12/14/00 2:40 p.m.
Their Own Men at Last?
In defeat and victory, independence.

Robert A. George is an editorial page writer
for the New York Post------------------------------------RAGGEDmail@aol.com

s it over? Can we come up for air now?

Maybe.

Just maybe.

Just one month ago, Rich Lowry wrote in this space, "Everyone talks of how hard Gore would have taken a loss this year, of how devastating it would have been. But maybe it would have come as a release." Gore seems to have found that release. He seems almost human.

No, it wasn't quite the speech the "Washington Bulletin" suggested for him, but given who he is and what he's been, Al Gore's concession (yes, he even said the word) was pretty good. In general, his entire demeanor was excellent. It seemed like a tad too much make-up, but that might have just been my particular TV.

However, Gore gave a graceful exit speech. Of course, he hadto say, that he congratulated George W. Bush on "becoming the 43rd president of the United States," instead of the more appropriate "being elected." That line definitely had a bit of "Shrummery" in it (to use a Peggy Noonan line). There was also no reiteration of Gore's earlier vow not to accept any "faithless electors." That's something to worry about for the next four days.

And there was no apology for the events of the previous five weeks, though he offered a mild, "Neither he nor I anticipated this long and difficult road. Certainly neither of us wanted it to happen." On the other hand, he was the first person to officially call George W. Bush "President-elect." Then again, he was the person who spent the most time preventing that from occurring weeks beforehand.

But, truthfully, Gore was good. He offered his help to Bush (whether he meant it or Bush would it accept it, are other questions). Well, Al, you could do the entire country a favor by forcefully reining in Rev. Jackson. Gore made two self-deprecatory jokes, one at each end of the speech. The first when he said that he told Bush that he wasn't going to call him back this time. Gore's coda, "[I]n a phrase I once addressed to others, it's time for me to go," was almost moving. It brought full-circle the phrase he first introduced at the Democratic National Convention in 1992 that he directed at the Bush-Quayle ticket. Dick Cheney picked it up (by way of the then-hot Survivor) for this year's GOP summer bash. Being uttered at this point by a guy who admits that he doesn't know what he's going to do next is somewhat poignant.

Gore appears at peace, as if the reality of the situation has drained the smugness out of him. Almost, anyway. He seemed sincere. At the very least, he was faking it better than Bill Clinton. The great irony of Al Gore is that it wasn't until the election was done that he finally became his own man. As the first candidate to contest a presidential election, he has his own unique section in the history books. Politically, his speech — late as it was — may yet help provide him a role for the next four years. (But what's with "literally" mending fences in Tennessee? Is he planning on running a Habitat for Humanity in his old home state (which he lost)?)

Gore's speech was a bit better than Bush's because it was pure rhetoric. As the loser, he didn't have to be constrained by the real-world impact of what he was going to say (beyond the world of Democratic politics). But George W. Bush's speech was far more important because the stakes are so much higher: He had to re-introduce himself to the nation, thank his supporters and pass an olive branch to the opposition.

He pretty much succeeded.

The setting was perfect. It was a great touch to have the Democratic Speaker of the Texas assembly introduce him. It underscored the Bush bipartisanship message, though Bush could have cut back on actually explaining the politics behind the location. Sometimes, Bush has the odd habit of thinking like a campaign strategist, rather than an officeholder. He also went a bit overboard in trying to show how diversity-conscious he was going to be: "Race" was mentioned twice as was the phrase, "every background," plus one mention of the rather odd "every accent" (blond high-lighted individuals over here, purple-highlighted people over there?).

But generally Bush hit the right tone. A close win and an almost non-existent congressional majority or not, his agenda remains the same: Social Security and Medicare will still be part of it, as will " broad, fair and fiscally responsible tax relief," a phrase that can be interpreted in any number of ways — and still not necessarily add up to $1.3 trillion.

But, most significantly, it was interesting to see the humility in George W. Bush come through. He asked for the prayers of all Americans (for him, Laura, and the Gores) and declared, " I have faith that with God's help we as a nation will move forward together as one nation, indivisible." Humble, patriotic and graceful. George W. Bush is also, quite clearly, his own man.

Is it over?

Maybe. Just maybe.

God willing.