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December 8, 2000/Kislev 11, 5761, Vol. 53, No.11
Notable votesEditorialIt's the voting machine, stupid. Not the system.That's the compelling message Americans should come away with after the nearly endless saga that has been playing out over the last month to determine who really prevailed Nov. 7 in the U.S. presidential election. Vice President Al Gore has declared himself a little bit presidential - a la "a little bit pregnant" - while Texas Gov. George W. Bush is beefing up his presidential image by quietly going about the business of assembling a transition team even as results of the contest remain in question. Ten time zones away from Arizona, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak contemplates his own political future, acceding to calls for new elections as support for his beleaguered government crumbles. Comparisons are inevitable. There is the photo-finish race between two U.S. presidential candidates who sought to be all things to all people, and the victory of the Israeli prime minister just 17 months ago who glossed over differences and played on the overwhelming desire of the Israeli people for peace. Most likely by Tuesday, Dec. 12, the deadline for state certification of Florida's electors, Americans will know who will move into the Oval Office. Meanwhile, Israeli pundits toss around names of a possible Barak successor. Yet, the most meaningful part of the dramas playing out both in Israel and at home, is that they are playing out at all. Here, the electoral conflict wending its way through the courts provides an incisive lesson in the business of democratic governance. In Israel, where life goes on despite the continued pummeling by the Palestinians, the process for an orderly transition of power provides a heartening lesson at how a stable government can maintain and protect its citizens even as its streets come under fire. It's not about ballot chads and dimples, but rather about the strength and resilience of our form of government. Despite clogged Vote-o-Matics and electoral challenges, the system works. And that, at home and in Israel, is worth noting. |
