But this may not be official until December 18, when the Electoral College votes. A few thoughts on this waiting game. First, it helps to put the imperial presidency in its place. America, it will turn out, will be able to survive for six weeks or more without clear knowledge of who will be the next president. Men and women will go to church, go to work, eat, and procreate, all without knowing who will occupy the Executive Mansion.
State legislatures can convene and go about the business of the states.
In short, life will go on. Second, it may foster discussion of the uniquely American institutions which have been designed to safeguard freedom, such as the Electoral College. Now that the Democratic candidate, Al Gore, appears to have won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote, one can expect howls from the leftist Coastal Establishments to get rid of the Electoral College. Rather than signal that it is time to scrap the Electoral College, this election may be a good case for keeping it in place. According to the Washington Post, Al Gore won the popular vote by a tally of 48,566,617 to 48,332,264, pending the final results from Florida.