? Isn’t 1600 perfect?”

The truly irksome thing is he knows it’s higher than Bush’s score. He deserves to be class president!

But contrast the silver-spooned Gore to the silver-pitchforked Bush.

In his own public statement last Sunday night, after Florida certified him the winner, Bush said he was “honored and humbled.” Humbled? He was more than humbled. Looking neither assured nor presidential, Bush had the nervous look of “a man found out.” OK, we know he’s not the smartest guy on the block. But that night, Bush just seemed to be coming to terms with that very fact himself — that he was a man about to exceed his limitations. You could tell by the “Oh, Jesus, let me just get through the TelePrompter copy without screwing up” look on his face.

Heretofore, the Bush demeanor has been seen as an ingratiating “human-ness.”

Outside of campaign-mode, it may turn into “bumbling incompetence.” Fortunately for all of us, the party may have bailed Bush out of the next four years.

The GOP may have given Al Gore just the stuff he needs to win.They made Al Gore a victim — the kind of victim America loves, one bullied and wronged.

You’ll recall from the movies that even the insufferable know-it-all gets some sympathy when he’s been wronged. His nose bloodied, he takes off his ascot, rolls up sleeves and fights back like a man! You see, he wasn’t such a dweeb after all.

This is where we are in our election drama.

Gore’s seeking justice. Fairness. Count all the votes.And the GOP did its best to stop it all.

In fact, on Nov.22, when hand-counters gave Gore a gain of 157 votes Miami-Dade, the canvassing board there stopped the count. Cable news-cams caught the scene: A group of Republican partisans, including staffers from top GOP house members, banging the doors shouting, “Let us in! Let us in!”

Plain and simple, it was an orchestrated mob. When the quiet library environment wasn’t good enough, when the civility of the law wasn’t to their taste, the GOP started a mini-riot.

GOP protestors have gone on record saying they were protesting the count being held behind closed doors. But I doubt they really wanted to count votes. The real aim was intimidation.

The Miami-Dade canvassing board denies it was intimidated. But guess what happened? The count was stopped. 10,750 ballots remain uncounted because of the bullying by the GOP. Mission accomplished.

To minorities everywhere, the scene should bring a chill.

Whenever intimidation is part of democracy it should remind us of America before the Voting Rights Act. That’s the 1965 law that guaranteed the right to vote to African American citizens. Before it, the intimidation factor was so strong all it took were the glares from hostile rednecks to make a black voter lose the nerve to cast a ballot.

The Voting Rights Act helped other minorities as well. In the 80s, it allowed for Asian bilingual ballots.

So when Al Gore brings up intimidation as to why votes weren’t counted, it’s a matter not to be taken lightly.

The laws allow for the vote to be cast. It should allow for the votes to be counted.

Throughout the campaign’s “regular season,” Gore used the phrase: “ I will fight for you.”

Now in quadruple overtime, GOP bullies have given Gore the opportunity for one last stand. Let’s see how well he fights for democracy.