After a five week battle that divided our nation and took what should have been decided in the voting booth all the way to the Supreme Court, Vice President Al Gore has conceded the 2000 Election and we now have an official President-Elect in Texas Governor George W Bush.

In what will no doubt be the most talked about election in history – the Supreme Court has ruled that the recount of Florida’s votes are unconstitutional – the final devastating blow to the already battered and beaten Al Gore that made him realize that it was finally time to throw in the towel. So with a heavy heart and a fake smile, he addressed the nation and asked it’s divided residents to stand behind our 43rd President and remember that this is America – and although we may disagree with the decision – we have to unite in the name of Democracy.

Personally, I feel that this election was such a bad example of Democracy that it made Watergate look like an episode of The Jerry Springer Show. I feel very sorry for Al Gore because from day one of this five week battle – he was both outnumbered and out-partied.

Forget about the obvious inconsistencies in this election. From the “dimpled votes” to the misleading ballots to the malfunctioning machines to the question of voter intent – I think the biggest inconsistency was that Bush had the election won from the moment CNN recalled Florida from the “Gore Wins” column no matter what the courts decided. For one thing, Bush’s brother is the Governor of Florida, second, the Secretary of State is a Republican – and most importantly – the Justices of the Supreme Court who voted against the recount that would have given the election to the man who rightfully won it based on the popular vote, were appointed by Bush’s father, Former President George Bush. So with the cards stacked that highly in Bush’s favor – how did Gore have a chance?

As I sat and watched both candidates address the nation – ironically while in Florida, I saw a lighthearted, sad and defeated Al Gore tell the nation with kind words and subliminal sarcasm that he wants our divided parties to come back together and stand behind Bush and Vice President-Elect Dick Cheney. He thanked everyone for their support and said that he had no idea what he would do in the future, but was proud to have served our country.

On the flipside, I saw a plastic, cocky and Nixon-esque George Bush, who carried himself both through his words and his body language as if he were a little boy who finally got the toy back that was wrongly taken away from him. In his first speech as President-Elect, he said that he would work to gain the respect of those who did not vote for him – clearly proof that he knows that the majority of our nation (including myself) did not want him as our next President. He then asked the nation for its prayers for his family and for Al Gore’s family – and he used the words of Thomas Jefferson to try and soothe the pain the nation felt after having divided itself through this historic election.

So in keeping with the President-Elect’s theory of using the words of a former president to soothe pain, I’ll use the words of another famous President to soothe mine, and I will direct them to our new President-Elect who will take the reigns of the most powerful nation in the world and who, in his first speech to the nation, spent fifteen minutes asking us for prayers, support and respect instead of telling us what he will do as President. So Mr. Bush, in the words of President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Well look on the bright side. At least us New Yorkers have Hillary…it’s gonna be a long four years. .