C-O-U-N-T or C-O-U-R-T

As of press time yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden has won the popular vote but the outcome of the US election remains in doubt. The 2020 edition of America votes has lived up to its billing as potentially the most eventful in history. It has exceeded expectations: unprecedented vote counts, early turnout records. It has also underwhelmed: the anticipated repudiation of the policies of the Trump administration just didn’t happen.

The fissure between liberal and conservative camps, right down the middle, makes painfully clear that the US search for its soul will continue to flounder between two distant poles. To the disillusioned, the election result has been an affirmation of a nation’s reconfigured image. To the unapologetic, it was an opportunity for true colors to shine through. Whoever wins will be confronted by a country that needs a more enlightened approach to leadership.

The “battleground” states will continue to accept mail-in ballots postmarked Nov. 3. In Nevada, they wait up to Tuesday Nov. 10, if necessary. In Pennsylvania and North Carolina, the deadline is until noon today (Nov. 6 Eastern in the US). These mailed-in votes will remain significant if the ballots counted still haven’t decided it one way or the other. Arizona only counts mailed in ballots received as of election day, Nov. 3.

By next week, the 50 states start certifying their election results. This should take a few days, up to a week. Should there be disputes that call for recounts, the procedure may take longer. But by Dec. 8, the safe harbor date, all certifications are expected to be in, by federal law. The presidential inauguration is scheduled on Jan. 20, 2021.

1-2-3. In between these milestones, we may see developments to further delay the results. Court cases, the possibility of faithless electors, the permutations to delight conspiracy theorists.

The judicial process has been invoked. We know from reports that President Trump’s team has started to file cases in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia. By all indications, except for the Wisconsin suit, they’ve been nothing more than fishing expeditions. Like his infamous claims of clear victory which render incongruous his charges against election integrity, these suits are not substantiated by fact. So far, the courts have uniformly denied these frivolous calls for intervention.

There is also the potential of ending up with the Kangaroo Court. Marchers continue to mass. Disputes and their resolution are a hallmark of free elections. In the determination of popular will, the right to question outcomes on valid grounds is part of the process. It enriches the exercise of suffrage.

The same may end up before the Highest Court. This prospect has unnerved many as what happened in Bush v Gore has been largely seen as pro-hac-vice or a one-off. The people will never be comfortable with court or street justice impinging on their preferences.

Revolutionary figures. Renowned US golf writer Ron Sirak has anointed Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines as “probably the longest hitter the tour has ever seen.” The US LPGA rookie has been compared to Tiger Woods for her power off the tee and her fearlessness. Her dad says she wants to be the first woman to average 300 yards in driving distance.

Compatriot Yuka Saso, who leads the Japan Tour and is already a two-time winner, is also seen as a game changer for her tour. In her part of the world, she’s been called the new Godzilla. She is ranked even higher than Bianca worldwide: 73 as against 152. Saso will inevitably join Pagdanganan in the US LPGA and complete the Pinoy invasion together with Dottie Ardina, Clariss Guce, Demi Runas and others.

The allure of tours of the US and Japan is in how they’ve opened up the field to internationals, recognizing that competition elevates the quality of play and universalizes the game’s appeal. Ladies golf is no longer America’s home court. It’s been dominated by Asian players: Koreans, Japanese and Thai. This Filipina duo of Asiad Gold medalists look poised to take their place atop the world game. On weekends, instead of the usual Netflix or Tiktok fare, try catching the exploits of these future icons and feel proud to be Pinoy.

The measure of a man. The last book I gave my Mother – around a year before she died – was a biography of Sean Connery by Christopher Bray. Sir Sean was, at one time, the biggest movie star in the world. He was the first to be paid one million dollars, a record that earned a place in Guinness. His two personas were legendary. First, he was James Bond. But it was his second persona, one he feared he may not manage after being 007, that left the more lasting imprint. As himself, Connery was a legend. Women adored him. Men revered him. He portrayed characters far disparate from his Bond image with the gravitas only he could bring to a role. A few of them: Sgt. Danny Dravot, the second coming of Alexander the Great in The Man Who Would Be King; King Richard the Lionheart, an uncredited cameo in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; the Berber chieftain Raisuli in The Wind and the Lion; his Oscar winning Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables; Friar William of Baskerville in The Name of the Rose; convict John Patrick Mason in The Rock; Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius in The Hunt for Red October; Finding Forrester where he plays the titular character molded after J.D. Salinger.

Colleagues admired his professionalism. Industry executives always had him as first choice for characters that were larger than life. You could fill filmographies with roles he turned down. Among others: Thomas Crown Affair (Steve McQueen), Funny Girl (Omar Sharif), Shogun (Richard Chamberlain), Pretty Woman (Richard Gere), In the Line of Fire (Clint Eastwood) and, recently, Lord of the Rings (Ian McKellen) and Harry Potter (Richard Harris).

“Most people have a full measure of life and most people just watch it slowly drip away. But if you can summon it all up at one time, in one place, you can accomplish something glorious.” – Connery as Ramirez, the immortal swordsman, in Highlander.