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Gor's recount case was "Count Every Vote Because Every Vote Counts". Here is a sample of Gore making his case during the recount. IMNSHO, the best speech of this period is from Nov. 27, 2000 (scroll down to read it)
November 8, 2000:
Gore: Yesterday, the people of our country joined together to make a great national decision - to choose the next President of the United States.
We still do not know the outcome of yesterday's vote. And I realize that this is an extraordinary moment for our democracy.
I want to thank the nearly fifty million Americans who gave me their votes and their confidence. And I want to express my deep and profound gratitude to all those who cast their ballots.
We now need to resolve this election in a way that is fair, forthright, and fully consistent with our Constitution and our laws.
What is at issue here is the fundamental fairness of the process as a whole. Because of what is at stake, this matter must be resolved expeditiously, but deliberately, and without any rush to judgment.
Despite the fact that Joe Lieberman and I won the popular vote, under our Constitution, it is the winner of the Electoral College who will be the next President.
Our Constitution is the whole foundation of our freedom - and it must be followed faithfully, toward the true result ordained by the American people in our respective states. We are now, as we have been from the moment of our founding, a nation based on the rule of law.
When our founders pledged their sacred honor to bring forth this republic upon which the hopes of humankind still rest, they affirmed the bedrock principle that Americans have followed ever since: the consent of the governed, given freely in an election process whose integrity is beyond question, is the living heart of our democracy.
It is also crucial that the American people have full faith and confidence in the electoral process from which the President derives authority.
Let me make my own resolve clear: no matter the outcome, America will make the transition to a new administration with dignity, with full respect for the freely expressed will of the people, and with pride in the democracy we are privileged to share. And I want all Americans - and indeed, the whole world - to be assured of that.
I don't believe it is appropriate for me to take questions or comment further at this time. But I am going to ask Secretary Daley and former Secretary of State Warren Christopher to follow this statement with comments of their own. Thank you.
Nov. 13, 2000:
Gore camp demands FBI inquiry
FROM DANIEL MCGRORY IN MIAMI
THE FBI is being asked to investigate how thousands of mainly black supporters of Al Gore were given ballot papers that had allegedly already been marked for rival candidates.
Yesterday Democrat officials were examining claims that up to 17,000 ballot papers in the Miami area had been tampered with in what they described as "organized corruption". Lawyers from across the United States descended on Miami and were busy taking statements from those complaining that they had been cheated or intimidated out of voting for Mr Gore.
A senior Democrat official in Miami, who has hired a team of 20 investigators to carry out an inquiry, told The Times: "Until now in Florida, we have been arguing foul-ups, human error and stupidity. But this is deliberate corruption to spoil votes for Gore and that must be a matter for the FBI.
"We don’t want to be seen as playing the race card here, but the areas where this happened are in poorer precincts, which are predominantly black areas that would be expected to vote almost unanimously for Vice-President Gore. We are not accusing the Republican Party or any other ethnic groups for being behind this. All we are saying is the vote was corrupted. There are just too many double-punched papers."
Jewish leaders in staunch Democrat areas of the city claimed that they, too, had evidence of voting slips being marked before they reached polling stations in areas populated by retired Jewish couples. At a rally in a Miami synagogue, Lisa Versaci, Florida director of People for the American Way, said: "There can be no innocent explanation for a pre-punched ballot sheet."
Republican leaders in Miami dismissed the allegations as "dirty-trick claims". A spokesman said: "A spoiled ballot is not uncommon. There is no dark plot here."
Nov. 14 2000
Gore: 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.
Nov. 16, 2000
Gore: This has been an extraordinary eight days for the American People, and I wanted to speak with you, briefly, about how I believe we should conclude this election.
The campaign is over, but a test of our Democracy is now underway. This is a test we must pass, and it is a test we will pass with flying colors. All we need is a common agreement that what is at stake here is not who wins and who loses in the contest for the Presidency, but how we honor our Constitution and make sure that our Democracy works as our founders intended it to work. This is a time to respect every voter and every vote. This is a time to honor the true will of the people. So our goal must be what is right for America.
There is a simple reason that Florida law, and the law in many other states, calls for a careful check by real people of the machine results in elections like this one. The reason? Machines can sometimes misread or fail to detect the way ballots are cast. And when there are serious doubts, checking the machine count with a careful hand count is accepted far and wide as the best way to know the true intentions of the voters. That is why there have already been partial or complete hand counts not just in two Democratic counties in Florida, but in six Republican counties as well.
We need a resolution that is fair and final. We need to move expeditiously to the most complete and accurate count that is possible. And that is why I propose this evening a way to settle this matter with finality and justice, in a period of days, not weeks.
First we should complete hand recounts already begun in Palm Beach County, Dade County and Brower County, to determine the true intentions of the voters, based on an objective evaluation of their ballots. Observers and participants from both parties should be present in every counting room, as required under Florida law. The results of this recount would of course be added to results of the present certified vote total and the overseas absentee vote total. If this happens, I will abide by the result, I will take no legal action to challenge the result and I will not support any legal action to challenge the result.
I am also prepared, if Governor Bush prefers, to include in this recount all the counties in the entire state of Florida. I would also be willing to abide by that result and agree not to take any legal action to challenge that result. If there are no further interruptions to the process, we believe the count can be completed within seven days of the time it starts.
Nov. 17 2000:
Gore: As I have said all along, we need to get a fair and accurate count to resolve this election. The American people want to make certain that every vote counts, and that every vote is counted fairly and accurately. The citizens of Florida surely want the candidate who received the most votes in Florida do be determined the winner of that state. That’s why I’ve very pleased that the hand counts are continuing. They’re proceeding despite efforts to obstruct them. And that is why the decision just announced by the Florida Supreme Court, preventing the Florida Secretary of State from certifying the election results tomorrow, is so important. I want to be clear: neither Governor Bush, nor the Florida Secretary of State, nor I will be the arbiter of this election. This election is a matter that must be decided by the will of the people, as expressed under the rule of law - - law which has meaning as determined in Florida now, by the Florida Supreme Court.
Nov. 21 2000
Gore: The Florida Supreme Court has now spoken and we will move forward now with a full, fair and accurate count of the ballots in question. I don’t know what those ballots will show. I don’t know whether Governor Bush or I will prevail, but we do know that our Democracy is the winner tonight. I firmly believe that the will of the people should prevail. And I am gratified that the court’s decision will allow us to honor that simple Constitutional principle. The court wisely set a deadline for the conclusion of this counting in order to preserve a reasonable period to resolve any remaining questions.
Nov. 26 2000:
Lieberman: From the beginning of this extraordinary period of time, Vice President Gore and I have asked only that the votes that were cast on Election Day be counted. This evening, the Secretary of State of Florida has decided to certify what by any reasonable standard is an incomplete and inaccurate count of the votes cast in the state of Florida. The Secretary of State has even refused to accept the results of the count in Palm Beach County, which means that hundreds of votes that have already been identified for Governor Bush or Vice President Gore are being discarded. And thousands of hours of work by hundreds of citizens of Florida, Republicans and Democrats and Independents alike, are being ignored.
What is at issue here nothing less than every American’s simple, sacred right to vote.
How can we teach our children that every vote counts, if we are not willing to make a good faith effort to count every vote?
Because of our belief in the importance of these fundamental American principles, Vice President Gore and I have no choice but to contest these actions, as provided under Florida law and in accord with the decision of the Florida Supreme Court. It is in our nation’s interest that the winner in Florida is truly the person who got the most votes. As we have said all along we do not know who will prevail after a full and fair count of every legally cast ballot. But the integrity of our self-government is too important to cast into doubt because votes that have been counted, or others that have not yet been counted, and clearly should be, have unjustifiably been cast aside.
That is why we seek the most complete and accurate count possible. We have an obligation, not just to the fifty million Americans who cast their votes for Vice President Gore and me, but to every American who voted in this election. They all deserve a fair and just outcome, that respects their participation, and does not diminish the value of their votes. And we have an obligation to uphold the Constitution we are sworn to uphold: the ideal of one person, one vote is central to our system of Government and must never be compromised.
We are now going through and unprecedented time in American history. The campaign is over. But what we do now will be as important to the future of our country as anything any of us did during the campaign. We must proceed responsibly, in a way that honors the rule of law, and strengthens the institutions of our free society. We must show the world and teach our children that even in this unparalleled time, America can and will fulfill its democratic values by demonstrating the patience to count every vote that was cast.
We have an opportunity here and we have a responsibility to ensure that this election lifts up our democracy and respects every voter and every vote, no matter what the outcome. And that is precisely what Vice President Gore and I will seek to do in the days ahead.
Nov. 27, 2000:
Gore: Every four years, there is one day when the people have their say. In many ways the act of voting and having that vote counted is more important than who wins the majority of the votes that are cast. Because whoever wins, the victor will know that the American people have spoken with a voice made mighty by the whole of its integrity.
On that one day every four years, the poor as well as the rich, the weak as well as the strong, women and men alike, citizens of every race, creed and color, of whatever infirmity or political temper all are equal. They are equal, that is, so long as all of their votes are counted.
A vote is not just a piece of paper. A vote is a human voice, a statement of human principle, and we must not let those voices be silenced. Not for today, not for tomorrow, not for as long this nation’s laws and democratic institutions let us stand and fight to let those voices count.
If the people do not in the end choose me, so be it. The outcome will have been fair and the people will have spoken. If they choose me, so be it. I would then commit and do commit to bringing this country together. But whatever the outcome, let the people have their say. And let us listen.
Ignoring votes means ignoring democracy itself. And if we ignore the votes of thousands in Florida in this election, how can you or any American have confidence that your vote will not be ignored in a future election? That is all we have asked since election day: a complete count of all the votes cast in Florida. Not recount after recount, as some have charged, but a single full and accurate count. We haven’t had that yet.
Great efforts have been made to prevent the counting of these votes. Lawsuit after lawsuit has been filed to delay the count and to stop the counting for many precious days between Election Day and the deadline for having the count finished. And this would be over long since except for those efforts to block the process at every turn. In one county, election officials brought the count to a premature end in the face of organized intimidation. In a number of counties, votes that had been fairly counted were simply set aside. And many thousands of votes that were cast on Election Day have not yet been counted at all. Not once.
There are some who would have us bring this election to the fastest conclusion possible. I have a different view. I believe our Constitution matters more than convenience. So, as provided under Florida Law, I have decided to contest this inaccurate and incomplete count in order to ensure the greatest possible credibility for the outcome. I agree with something Governor Bush said last night: we need to come together as a country to make progress. But how can we best achieve that? Our country will be stronger, not weaker, if our next President assumes office following a process that most Americans believe is fair. In all our hands now rests the future of America’s faith in our self-government.
The American people have shown dignity, restraint and respect as the process has moved forward. This is America, when votes are cast, we count them. We don’t arbitrarily set them aside because it’s too difficult to count them. In the end, in one of God’s unforeseen paths, this election may point us all to a new common ground, for its very closeness can serve to remind us that we are one people, with a shared history, and a shared destiny. So this extraordinary moment should summon all of us to become what we profess to be: one indivisible nation. Let us pledge ourselves to the ideal that the people’s will should be heard and headed and then together let us find what is best in ourselves and seek what is best for America.
Two hundred years from now, when future Americans study this Presidential election, let them learn that Americans did everything they could to ensure that all citizens who voted had their votes counted. Let them learn that democracy was ultimately placed ahead of partisan politics in resolving a contested election. Let them learn that we were indeed a country of laws.
Nov. 29, 2000
Gore: Hello, again. As I described last night, since Election Day, we have had a single fundamental goal: to ensure a complete count of all of the votes cast in Florida. Not recount after recount, as some have charged, but a single full and accurate count.
That is a purpose that extends far beyond the borders of Florida, because we know that what is done in Florida sends a message as to how we will govern ourselves as Americans.
The American people have shown great patience in these extraordinary days. They understand the importance of getting this election right.
That is why we have asked the Florida courts to recognize what observers of this process know to be true; that is, that the statement of Florida has certified a vote count that is neither complete nor accurate.
