Gore was recounting votes in democrat districts he had already won. I live in Broward County. It was an embarrassment to our country to watch our local democrat commissioners on t.v. examining hanging chads and giving additional votes to gore. As I recall, that's why the U.S. Supreme Court was appealed to and stepped in. Gore was being allowed to overule Florida's election laws with his selective hand counts.
He also selected districts that had enough crooked democRAT commissioners that he would likely get several votes drawn from thin air. You're right - it was the selective recounting that was highly questionable. Remember when one canvassing group tried to lock out republicans?
That's the wrong way to say it.
Two branches of the Florida government, both elected by the People, were at war and trying to produce opposite results.
Fortunately for Bush, the branch on his side had sole Federal Constitutional authority in the matter, and, also fortunately for Bush, his party had a large majority of State delegations in the House of Representatives.
There was no possible way for Al Gore to become President, regardless of the illegal actions of the Florida Supreme Court (unless Bush and the GOP agreed). At the worst, the President of the Senate (Mr.Gore) would have received two envelopes from Tallahassee for counting, and would have placed the matter before a joint session of Congress, where he would have been (politically, legally, and definitively) defeated.