# What to do if you lose an election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 12, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957 "2017-01-12T14:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/1 "2017-01-12T14:34:02Z")
It’s simple. You pull out all the stops, marshal vast resources, do everything in your power to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of your opponent. It’s not a new tactic, it’s been used often in the past, by the Republicans for example when Obama was elected. But never before has it been done with such venom, such employment of dirty tricks, such leakings of unsubstantiated reports as by the Democrats this time. You may hate Trump, and probably do, but this massive effort to undermine his legitimacy is a real threat to the integrity of Presidential elections and it makes the US a far shabbier place. It’s some comfort that some of the serious journals, like [the NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-intelligence.html), are investigating the sources of these BS rumors about Trump and exposing the hands of both his early Republican opponents and the Democrats. May this return in future Presidential elections to bite the Democrats royally in the ass. Maybe then the lesson will be learned that Presidential election results need to be accepted if democracy is to survive. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/2 "2017-01-12T14:37:15Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > It’s simple. You pull out all the stops, marshal vast resources, do everything in your power to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of your opponent. It’s not a new tactic, it’s been used often in the past, by the Republicans for example when Obama was elected. > > But never before has it been done with such venom, such employment of dirty tricks, such leakings of unsubstantiated reports as by the Democrats this time. Full stop, do you have something better than an unsubstantiated accusation that the Democrats did this? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/3 "2017-01-12T14:39:18Z")
So Trump’s years of evidence-free birther bullshit, which made him prominent in politics, doesn’t count? And what evidence is there that the leaks (whether true or not) were coordinated by any significant number of Democrats, or any high ranking Democrats? Your “never before…” is just ridiculous hyperbole. The vast majority of the attacks on Trump have been based on things Trump said and did. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/4 "2017-01-12T14:43:47Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Your “never before…” is just ridiculous hyperbole. The vast majority of the attacks on Trump have been based on things Trump said and did. And, if we’re going to play the “never before” game; _never before_ has such an unqualified and disgusting person every won an election to such high office. If there was every a time to “pull out all the stops, marshal vast resources, do everything in your power to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of your opponent,” that time is now. At least if you love your country and your children. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/5 "2017-01-12T14:45:16Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > But never before has it been done with such venom, such employment of dirty tricks, such leakings of unsubstantiated reports as by the Democrats this time. You may hate Trump, and probably do, but this massive effort to undermine his legitimacy is a real threat to the integrity of Presidential elections and it makes the US a far shabbier place. Trump doesn’t need anyone’s help. He undermines his own credibility every time he opens his mouth or tweets another idiotic petulant screed. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/6 "2017-01-12T14:46:32Z")
I don’t recall any opposition party trying to delegitimize a presidency prior to Republicans in 2009 and Obama. They met on Inauguration night to work in lockstep to destroy his presidency in the crib. Can anyone provide a prior example? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/7 "2017-01-12T14:47:52Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > It’s simple. You pull out all the stops, marshal vast resources, do everything in your power to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of your opponent. It’s not a new tactic, it’s been used often in the past, by the Republicans for example when Obama was elected. > > But never before has it been done with such venom, such employment of dirty tricks, such leakings of unsubstantiated reports as by the Democrats this time. You may hate Trump, and probably do, but this massive effort to undermine his legitimacy is a real threat to the integrity of Presidential elections and it makes the US a far shabbier place. > > It’s some comfort that some of the serious journals, like [the NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-intelligence.html), are investigating the sources of these BS rumors about Trump and exposing the hands of both his early Republican opponents and the Democrats. > > May this return in future Presidential elections to bite the Democrats royally in the ass. Maybe then the lesson will be learned that Presidential election results need to be accepted if democracy is to survive. Attacking Trump’s rampant stupidity is destroying the very foundations of democracy? How can this travesty occur? And with such venom and dirty tricks! In fact, there’s investigators in New York right now, and you won’t BELIEVE what they’re finding! Funny how the world didn’t end when Trump did exactly that, with far less substance, years ago. And that nasty rumor about how Russia influenced the election for Trump, which he denied until he was not-orange in the face? He just admitted that they did. This isn’t a new thing, as you said. This is Republican chickens coming home to roost, and NOW it’s such a bad thing. I’m happy they’re getting a dose of their own medicine, and find the flavor to actually be pretty shitty, even as they continue to do it. The attacks on his “legitimacy” ended with the recounts - his competency, integrity, and virtue are what’s being questioned, and for good reason. He’s shown little evidence of any of those. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/8 "2017-01-12T14:48:52Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > But never before has it been done with such venom, such employment of dirty tricks, such leakings of unsubstantiated reports as by the Democrats this time. Except for the time the Republicans did it to Hillary Clinton. And Barack Obama. And John Kerry. Also Al Gore. Not to mention Bill Clinton. > [@aldiboronti](#): > > You may hate Trump, and probably do, but this massive effort to undermine his legitimacy is a real threat to the integrity of Presidential elections and it makes the US a far shabbier place. Trump threatens the integrity of the Presidency and makes the US a far shabbier place whenever he opens his mouth. > [@aldiboronti](#): > > It’s some comfort that some of the serious journals, like [the NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-intelligence.html), are investigating the sources of these BS rumors about Trump and exposing the hands of both his early Republican opponents and the Democrats. I thought NY Times was fake news written by has-been Liberal losers? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/9 "2017-01-12T14:54:12Z")
It began in '92 when Bill Clinton “picked” what was supposed to be the Republicans electoral lock on the Whit House. Bob Dole said bitterly, of Clinton’s mere plurality of the popular vote, “We’ll (meaning the Republicans) just have to represent the (whatever percentage it was) that didn’t vote for him.” And Bill Clinton was the first modern President not to get the traditiopnal “honeymoon” period. The Democrats also engaged in some “delegitimization” of “W” Bush, but it’s an easier thing when the guy actually does get fewer votes (hello, trump) than his opponent. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-if-you-lose-an-election/776957/10 "2017-01-12T14:56:11Z")
I would move this to the Pit but there is already a thread there about the leaked documents and as this is substantially the same topic as the ongoing thread in this forum about the leaked documents, I’m closing this. [/ moderating]