WITH A brief and statesmanlike speech, US Vice President Al Gore conceded the presidential election to his Republican rival, George W. Bush, on Wednesday night. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Bush attempted to begin the process of healing the deep wounds that have emerged in the American polity in the course of the last few weeks.
The initial reaction among the country's political punditry was that the nation would, as asked by Mr. Gore, rally around its new President. That warm glow is likely to dissipate quickly, though. The divisions within Congress, and in the wider society, are profound. It will take ingenuity on Mr. Bush's part, as well as a willingness to both jettison his tax-slashing platform and sideline conservative Republicans in Congress, if he is to fulfill his goal of becoming the President of all Americans.
As for Mr. Gore, it may just be that he is down but not out. In the minds of many Americans, he remains the true winner of this election. Yet he withdrew from the race in a dignified manner. These memories may linger in the minds of many people for years to come. Should Mr. Bush find the task of ending Washington's poisonous atmosphere insurmountable, Mr. Gore is likely to re-emerge as a viable candidate in 2004.
For now, at least, the USA finally has a President-elect. While a cloud will inevitably hang over his head for some time to come, for now Mr. Bush deserves the recognition his rival has called for him to be granted.
To the world at large the convulsions of the superpower struggling to elect a Head of State must have diminished its image as a model of democracy. But it is fair to say that, despite the bitterness and divisiveness that seemed to reach into the legal wrangling at the highest level, there was no overt violence. In short, the system finally worked.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
