SCOTUS had no choice but to intervene in 2000 as a function of Judicial accountability. Essentially, they told the Florida Court to cease and desist trying to cherry-pick the result for Gore.
Otherwise, the Presidency would have been decided by the Courts. The left can cry all they want that that is what happened anyway. It is not. SCOTUS pushed aside the interference of the Courts in order to allow the state of Florida to decide its outcome.
The involvement of SCOTUS was unfortunate but necessary to protect the integrity of the process. SCOTUS only altered the process by blocking a lower Court from interference. Florida decided its own outcome, not SCOTUS. Barring that blockade, the lower Court would certainly have successfully interfered with the outcome.
SCOTUS’ involvement was unfortunate but critical.
“Otherwise, the Presidency would have been decided by the Courts. “
That is not true. The Presidency would have been decided by the Florida Legislature and by Congress, exactly as laid out in Article II and Amendment XII, and as further defined by the Electoral Vote Counting Act.
Utilizing procedures designed by the Founders for EXACTLY the situation which obtained in Florida, it was impossible for Gore to become President. Gore could only have won if proper procedures were not followed - if, for example, the Florida Legislature had deferred to the Florida Supreme Court and allowed the appointment of an illegal slate of electors.