Doug, I assume (and hope) that both Bush and Gore are planning for the future, however uncertain it may be. But in addition to communicating with their advisors behind closed doors, they should be communicating openly with the rest of us. All the strategizing and posturing they are doing is permissible, and perhaps necessary. But it isn't evidence of great leadership. And despite my personal preferences (I voted for Gore, and I know you voted for Bush), at the moment I think they are both coming up short in the leadership department. Gore may be pretending that he is leaving all this to others. Bush is certainly pretending that he is "the winner" at this point (and his staged "cabinet building" is offensive, in my opinion). That's a lot of pretense; I think we have a right to expect better.

An honest, unbiased person would recognize that there are legitimate points on both sides of this debate. Bush is right that we all need, or will need, a sense of finality to this election -- that these recounts can't go on indefinitely. Gore is right that we all need some confidence that the election was fair, and the vote count was accurate -- confidence neither side can truly have, at the moment. In my opinion both are squandering an opportunity to approach this honestly, acknowledge the ambiguity of the result, and work in a statesmanlike way towards a solution that is based on more than rhetoric and procedural hair-splitting. Think about it -- based on what you're seeing right now, can you see either one of these guys brokering a Mideast peace deal?

Respectfully yours (in all sincerity) -- WS