Bush Supporters Celebrate High Court Ruling

W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 13, 2000 -- As Al Gore and his advisers tried to decipher the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that appeared to end his chances of winning the presidential election, George W. Bush’s jubilant supporters loudly called for the vice president to concede.

When Bush’s supporters realized late Tuesday the Supreme Court had overturned the Florida Supreme Court’s decision to order the recount of thousands of disputed votes, cheers erupted outside the hallowed halls of the high court. The court, which had been silent all day as observers waited for the justices to render their decision, suddenly erupted with applause and roars of approval.

Bush backers may get what they want tonight, when Gore is scheduled to deliver a speech announcing he’s bowing out of the race.

This morning, two lone demonstrators stood outside Gore’s private residence at the Naval Observatory in Northwest Washington. Holding signs reading “Gore 2004” and “Impeach Bush,” they seemed to acknowledge that the Texas governor would be the next president.

Bush Backers Taunt Gore

But Tuesday night, the scene outside Gore’s residence was raucous. Bush supporters honked their horns and called for him to bring an end to the election controversy.

“Five to four, no more Gore!” Bush supporters chanted in reference to the Supreme Court decision. “Concede now! Concede now!”

Bush supporters also appeared to have fun taunting Gore, standing outside the residence and calling on him to start packing his bags and relinquish the keys to the man they want as its new resident: Bush running mate Dick Cheney.

“Get out of Cheney’s house! Get out of Cheney’s house!” they chanted.

40 Acres Meets Superman

In the days leading up to the decision, the chanting and shouting by Gore and Bush supporters was good natured. Hundreds of protesters collected outside Gore’s residence and on the steps of the Supreme Court in downtown Washington.

But once in a while, the arguments between both sides turned nasty and required U.S. Capitol Police, who were watching over the crowd at the Supreme Court, to move in quietly to keep the peace.

John Boyd traveled to the high court to be a part of this event and brought his huge mule along. The animal’s name is 40 Acres, and Boyd said he is symbolic of what he believes is the theft of his vote by Republicans — just as slaves were denied the 40 acres and a mule promised them so many years ago.

To counter Boyd, Republicans had Superman — a man in blue tights, red Speedo-like briefs, and a red cape carrying a sign reading, “The End.”

Supporters on opposing sides stood nose-to-nose, pointing fingers at each other each trying to out-shout one another. And the now familiar “Sore Loserman” Republican signs — a play on “Gore-Lieberman” — that became so popular in Florida were mainstays outside the Supreme Court.

Despite the Supreme Court’s final ruling — and in light of the justices’ division over part of the decision — there may be no cease-fire declared between Bush and Gore supporters.

ABCNEWS’ Jim Hickey contributed to this report.