In the American election one has to lose and one has to win. Losing is never very easy
I would rarely put my name up for an election. I could not handle the experience of losing. Now all my life I have participated in organizations but very few times did I go through an election process. I was appointed to the local library board. I served on many teacher committees and executive. I loved salary negotiations but I guess many didn't like negotiating because is was sometimes difficult to get a whole committee. Again I attended the provincial teacher's association conference. It was an experience that gave me many skills in leadership and debate. I once argued for a motion that didn't even make it to the floor for a vote!. I enjoyed these activities but they were never things that I had to run in an election.
Now some people look at a position and for various reasons, they want the position. People have issues that they would like to push forward. So what I'm talking about here is politics. Some people have a "fire in the belly" and they want to be elected.
People win election but then they have to be prepared to step down or lose an election. People have to be prepared to compromise on many issues. When an issue is seen in black and white things are going to be difficult. One guy loses. One guy wins. Through compromise and negotiation we can sometimes get the best of two worlds or at least find a situation that is acceptable to both sides.
That sad issue is being very poorly played out the U.S. Trump cannot understand why he losing. ( I can't understand how anybody could vote for him.) I can understand Trump not liking to lose. However , when the people say we're finished with you. You have to go. Somehow the message should get through that you've lost.
With some very nasty protests going on it looks like quite a few people do not quite get the reality of losing.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteNo one likes a poor loser, like the one we have now. He will not concede, maybe even lock himself in the white house. He will have to be dragged out. We have had many elections over the years, we did not see Hillary acting like this, she accepted the loss with dignity. Maybe the state of NY will be locking him up for all his crimes. This presidency will go down in the history books as a disgrace.
You're right this guy will be remembered as a very disruptive president as he set many groups against one another.
DeleteYour observations are right on, Red, and some folks are really sore losers. The case in point is an excellent example and one which parents would not want their children to see of a possible loser behaving very badly. It’s even a worse example when the person in question is a world leader and very unfortunate. Winning isn’t possible all the time, but some people apparently never got the message.
ReplyDeleteKey to your comment is "example. Trump was a terrible example.
DeleteWhen you have the man discrediting the very process that gave him power in the first place, and his son howling that "Patriots need to be prepared for war" these are very dangerous times. The fact that they are putting up such a fuss about this loss demonstrates very clearly to me that their desire for the position had absolutely nothing to do with love of country and everything to do with love of power. It reminds me of the closing chapters of Animal Farm
ReplyDeleteWell said. Your comments summarize the evil that this guy set in motion.
DeleteI think it will get worse when the race is finally called and the Trumpers realize it's over. No telling how awful it will get. :-(
ReplyDeleteI hope your wrong. I hope Biden's win will take the wind out of the sails of the protesters.
DeleteI hope it doesn’t come to violence there.
ReplyDeleteI think cooler heads will prevail unless Trump gets loose and actively campaigns for violence.
DeleteWell, it's not just in America, it's in every democracy. It's gotta be tough to lose so publicly and famously. Ask Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Al Gore. But if you enter the contest, you have to consider the possibility of defeat. It's important to keep self-respect in defeat. It's also important to be gracious in victory.
ReplyDeleteWell said. If those considerations are made things will be much better.
DeleteIt is a bummer in every way to watch how Trump and his supporters are handling this. If not for our ridiculous Electoral College, the election would be called already. I can't wait for this to be finally over.
ReplyDeleteHow long will this go on after the final tally. Many moves can be made to keep the election on the agenda.
DeleteThe Rump years have been a disaster from the beginning. It will take 4 years to just begin to clean up the mess. Probably longer.
ReplyDeleteYour last two words are close to being right. It is a mess and they have taken quite a few backward steps.
DeleteHope the results can be accepted and violence avoided.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say how things could go. I agree with your hope.
DeleteSo happy to say that the election has been called and Joe Biden has prevailed! Oh Happy Day!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on cheering Biden.
DeleteA very good analysis of people's motives and desires. As for Trump. Hopefully it's all over.
ReplyDeleteIt's over with Trump but he's going to fight for a while. The scary part is that he's still president for a while.
DeleteTrump lack morals, values, human dignity and brains!
ReplyDeleteTurn this around. He has many horrible characteristics.
DeleteExcellent post Red. I believe the true character of a person can be seen in how they accept a loss. It is never easy to lose as you said but I truly appreciate a person that can lose with grace and many good people are able to do that. No, I don't expect to see that with Trump and that is sad for everyone involved. I am uneasy about what may be ahead of us in the coming days in regard to protests. Before we even knew the results Trump supporters were protesting with guns at the counting locations. But for right now it is wonderful to see the Biden supporters celebrating in the streets!
ReplyDeleteThe guns are scary in the protest. I hope things will be calm.
DeleteI really like what Debby said. I'll just ditto that.
ReplyDeleteShe nailed it.
DeleteNot everyone is grownup enough to handle things like this with grace.
ReplyDeleteBeing an old middle school teacher, kids were able to handle loss much better than this guy. Kids lost hard fought battles in basketball but didn't lose their heads or composure.
DeleteDebby said it well.
ReplyDeleteAs for whether I could be a gracious loser, I only ever held positions that no one else could be Persuaded to fill. So I never had to worry about that particular problem. lol
I hear ya. there's enough to do without having to be elected.
DeleteWhen we lost four years ago, the Obama/Biden team left with grace, as expected. Not so this time.
ReplyDeleteSome people can be very classy in a loss.
DeleteOur country is sadly divided. I don't envy President-elect Biden's job of trying to pull us together again. I've never seen it this bad.
ReplyDeleteMuch harder than losing itself is being a GRACIOUS loser.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I think? Those who are losers in this election were pretty poor winners in the last one. I think the winning side this time around will show more grace and compassion than they did in helping to heal our country.
ReplyDeleteMany protests were organized before the election was over BLM had many protests planned. So it is not all election related.
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge divide in America right now...and how the Liberals acted the past four years does not help the healing process.
I don't have much hope for our economy anymore...or jobs...or for us middle class people who will have to bear the brunt of the tax cuts as it will all trickle down and be more expensive for us to live.
If he were a real man - a man with dignity and balls - Trump would know that it was his duty to the American people to leave with healing grace. However, the way he is currently leaving is adding fuel to the rancorous behaviour of hardcore members of his tribe. It is as if he doesn't really care about America - just about himself. What an utter prick!
ReplyDeletewhen people win you are happy ,it is natural indeed but when they loose they are of two kind ,one who can control their emotions and deal situation with diplomacy though an other kind finds it hard and show it's Original colors which is good for those who avoid that when they voted for them in past :)
ReplyDeletegreat post as always dear Red
blessings!