We'll always wonder about Florida votes

Let's replay the tape. When the TV commentator asked George W. Bush how he felt about the networks reversing their forecast of W's winning the state of Florida, his immediate, instantaneous response was almost a cavalier, don't believe it until you see the final results reply.

He actually didn't seem to be concerned at all and my initial impression was that W was being politically tactful in a show of bravery...or deliberately coy. Now, reviewing all the events and especially the pattern of questionable activities that took place on election day in Florida, I must raise a degree of curiosity about just how secure W really felt, and more importantly, why he felt that way after brother/governor Jed promised W his constituency. Again, please look at the tape.

Of all the possible solutions to this internationally embarrassing debacle, it seems to me that the two candidates should agree on some compromise agenda that would preclude additional delay and legal expenses and true non-resolution for generations to come.

For example, one of the problems is the alleged illegitimacy of the Palm Beach County results. While there may be little legal recourse for the concerns of the almost 20,000 voters who may have been disenfranchised by their confusion over a punch hole ballot, the issue is not whether they, individually, are not entitled to their will because of their alleged ignorance (as some political propagandists have had repeated on their popular talk shows) but how to properly accommodate their will.

It seems reasonable that the only people who would object to a revote are those who believe that such a remedy would result in a different result than if there had been no confusion over the form. If I were Gore, I would accept a solution that would silence any other questions of impropriety in Florida; i.e., missing votes, voter intimidation, etc. in exchange of a one-day, winner-take-all, revote opportunity in Palm Beach County. And if W wouldn't accept this solution, I'd give Wonder to all his rhetoric about his leadership ability to bring political parties together for the betterment of his constituents.

In the future and with future generations, whenever anyone raises the hypothesis of why, what, where and when, I will always add "W" as the final question.