McGrath and Ebbie: Cool down. You're man may still win. If the Supreme Court rules that the count must continue, and no standardized rule for counting the votes is mandated, Gore will probably win. Why? Because at the electorate level (those counting the votes) the Democrats outnumber the Republicans in the majority of the counties by two to one.

So just be calm and see how this all plays out.

If, on the other hand, a FAIR method of counting the votes is required, it's anybody's ballgame.

What do I mean by fair? If the ballot has no discernable penetration by the voter for President, the ballot will be voided. Neither Gore or Bush gets the vote.

Lots of people (including many Mudcatters, ostinsibly, didn't like either candidate and may not have voted for either candidate.)

So is it fair to count a vote for EITHER candidate candidate solely on the basis that the the voter may have voted Republican or Democratic for the other offices listed on the ballot, but might not have voted for either candidate for President? I think not.

Regardless, the American people will rally behind the one who wins the electoral votes in Florida. Our friends in Europe should take comfort in that, because it is true.

If Gore wins, I will not be happy, but I will accept it, and he will be my President. That's just the way it is in this country. We may fight, and disagree, and scream and yell, but at the final counting, we are Americans, and the country will be united. DougR