Throughout the entire process, the Bush team had been arguing against the inclusion of any dimpled ballots. For Bush to win under the variable standards scenario, he would have had to completely reverse his previously stated objections to dimpled ballots in order to get the necessary votes from the punch card counties to overcome Gore s advantages noted above. However, had he done so, not only would he have faced political embarrassment, he would have opened the door for a reconsideration of the Palm Beach and Broward ballots. In other words, the variable standards scenario appears to be a no win situation for Bush. In reality, it is impossible to predict with any certainty, based on the Herald data, what would have happened under the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court.
Uncertainty is the only legitimate conclusion that can be drawn from the data.
Nevertheless, the Herald created bogus and ridiculous scenarios in order to declare Bush the winner. By itself, the data from the Herald manages to prove absolutely nothing. Although there is more than sufficient evidence to say that the Herald did so because of its clear, consistent and unmistakable political bias, the real reason is probably money. The Herald went to considerable expense to do this recount, and the only way it is every going to get a return on this investment is by selling the book it is doing on the recounts. The best way to do that is to create controversy about the results.