A Wounded Presidency?
In a post-election battle unprecedented in modern history, both George Bush and Al Gore have fought bitterly to undermine the other's credibility, reports CBS News White House Correspondent John Roberts.
The Gore position is that there can be no legitimate winner unless every vote is counted.
"We are very close to knowing who actually won Florida, and who therefore won the presidency," said Gore Campaign Chairman William Daley.
The Bush argument is that there is nothing legitimate about "inventing" votes in a hand count.
"It is sad for the nation. And it is sad for our democracy," said James Baker, Bush's point man on the Florida election/
Both will come away wounded. Can either rise from the scorched earth to govern effectively?
"From where we stand today, it's easy to say that the next president of the United States will be a lame duck from the first day. There's no honeymoon. They're toast. And the thing about it is, four years is a long time," said independent political analyst Charlie Cook.
Crucial to how those four years will go may be how well the eventual winner builds bridges across party lines in Congress.
"If you come to the presidency under a cloud, there's only one way to dispel the cloud, and that is by governing from the center. And reaching out across to the opposition," said Alan Lichtman of American University
"Will it be difficult? In some respects, yes," said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. "Will we have to restrain ourselves one way or another depending on who wins? Yes."
Gore has promised an attempt to heal the wounds should he prevail. Bush went him one better, saying he'd even appoint Democrats to his cabinet. Ultimately, analysts say the memory of this election will fade. And the winner will be judged not on the results of the vote, but the results of his presidency.
"They can create their legitimacy by simply doing a very good job, seeming to be responsive and trying to resolve people's doubts that way," said analyst Cook.
Whoever occupies the White House is likely to have a rough time - at least in the first two years. Many Republicans in Congress would be outragd by a Gore victory. And Democrats are already plotting how they could use a Bush win to take control of Congress in 2002.