Mark Shea points out a crucial difference between Republicans and Democrats: The former don’t sign up for psychotherapy after they lose an election:
“In 2000 and even more, in 2004, the Left distinguished itself by the new pitch of narcissistic hysteria it achieved in defeat. Everything from screams of massive voter fraud at the hands of a Vast Conspiracy, to story after story of people needing therapy, having nervous breakdowns, wetting themselves, threatening to move to Canada and generally exhibiting massively adolescent behavior in defeat were par for the course. Raw religious bigotry was de rigeur (‘Jesusland,’ anyone?) It was perhaps the most juvenile response to a political defeat in the history of American politics — and it was a gift that kept on giving for people like me who have a taste for the theatre of the absurd when it is mixed with politics as only Americans do it.
“I mention all this because I am proud to report that this is not the sort of response the losers in yesterday’s election seem to be exhibiting. Sure, a few people out on the fringe will always be there to discern the Endtimes and the Hand of Satan. But as a rule, we don’t seem to be seeing Righties checking themselves in to Aromatherapy Clinics to soothe their bleeding inner child. Nobody is suffering from Post-Election Traumatic Stress Syndrome as they did two years ago. Nobody is weepily pounding on to the their blog site a vow to move to Canada. No assessments seem to be forthcoming about how the American people are stupid, evil, and unworthy of the greatness of those they so stupidly defeated.
“They say you learn more about a person’s true measure in defeat than in victory. I think that’s true. And I think it’s a measure of why, in the long run, this setback will not be permanent. The Dems didn’t win this election. The Right just lost it. The Dems are a party without idea. The Right still has ideas, however, they lost track of them in the drunkeness of power. Hopefully, after getting cuffed soundly they will return to common sense. They’ve certainly made a good beginning by handling defeat with maturity and a measure of grace and common sense.”
Exactly.