Remember this:

BUSH BARELY AHEAD OF GORE IN FLORIDA AS RECOUNT HOLDS KEY TO THE ELECTION; Vice President Clings to Slim Edge in Popular Vote Nationwide

By RICHARD L. BERKE

Published: November 9, 2000

For the first time in more than a century, the winner of a presidential election remained unknown a full day after the polls closed, as Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and Vice President Al Gore dispatched teams of lawyers to Florida yesterday to wrangle over the handful of votes upon which their White House dreams now rest.

The fate of the two rivals appeared to ride on the verdict in Florida, where an incomplete vote count had Mr. Bush leading Mr. Gore by 1,784 votes, an extraordinarily narrow margin in a nationwide race in which more than 96 million people voted. His lead in Florida was three one-hundredths of 1 percent of the votes cast.

The Florida secretary of state said she would probably declare a winner by the close of business today after a recount of nearly six million votes and the tallying of absentee ballots. But it was far from certain that the matter would be resolved swiftly.

Even if Florida's 25 electoral votes are delivered to Mr. Bush, Democrats suggested that they would pursue complaints about voting irregularities. Some Democrats in Palm Beach called for a new election in the county, saying the punch-card ballot was so perplexing that people mistakenly voted for Patrick J. Buchanan, the Reform Party candidate, instead of Mr. Gore. In addition, election officials in other states with close outcomes, like Iowa and Wisconsin, said they were bracing for challenges.

With Mr. Gore clinging to the slimmest popular vote margin in modern times, and Mr. Bush grasping for a bare majority of electoral votes to pull him over the top, both candidates were no doubt wondering if, had they done things a bit differently, they might now be mulling over choices for their Cabinet, not mulling over their job prospects.

Still dazed by the events since Tuesday, an official at the Gore headquarters in Nashville proclaimed breathlessly last night, ''We have just reached the twilight zone of American politics.''

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E6DE1738F93AA35752C1A9669C8B63&scp=19&sq=gore+bush+wins&st=nyt

Bush wins second term as Kerry concedes - Democrat's team makes decision after looking at Ohio numbers

Wednesday, November 3, 2004 Posted: 1:13 PM EST (1813 GMT)

(CNN) -- President Bush plans to declare victory Wednesday after Sen. John Kerry conceded the election, aides to both men said.

As in the 2000 race, the election came down to a single state.

Ohio's 20 electoral votes proved decisive when it grew clear Wednesday morning that Bush's lead in the state was unlikely to be erased by provisional and absentee ballots. Those votes are still being counted.

A Bush win in Ohio would give the president a projected 274 electoral votes -- 270 are needed to win. ( Electoral College)

Kerry is set to speak about 2 p.m. ET to offer his concession in front of Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Bush plans his acceptance speech for 3 p.m. ET at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington.

Kerry telephoned the White House late Wednesday morning after he and his campaign team looked over voting numbers from Ohio and made the decision to concede.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/03/prez.main/index.html

This space reserved