Trump's sore winners make even worse losers: Why his loss is inflaming an already delusional base

[marmar]

(Salon) Shortly after the 2016 election, a funny thing happened. Rather than celebrate the victory of their candidate, Trump supporters took on the position of aggrieved victims. When they should have been happy, they were angry. When they should have been confident, they were insecure. When their votes showed that they had power, they felt marginalized. And, even though they won, they felt that the process had been unfair.

Their mood was vengeful and their attitude was combative. And that was when they won.

Now that their candidate has lost fair and square, we need to brace ourselves for their predictably vicious response.

As Salon's Amanda Marcotte has pointed out, even if Trump had won, we knew we would need to be prepared for the inevitable crybaby response of his supporters. As she puts it, the key word to describe Trump's base is "bitter":

Turn on Fox News any random night, and it's a full blown whine-fest about how alleged "elites" are trying to control them and ruin their lives. The fact that their party controls most state governments, the White House, the Senate and the federal courts never factors in. The narrative is one of perpetual victimhood.

If you feel like you are a perpetual loser, even when you are winning, then things will only get worse when you actually do lose. .............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2020/11/11/trumps-sore-winners-make-even-worse-losers-why-his-loss-is-inflaming-an-already-delusional-base/

[The Genealogist]

1. Happens with conservative religious types, too

Incessant cries of persecution, the so-called "war on Christmas, etc,"

[Laelth]

2. Yes. That's their modus opperandi, and it works.

How to counter it? I have no idea.



-Laelth

[paleotn]

3. Whiners.....

who can't seem to find their own boot straps. Ironic, really. They blamed Obama for their shit jobs, but were perfectly happy with their shit jobs under Donnie. Give them an extra Hamilton in their pay checks every two weeks and they feel rich and "liberated." Rubes are cheap.

[underpants]

4. 👀 WOW great article. The Dr. Spock at the end was spot on.

The fundamental hypocrisy of the winning victim might be mind-melting, but you have to admit it sells well. It offers its proponents a chance to take absolutely no responsibility for themselves while also occupying a position of self-righteous superiority. You get to take no blame, bully and harass, spew hate-filled bile and still cry about how everything is unfair and everyone is out to get you.

[Laelth]

5. +1 That's it. n/t

-Laelth

[Wicked Blue]

6. Anger is their mission in life, their identity

Look at Republican women smiling in photos. Those are angry smiles. They seem to enjoy being angry.

Maybe there should be a 12-step group for them called Anger Anonymous. And I'm only half kidding.

[Mariana]

7. That's why his incessant whining appeals to them so much.

They've been told all their lives that they're being oppressed and persecuted for being white, for being male, for being Christian, and so on and so on. Trump validates their entire worldview when he complains about how unfairly he's been treated by everyone. They really relate to that and they consider him a hero for "speaking the truth" as they imagine it.

It was the same with Sarah Palin in 2008. The very same people who fervently support Trump today loved it when she complained constantly for months on end about "gotcha questions" and the like.

[Phoenix61]

8. They are perpetual teenagers.

Complaining when asked to shoulder some responsibility for themselves but angered when supervised like a child.

[Solly Mack]

9. K&R