As the presidential election controversy enters its second calendar month, residents of West Philadelphia -- like the rest of the nation -- remain divided on how the situation should be resolved. With hundreds of thousands of Florida ballots awaiting a possible recount in Tallahassee and Supreme Court arguments set to begin today, the presidential election saga promises to continue for quite some time. And despite the delays, many residents supported recounting the contested ballots. "I think they should recount all the ballots in Florida," said Vince Whittacre, a resident of the Cedar Park neighborhood west of Penn's campus, who supports Al Gore's call for recounts. He and others stressed the importance of obtaining an accurate count despite the delays the process entails. But many others felt that the election should be certified for George W. Bush as soon as possible so the country can move on -- especially to improve the image of the U.S. in the rest of the world. "I hope this will end soon," said Lancine Coulibaly, a citizen of the Ivory Coast who has lived in the U.S. for eight years. Though he could not vote in the election, the Spruce Hill resident noted that the ongoing controversy has tarnished America's image in the international community. "This is a country that everybody's looking at," Coulibaly said. He noted that in many nations, America is viewed as an example of a democracy that works, and the election crisis has only belied that image. "It makes America look like a Third World country," he said. A few residents also expressed concern that political interests have had too much influence in the controversy. "I don't think she should have certified it when she did," Whittacre said of Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who boldly certified the state election in favor of Bush last week. Harris, an outspoken Republican and manager of Bush's Florida campaign, has been under sharp criticism recently from Democrats for trying to end the recounts prematurely. Some residents even blamed recent declines in the financial markets on the election controversy. "What really bothers me is this has a negative impact on the stock market," said Anthony Kutovoy, a resident of the Spruce Hill neighborhood just southwest of Penn's campus. "I feel very bad about this because I have a lot invested." But perhaps the most echoed sentiment among residents was a desire for the whole saga to be resolved, no matter what the outcome. "I just want it to end," Kutovoy said, noting that the drawn-out controversy has made him "very ambivalent" about the ultimate result of the election.
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