I understand that this process needs to be completed in a way that is expeditious, as well as fair. We cannot jeopardize an orderly transition of power to the next administration, nor need we do so.
Two weeks ago, I proposed to forego any legal challenge if Governor Bush would let a complete and accurate count go forward, either in the counties where it was proposed or in the full state of Florida.
He rejected that proposal and instead became the first to file lawsuits. And now, two weeks later, thousands of votes still have not been counted.
This morning, we have proposed to the court in Tallahassee a plan to have all the ballots counted in seven days, starting tomorrow morning, and to have the court proceedings fully completed one or two days after that.
Let me repeat the essence of our proposal today: Seven days, starting tomorrow, for a full and accurate count of all the votes.
Once we have that full and accurate count of the ballots cast, then we will know who our next president is and our country can move forward.
Unfortunately, just about an hour ago, Governor Bush's lawyers rejected this proposal. Instead, they have proposed two weeks of additional court proceedings and additional hearings, right up to the December 12 deadline for seating electors.
And under their plan, none of the thousands of votes that remain to be counted would be counted at all. I believe this is a time to count every vote and not to run out the clock. This is not a time for delay, obstruction and procedural roadblocks.
As I've said, I believe it's essential to our country that there be no question, no cloud over the head of the next president, whether it be me or Governor Bush. We need to be able to say that there is no legitimate question as to who won this election, so that we can bring this country together. That is what we seek.
And so I urge Governor Bush to support our proposal to bring this process to a fair, expeditious and truly democratic conclusion.
Nov. 29, 2000
Gore: If the People of the United States of America, in their individual states, in this case in Florida, make a judgement through their votes, then that can’t be overturned. That’s not to be questioned. And again, when the elections are close and hard fought it’s even more important than at any other time to leave the final decisions not with the politicians, not with the people who control the election machinery, but with the people. That’s what our country’s all about. The revolutionary breakthrough, more than two hundred years ago that lead to our nation, the greatest in the history of the world, was the brave decision by our founders to place ultimate trust in the people of this country. And whenever the decisions about who’s going to lead America are made, they’re made by the people. And anybody who tries to tamper with that is running against the American spirit, the will of the people, and everything this country is based on.
Interview Dec. 4, 2000
Stahl: Make your best case. You're talking to the American people tonight. Make your best case for why you should go on with recounts, assuming these court decisions do go against you and you want to proceed. What's your best argument.
Gore: Well, it's not a recount. We want a first count. There are thousands of ballots that were legally cast that have never been counted at all. When people go to the polls and cast legal ballots, we count them. We don't arbitrarily set them aside and refuse to count some of them, but count others.
Stahl: You make it sound like they never were counted. They did go through the machine count and came up that there was no vote. That doesn't mean they didn't go through the process.
Gore: They were never counted. It means that the computer...
Stahl: You don't know that. There could have been votes that weren't cast.
Gore: The experts, including those called by Gov. Bush in the court hearing, said the only way you can count ballots is to count them by hand.
Stahl: Let's say you get the count or the recount, whatever you want to call it. Let's say you come out the winner. Do you think that George W. Bush will say, 'Okay, I lost, bye-bye, I concede'; as simply as that?
Gore: I think that that's what he should do. I think that whatever the other steps remaining in the process are that he feels are open to him he'd have a right to take. But at the end of the day, whichever one of us wins, the other one should step forward and help to rally the country toward unity.
Stahl: Don't you this think the Republicans are going to say you stole it? Just yesterday their lawyer in court said you want three times up at bat. Other Republicans have actually said you're trying to steal this election. You don't really think that they're going to go quietly?
Gore: That will be for them to decide.
Stahl: You're not really reaching the public with this argument. You have been making it over and over. Every vote has to be counted. There is more a sense that you're asking to change the rules of the game. Can you go on if you lose the public?
Gore: The public I think has shown a remarkable amount of patience and a determination to see that all the votes are counted. Of course it is split - -
Stahl: But it's slipping.
Gore: This isn't easy for any of us in this country. And I know that the Bush family, same as my family, is wanting this to be over. And I know the American family wants it to be over. But as strongly as people feel about that, they feel even more strongly that every legally cast vote should be counted.
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