Transition of Power: The Presidency Page #3

---

We're tracking,

looking at the ballots,

noting where

the hanging chads are.

NARRATOR:

In late November,

nearly three weeks

after Election Day,

George W. Bush is ahead

by 537 votes

and is officially certified

as the winner in Florida.

Gore still refuses to concede

and continues his fight

for a recount in the courts.

ANITA McBRIDE:
The decision on

who was going to be president

of the United States was made

over five weeks after Election

Day and had to be decided

by the Supreme Court

in December.

NARRATOR:

On December 12,

just 39 days

before the inauguration,

the Supreme Court makes

its ruling against Al Gore.

Florida's decision stands.

While I strongly disagree

with the court's decision,

I accept it.

And tonight, for the sake

of our unity as a people

and the strength

of our democracy,

I offer my concession.

NARRATOR:
Bush wins

the election, but at a price.

His transition time

is cut in half.

McBRIDE:

We lost a lot of time in 2000

because it was unclear who

the president was going to be.

So it was very difficult, made

it much harder to get started.

NARRATOR:

Even as he takes office,

President Bush

still has thousands

of appointed positions to fill.

Then, just eight months

into his first term,

the unthinkable happens.

-TEACHER:
Get ready.

-STUDENTS:
More!

-TEACHER:
Yes. More. Get ready.

-STUDENTS:
Life!

-TEACHER:
Yes. Life. Get ready.

-STUDENTS:
Light!

NARRATOR:
On the morning

of September 11, 2001,

the president is at

a Florida elementary school

promoting his education

initiative.

CARD:
He was sitting in front

of these second graders.

I walked up to the president

and I leaned over and whispered

into his right ear,

"America is under attack."

NARRATOR:

During the modern transition

of presidential power,

a new administration must fill

4,000 jobs

to run the government,

a process that usually takes

several months.

But in the close election

of 2000,

one president's transition time

is cut in half,

leaving many security positions

unfilled.

CARD:

President George W. Bush

did not have

a very long transition,

because his transition

really didn't start

until after the Supreme Court

had decided

a very contentious election.

NARRATOR:

After eight months on the job,

Bush's administration

is just getting up to speed,

when he's forced to confront

the deadliest terrorist attack

on U.S. soil.

CARD:

I walked up to the president

and I leaned over and whispered

into his right ear,

"A second plane

hit the second tower.

America is under attack."

McBRIDE:

And George W. Bush,

now the 43rd president

of the United States,

became a wartime president

in a matter of seconds.

CARD:

Presidents have to be nimble

and deal with the world

as it is.

Not the world

that they want it to be.

And President Bush

clearly was given that

in spades

on September 11, 2001.

I can hear you,

and the people who knocked

these buildings down

-will hear all of us soon!

-(cheering)

CHERTOFF:
9/11, although

it occurred months

after the inauguration,

still occurred early

in an administration.

There were many positions

that were unfilled,

had not been confirmed.

The FBI director had been

on the job for ten days.

NARRATOR:

The crisis is a wake-up call

for a new administration.

CARD:
September 11, 2001

played a role

in President Bush wanting

to make sure that his successor

would have better tools

available to help him

do the job.

CROWD (chanting):

U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

ANNOUNCER:

Ladies and gentlemen,

the President

of the United States.

NARRATOR:
Seven years later,

as Bush prepares

to hand over power

to Barack Obama,

he gives a mandate

to his entire staff.

This peaceful transfer of power

is one of the hallmarks

of a true democracy,

and ensuring that

this transition is as smooth

as possible is a priority

for the rest of my presidency.

NARRATOR:

For the first time ever,

national security staff

from two administrations

come together for a joint

crisis training drill.

CHERTOFF:

So we put together a scenario

designed to make sure

everybody understood

what would happen if there

was a terrorist attack.

Who would have

what responsibilities,

what kinds of tools

would be available?

SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO:

We're literally seated

next to the person

we were replacing.

The role I was taking on

was a very heavy role

with a heavy responsibility.

It was a humbling moment.

9/11 really changed things.

We're in much too serious

a state of affairs

in the world these days

to play games

with a transition.

(bell tolls)

I love this country.

-(crowd cheering)

-Thank you. Thank you very much.

NARRATOR:

Once the election is over,

the transition of power

gains momentum,

as political rivals

put country first.

Donald Trump is going to be

our president.

We owe him an open mind

and the chance to lead.

NARRATOR:

Within days,

the president-elect is invited

to the White House,

a symbol of a peaceful transfer

of power.

I very much look forward

to dealing with the president

in the future,

including counsel.

GAGE:

One of the questions that

usually comes up

in this critical period

between November and January is:

what is gonna be

the relationship

between

the outgoing administration

and the incoming

administration?

NARRATOR:
The president-elect

may be eager to begin,

but his authority is limited

while the sitting president

is still in charge.

Hello, everybody.

-Some of the harsh words...

-DOYLE:
Technically,

he or she has great power.

But an outgoing president

has almost no political capital

remaining;

he or she is a lame duck.

Michelle!

Lame duck.

That's really good.

This is one of the better ones.

HUGHES:
The term "lame duck"

actually originates from London

and the stock market.

In the 18th century,

the term was meant to refer

to an investor

who had defaulted

on their funds.

So, that term carried over,

in the 19th century,

when political reporters

started referring to

politicians who had

lost an election

but were still holding power.

NARRATOR:

Today, the lame duck period

lasts about ten weeks.

But it used to be even longer.

The Founding Fathers originally

set the inauguration

on March 4, a full four months

after the election.

HUGHES:

You have to remember that

when the Constitution

was written,

it took a long time

for people to get from point "A"

to point "B,"

so therefore, March 4

seemed like the perfect date.

NARRATOR:
The time lag

is supposed to ensure a smooth

and orderly transition.

But it can also create

a power vacuum,

a period of uncertainty that,

in one election year,

threatens the very survival

of the nation.

November 6, 1860.

Republican Abraham Lincoln

wins a contentious election,

promising to stop

the spread of slavery.

His victory creates a revolt

in the Southern states.

Six weeks later, South Carolina

secedes from the Union

and six other states follow.

Outgoing president

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes