Monday, November 13, 2000
Following is the transcript of Vice President Gore's news conference on the Florida vote recount.
GORE: I'll just make a very brief statement.
There's an awful lot at stake here, and what is at stake is more important than who wins the presidency. What is at stake is the integrity of our democracy, making sure that the will of the American people is expressed and accurately received.
That is why I have believed from the start that while time is important, it is even more important that every vote is counted and counted accurately. Because there's something very special about our process that depends totally on the American people having a chance to express their will without any intervening interference. That's really what is at stake here.
And so that's what I'm focused on, not the contest, but our democracy, to make sure that the process works the way our founders intended it to work.
Look, I would not want to win the presidency by a few votes cast in error or misinterpreted or not counted, and I don't think Governor Bush wants that either.
So having enough patience to spend the days necessary to hear exactly what the American people have said is really the most important thing, because that is what honors our Constitution and redeems the promise of our democracy.
Now, if there's any saving grace at all to the extra time that this is taking, it is this: Schoolchildren all over the United States are learning a lot about how a president is chosen in this country. They're learning a lot about our democracy. And families are able to make the point without fear of ever again being disputed that it matters whether or not you vote, and every vote counts.
So register and vote and participate in our democracy.
So that's basically--that's basically all I wanted to say.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
GORE: I'm not going to comment on any of the ongoing legal matters.
(CROSSTALK)
GORE: Thank you.