No butterfly ballot in 2000: is it enough for Gore to win?

[AYC]

Though Ralph Nader often gets blamed for costing Gore the election, political scientists have made a pretty compelling case that the "Butterfly Ballot" in Palm Beach County, Florida, cost Gore juuuuust enough votes (by way of his supporters accidentally voting for Pat Buchanan) to cost him Florida.

So let's say PBC uses a standard, less byzantine ballot, clear enough that mistaken Buchanan voters IOTL correctly choose Gore. Gore narrowly, narrowly wins the state.

How is the dynamic of the recount aftermath different if Gore is leading in votes? Does SCOTUS still intervene?

[orvillethird]

SCOTUS does not intervene, but no doubt Republican commentators accuse Gore of fraud. (After all, look what they did to Obama, who won by big margins. Look at how they treated Gore for seeking recounts- but not Bush, trying to stop them. And, to be fair, Gore did engage in campaign finance shenanigans which were illegal.) We don't see the push for electronic voting machines, "felon" purges, or greater requirement of photo IDs, but similar thins might go under the radar. (Were it not for Florida being close, most would likely not have heard of Palast's reporting on the faux felon purge, and people have still forgotten the SC Primary poll closings.)