“Sore winner” syndrome: Why are Donald Trump’s supporters still so angry? Abraham Lincoln understood

[Rob L 3,811]

They won the battle, but the war's not over — and in their hearts they know they've surrendered to ugliness

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON

http://www.salon.com/2016/11/17/sore-winner-syndrome-why-are-donald-trumps-supporters-still-so-angry-abraham-lincoln-understood/

TOPICS: ABRAHAM LINCOLN, CIVIL WAR, DONALD TRUMP, ELECTIONS 2016, HATE CRIMES, HATE SPEECH, PRESIDENT TRUMP, SLAVERY, NEWS, POLITICS NEWS

(Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar/Salon)

It’s not surprising that the election of Donald Trump would cause an upheaval in civil society. The differences between the two visions of America that were presented in this campaign couldn’t be more stark, and it’s inevitable that they would play out beyond the political system.

Much of the unrest on the left has taken the form of protest marches and school walkouts, while the right is more inclined to drunken hooliganism, flying the Confederate flag and the like. This is America. We have free speech and a right to assemble, and regardless of how we feel about the “message” being sent by people on the other side, they have a right to say it.

But there also have been many reports of anonymous defacing of property with white power slogans and other racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic phrases. And there are now hundreds of stories of individual acts of bullying and even hate crimes coming from people who call themselves Trump supporters, aimed at fellow Americans they see as their enemies.

We could see this in the Trump rallies, of course. They bristled with resentment and barely repressed violence. And no one can possibly argue that the candidate didn’t use those dark emotions to motivate his followers. In a “60 Minutes” interview with Lesley Stahl, Trump admitted that he did that consciously. When Stahl pointed out that people are scared, Trump had to be coaxed to say this:

Don’t be afraid. We are going to bring our country back. But certainly, don’t be afraid.

Has any president-elect ever been asked to reassure the American people that they needn’t be afraid of him and his followers? It’s astonishing. Trump’s lack of understanding about why they are afraid is even more so. He seems to think people are soothed by his saying “don’t be afraid” — followed by “we’re going bring our country back,” as if that were a threat.

And that’s exactly what scares them. It’s clear he wants to go back to a time when women, people of color, immigrants and those with minority religions were second-class citizens. They are terrified of what Trump has promised to do to deliver that lost world back to a swath of America that seems to hate them.

Trump outfoxed the system and won the whole thing without even getting a majority. He heads an undivided government and has the chance to leave a mark on the country for generations with at least one appointment to the Supreme Court. He has the power to enact his entire agenda with very little institutional resistance. And yet his followers are still filled with outrage and frustration, lashing out at the reeling and defeated left.

An incident in Brooklyn this past weekend illustrates the phenomenon. Two women in a restaurant were bemoaning the election of Donald Trump when a man and his wife sat down next to them and became incensed about what the two women were saying. The manager moved the couple to a different table and gave a meal without charge to calm the two down. But after leaving the restaurant the man stormed back in and punched one of the women in the face. He told the manager he wanted to kill her. (Fortunately, the woman was not seriously injured.)

This is just one random incident but it raises the question: Who gets that mad after winning? It’s not as if the two women were rubbing the man’s nose in defeat. Why would something so ordinary as complaining about the election cause a man to hit a stranger (a woman) in the face?

Edited November 17, 2016 by Rob L

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

I love it when people protest democracy

[Rob L 3,811]

I love it when people protest democracy

Just a few weeks ago folks here were trying to school me that we don't live in a democracy...which is it?

[MarkPerry 488]

I love it when people protest democracy

They are just butt hurt they didn't get their way.

Buck Up Snowlfakes

Edited November 17, 2016 by MarkPerry

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Just a few weeks ago folks here were trying to school me that we don't live in a democracy...which is it?

I know you are smarter than that

[Rob L 3,811]

I know you are smarter than that

foolish me , thought I could trip you up

[MarkPerry 488]

I spend a lot of time on hunting forums in Texas and have a fair number of friends. Everyone I know is happy as they can be with the results. This is like when the US Hockey Team won the Gold medal back in the 80's beating the Russians.

This is good times for us Trump Supporters, We just laugh at the snowflakes crying in the streets about the results.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

I spend a lot of time on hunting forums in Texas and have a fair number of friends. Everyone I know is happy as they can be with the results. This is like when the US Hockey Team won the Gold medal back in the 80's beating the Russians.

This is good times for us Trump Supporters, We just laugh at the snowflakes crying in the streets about the results.

White power!

[yuna628 9,533]

I spend a lot of time on hunting forums in Texas and have a fair number of friends. Everyone I know is happy as they can be with the results. This is like when the US Hockey Team won the Gold medal back in the 80's beating the Russians.

This is good times for us Trump Supporters, We just laugh at the snowflakes crying in the streets about the results.

Really? Surely what you meant to say was this is like the US Hockey Team handing the Gold Medal to the Russians, because it was just too hard to bother to show up and play the match.

[Rob L 3,811]

They are just butt hurt they didn't get their way.

Buck Up Snowlfakes

You did read the article didn't you?

[JayJayH 546]

Both campaigns this year were built up around hate prejudice. Whether it was protesters being punched at Trump rallies, or Trump supporters being beaten up in the street, is there really a difference? I'm seeing a lot of reports of minorities being harassed, which is absolutely despicable. I'm also seeing reports of people being harassed and beaten up by protesters.

It all boils down to this: "The opinions I attribute to you are horrible, and you should be physically harmed and harassed because of the opinions I think you hold."

Some of the best, warmest and most welcoming people I have ever met had Trump yard signs.

Some of the most amazing, loving people I have ever met voted for Hillary.

Edited November 18, 2016 by JayJayH

[Rob L 3,811]

Both campaigns this year were built up around hate prejudice. Whether it was protesters being punched at Trump rallies, or Trump supporters being beaten up in the street, is there really a difference? I'm seeing a lot of reports of minorities being harassed, which is absolutely despicable. I'm also seeing reports of people being harassed and beaten up by protesters.

It all boils down to this: "The opinions I attribute to you are horrible, and you should be physically harmed and harassed because of the opinions I think you hold."

Some of the best, warmest and most welcoming people I have ever met had Trump yard signs.

Some of the most amazing, loving people I have ever met voted for Hillary.

So if the author is not too far offbase, and by facebook posts of my Trump friends I have to say it is true, why are Trump supporters post election so dissatisfied with the outcome?

[eieio 1,594]

Salon OMG. Worse than tabloid trash.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Both campaigns this year were built up around hate prejudice. Whether it was protesters being punched at Trump rallies, or Trump supporters being beaten up in the street, is there really a difference? I'm seeing a lot of reports of minorities being harassed, which is absolutely despicable. I'm also seeing reports of people being harassed and beaten up by protesters.

It all boils down to this: "The opinions I attribute to you are horrible, and you should be physically harmed and harassed because of the opinions I think you hold."

Some of the best, warmest and most welcoming people I have ever met had Trump yard signs.

Some of the most amazing, loving people I have ever met voted for Hillary.

Your common sense in this season of insanity is refreshing .

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

First Twitter, and now Salon. Such credible sources for the left. But don' t you DARE post a Foxnews link on here...