His avenging of the bitter defeat that his father, former President Bush, suffered in 1992, and the abrupt end of the Clinton era, is cause for partying. But even assuming a quick recovery from the Florida strife, Bush will need to show remarkable leadership skills if he hopes to accomplish any significant piece of his campaign agenda. Building a bridge to moderate Democrats may not even be his toughest task. The GOP's base sent a shot across the Texan's bow last week, with House Majority Whip Tom DeLay serving notice that his loyalists would be sending him healthy chunks of conservative legislation next year. So much for the idyllic notion of a happy coalition government.
History also suggests a difficult road ahead.
No other president who gained the White House without a popular mandate went on to win re-election. With Bush facing an economy that may finally have run out of gas, and Democrats vowing revenge, the president-elect has his work cut out. If Bush's future is hard to predict, Gore's prospects are even murkier. He clearly will emerge with powerful ammunition with which to extend his political career. The vice president will be able to say he not only won the popular vote but that, if every Florida ballot had reflected voter intent, he probably would have won the electoral count, too.