When I ordered a pizza there was another one - Gore. When I paid the bill there was a third president - Bush. When I walked out on to Ocean Boulevard there was no president because Bill is now the husband of a senator from New York. German newspapers were more sanctimonious, with several arguing that America's electoral system was outdated and undermined the legitimacy of the eventual winner. In Moscow, an elections official said the disarray in America demonstrated the superiority of the Russian system.
Russian elections are more democratic and easier to grasp for the voters.
Cuba's President Fidel Castro did not pass up the opportunity to lampoon America. State television showed him walking along the beach in his olive green uniform and boots. The Lebanese daily, Al-Safir, had to apologise to its readers for incorrectly reporting that Mr Gore had won, but used the occasion to needle Arab dictators who stage overwhelming election victories for themselves. Perhaps it is because of our deep-rooted experience of Arab democracy, particularly in Lebanon, where results are given before the poll, which is then held only to confirm the correctness of the declaration.