Bush Claims Win, Election Unresolved

* The laws of Florida have prevailed. George W. Bush won. Al Gore lost. However, the Republicans had to resort to mob violence and intimidate Dade County officials to cancel the recount.

It is sad that America will have a president who did not win the popular vote and only squeaked by with a majority in Florida. The Republicans accused Gore of trying to steal the election, but what have they done by resorting to mob violence?

Bush can only look to four years of dealing with a Congress that surely will block him at every turn. When some of the Republicans in the House of Representatives get voted out next time, he can shout, “This was my greatest accomplishment.”

ARNOLD GOLD

Laguna Woods

* Bush has won a third time in Florida in spite of the best-paid lawyers in the country and the very questionable dimpled chads of Broward County. (The lady on the left always said “Gore,” while the guy on the right used his magnifying lens to see it. Just give me a machine, thank you.) Gore should do the honorable thing and concede to Bush.

JANE SAYERS

Los Angeles

* That the current undisputed 337,000 national Gore majority vote does not qualify for equal protection against the current disputed 537 Florida Bush majority vote, simply because the former were not cast in that state, is an outrage. And for a candidate to declare himself president before disposition of all legal challenges is a putsch!

WILL WYCHE

Palm Springs

* During the campaign Gore repeatedly stated, “I’ll fight for you.” Now it appears that Al “See You in Court” Gore is only interested in fighting for himself. As someone who voted Libertarian, it is clear to me that Gore should concede.

MATTHEW SCHAAF

Granada Hills

* What a travesty our election process has become! Despite the fact that perfectly good votes were rejected in Florida, George “the Healer” Bush has declared himself president.

And the media, hung over from a lack of sleep covering this madness, want to get it over with just as badly. Why else would The Times print an article about Democrats in New Bedford (“In One Gore Town, Relief It’s Over,” Nov. 27) who think Gore should concede? Could it be that Election 2000 is overshadowing their meat-and-potatoes issues, like carjackings or gang shootings or freeway chases? Have the media grown tired of fairness and truth? Anyone with half a brain can see what would happen if all the votes in Florida were counted. Gore would win the election.

I guess if the Republicans couldn’t kick Bill Clinton out of the White House, they’ll stop at nothing to keep Gore from the presidency, even if it means distorting the truth and misleading the American people. It’s a shame the “unbiased” media let them get away with it.

W. SEAN CHAMBERLIN

Fullerton

* Without a concession from Gore and without the Supreme Court decision rendered, Bush now proclaims himself the president. Can there be any doubt that this man has no respect for the law, the Constitution or the American people? Instead he pouts like a child and proclaims himself our ruler like a tyrant. After 224 years, it looks as if America has another “King George” to deal with.

RICHARD DIAMOND

Los Angeles

* Your Nov. 27 editorial regarding the Bush certification, “Official but Not Over,” cries out for some clarification on two points. First, you cite as “shabby” and “partisan” the criticism of the Florida Supreme Court. The criticisms of the court decision that I heard were protests against the court rewriting the Florida law--violating the separation of powers. This criticism of the court action was surely not “shabby.”

Second, you refer to the “clear and shameful sign of interfering with the process . . . when carefully mobilized Republican activists tried to muscle their way into election board offices and disrupt the vote recounting process.” What I saw clearly on television was a group of people--both Republican and media personnel--objecting to the vote counters trying to move into a private area and violate the law by preventing observation of the process as provided by law. It is important that these issues should be clarified.

WILLIAM C. THOMAS

Palm Desert

* Gore supporters, don’t blame Florida for the defeat of your man. Blame Tennessee, whose 11 electoral votes Gore managed to lose. And if you want to feel more miserable, count the six Arkansas electors that he also lost.

RENO S. ZACK

San Dimas

* I’ve never been one to follow politics or to complain about candidates or issues. This is the first presidential election that I have completely immersed myself in. From the start of the campaigning, through debates and election returns and now the protest and contest periods, I have been mesmerized by the television reports and Internet articles.

It’s my opinion that Gore should continue his legal battle to get the 10,000-plus “undervotes” counted in Miami-Dade County and have the Palm Beach hand-count results included in the totals. The Miami-Dade recount can be done using either Palm Beach or Broward counties’ standards, just as long as they are reviewed and the totals included in the state totals.

Once this task is complete, I feel the person with more votes should be awarded the 25 Florida electoral votes and the person with fewer votes should concede the election. Bush should welcome the ability to show the world he earned the title of president. I voted for Gore and would like to see him triumph, but if Bush ends up with the votes then he deserves to win.

PATRICIA WALL

Newhall

* There is absolutely nothing wrong with demanding that every person’s vote in Florida be recounted accurately and fairly; unfortunately, that is not what Gore is demanding. He wants all votes, including the ones that would never have been counted in the first place, even by hand (ones where a person’s true intent could not even be discerned), in only a few carefully selected Democratic counties, not the whole state. Why can’t Gore’s supporters, including Sen. Joseph Lieberman (a man of honor and integrity), understand what Gore and his lawyers really mean by “every person’s vote”? And what makes Gore think a win in this way would make him the legitimate president?

ARLINE GEORGE

Reseda

* Gore has lost three times now. Americans may typically root for the underdog, but they don’t like a loser--especially a sore loser. Please, Mr. Vice President, have a little dignity and concede the election.

LESLIE GREEN

Fullerton

* The Florida Supreme Court gave Katherine Harris the option of accepting the vote counts by 5 p.m. on Sunday or by 9 a.m. on Monday at the latest. If she truly is as unbiased as she claims to be, shouldn’t she have given West Palm Beach officials the time extension that they requested?

PAT MAVAR

San Pedro

* One thing cannot be disputed. When the founding fathers drafted the Constitution their intent and expectations were that all ballots be counted by hand--not by machine.

LOUIS SACKS

Los Angeles