Published in The Heights on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2000
"Election 2000: As close as it gets" read a Chicago Tribune headline. The narrow margin between the two candidates has not only been a breakthrough in politics, but it has given rise to a breakthrough in media technology as well. Not only is the election talked about wherever we go, but also on every TV channel that we view. In fact, "Bush" and "Gore" are probably the two most popular words as of late, regardless of whether they are being said in disgust or praise. These two men have single-handedly brought the mass of the United States into the 2000 presidential election.
Despite the disputes over the vote totals in the state of Florida, the election has had enormous, positive effects on politics. People now see that an election can truly come down to just a few votes. After the wide victory margin in 1996's Clinton-Dole election, and many others previous to that, people were disillusioned. "Why should I vote? There are millions of other people who can vote. My one vote doesn't matter." All the people who didn't vote in this election because of that reason could easily have changed the outcome of the election. The election was meaningful for the power of the American people, as it brought politics to every inch of the country via the media.
If you could care less, then you were definitely out of luck on Nov. 7 and every day since. You probably remember turning on the TV and seeing nothing but election news on every single channel. If you did take an interest in the election, then you were in political heaven. The graphics and up-to-the-second statistics were unprecedented. You could watch the votes being counted and see a graphical meter keeping a running count. There was commentary from every major political analyst, and even The Boston Globe gave readers a map in the Nov. 7 edition that allowed enthusiasts to color in the states depending on which candidate carried them.
Perhaps the best part, however, was the drama created by the hotly contested slim vote differential. New Mexico and Florida, which the major TV networks originally gave to Gore based on the precincts reported and exit polls, were put back up for grabs once it was decided that, in truth, they were too close to call. It was almost like a suspense TV show, Pick the President, which kept the viewers glued to the TV. In some residence halls at Boston College, the entire hall was watching the election with intensity last seen during the 1999 Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees American League Championship Series.
There are negatives, though. A drawback of the election being so close is that it there is almost a 50/50 split in American political views. Since only 50 percent of the American people are going to be happy no matter who becomes president, many problems may arise due to political party affiliation. Many people will probably become suspicious of the ballot counting in light of the controversy in Florida.
The victories that this election won for the American people, however, far outweigh the losses. People will lose faith in exit polls, as well they should, and no longer assume that a candidate has carried a state with 50 percent or less of the precincts reporting. The media kept people in such close touch with the election that, even if one cared nothing about politics in the past, it was very hard to completely ignore the election. In addition, a third party candidate played a major role in the election, and may have altered history by capturing only 3 percent of the public vote. It was with the help of the media and the American people's electoral power that made this election such a success on many levels.
This election will form yet another chapter in U.S. history and someday our children will be studying this election in their american government courses. The media's constant attention has kept the election in the spotlight the past few weeks and the candidates should be credited for successfully appealing to the American public. About 53 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in this election, an improvement over previous elections, so the American public also deserves kudos for getting so involved. Although the election will soon produce a winner, what it brought to this country will have resounding effects.
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