# The level of civil unrest we would see if Trump wins in 2020 in particularly galling fashion **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 20, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897 "2019-02-20T15:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/41 "2019-02-21T19:41:22Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There are still plenty of Democrats that believe their side was cheated out of the presidency in 2000. And 1968, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/42 "2019-02-21T19:46:12Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There are still plenty of Democrats that believe their side was cheated out of the presidency in 2000. Yes, but Al Gore himself was not on the internet and TV every week complaining about being cheated out of the Presidency which is a scenario I could see happening if it was Trump. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/43 "2019-02-21T20:21:05Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > My biggest fear for 2020 is that we have a repeat of what happened in the 2000 election where the results were still not clear the morning after Election Day. And the recount situation ended up in the courts. I think the way Al Gore handled himself afterwards showed a lot of grace and humility on his part(I say this as a Republican who voted for George W.); I don’t think if Donald Trump was in Al Gore’s place he would have handle it as well as Gore did. I imagine Trump would always believe he was cheated out of the Presidency and never conceded he was defeated honestly. Hell, thump has been bitching for the last two years that he was cheated out of the presidency AND HE WON! ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/44 "2019-02-21T20:26:48Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Yes, but Al Gore himself was not on the internet and TV every week complaining about being cheated out of the Presidency … Yes, agreed. > [@dorvann](#): > > … which is a scenario I could see happening if it was Trump. It’s certainly a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/45 "2019-02-21T20:31:09Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > And 1968, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004. “Cheated” when one’s side loses by over 500 electoral votes?? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/46 "2019-02-21T21:04:09Z")
1972: Even with Watergate, yes, Nixon was going to win. Massachusetts and DC knew better, but it took the rest of the country a couple of years to figure it out for themselves. 1984: The reference is likely to Reagan’s “October Surprise” deal with Iran to hold the hostages until after the election, in return for arms shipments. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/47 "2019-02-21T21:14:15Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > … 1984: The reference is likely to Reagan’s “October Surprise” deal with Iran to hold the hostages until after the election, in return for arms shipments. Wouldn’t that have been 1980? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/48 "2019-02-21T21:26:56Z")
Not to hijack, but the 1968 Nixon election was illegitimate because Nixon worked behind LBJ’s back to torpedo peace negotiations with North Vietnam. And since the 1968 election was illegitimate, that also makes the 1972 election phony, since he would not have been the incumbent but for cheating. Ditto for 1984. In 1980 Reagan sabotaged Carter’s hostage negotiations with Iran, convincing the mullahs that they’d get a better deal with him (which they did, as Reagan sold arms to Iran to arm the Contras). Thus in 1984 he would not have been the incumbent and that race was illegitimate. Back to the subject at hand: we know that if Democrats eke out a narrow win in 2020, Republicans will be up in arms for the rest of our lives. They still haven’t gotten over Bork, for goodness sake. If a Republican win is as tainted as the OP proposes, then I fully expect the good people of America not to take it lying down. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/49 "2019-02-21T21:34:14Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > My biggest fear for 2020 is that we have a repeat of what happened in the 2000 election where the results were still not clear the morning after Election Day. And the recount situation ended up in the courts. I think the way Al Gore handled himself afterwards showed a lot of grace and humility on his part(I say this as a Republican who voted for George W.); I don’t think if Donald Trump was in Al Gore’s place he would have handle it as well as Gore did. I imagine Trump would always believe he was cheated out of the Presidency and never conceded he was defeated honestly. On the topic of 2000: I think Gore’s grace and sportsmanship in that election was purely a one-time thing on part of the D’s. If a 2000-type election went down again in 2020 (Trump wins by the narrowest of margins, or even, any Republican from now on, winning by a hair,) I expect the Democrats to contest it forcefully with a capital F. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897/50 "2019-02-21T21:46:16Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Wouldn’t that have been 1980? Yes. Okay, Mondale had no chance either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-level-of-civil-unrest-we-would-see-if-trump-wins-in-2020-in-particularly-galling-fashion/829897.md?page=2)