WASHINGTON -- The U.S. presidential election will soon be over. Finally. And likely resulting in what most people expected all along: a George W. Bush victory.
Al Gore, who can prevail only through an improbable court decision overturning Florida's original vote and series of recounts, now faces the greatest risk of fighting on. However, no one looks good after weeks of political and legal skirmishing.
* George W. Bush's premature victory tour. Instead of hitting the battleground states -- Iowa, New Mexico, Oregon and Wisconsin all narrowly fell to Gore, while Florida barely went for the Texas governor -- an overconfident Bush visited states like New Jersey, which he had no chance of carrying. One more trip to Florida might have made the torturous recount unnecessary.