Trading Politics For Football

T A L L A H A S S E E, Fla., Nov. 19 -- With the future of the presidency onhold for ballot recounts, the state and its politicians turned theirattention to another battleground Saturday night: the footballfield, for Florida vs. Florida State.

“Half the state’s gonna be happy and half the state’s not gonna be happy — just like the football game tonight,” said FloridaState fan Fred Selancy as he mingled with other fans in thepresidential skybox before kickoff.

Even Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who has been at thecenter of the ballot controversy as the state’s chief electionsofficial, was focusing on football. She and husband Anders Ebbesen,came in moments before kickoff.

A few feet away, Gov. Jeb Bush and state Supreme Court JusticesLeander Shaw and Major Harding chatted with friends about the game— and the election.

‘Democracy at Work’

Harris, whose decision not to accept hand recounts in a handfulof South Florida counties was delayed by the state Supreme Court onFriday, conceded the outcome is now out of her hands.

“They’re going to do their job, I’m sure, with integrity asthey always have,” Harris said, in her first public comments sincethe ruling. “It’s the separation of power thing, democracy atwork.”

While Florida voters deadlocked in last week’s presidentialelection between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W.Bush, there was one man who could beat both if the vote were takenSaturday inside Florida State’s 81,000-seat stadium: Seminole coachBobby Bowden.

“I’m a big Gore man, but I’d support Bobby Bowden over just about anybody I could think of,” Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddoxsaid.

The jokes were everywhere, some football, some political. Don’tworry, fans say: If the game ends in a tie, just keep counting.

“I don’t think there will be any recount in the end zone,”Maddox said.