03 15 01

SORE LOSERS


Before I begin to rant about the blatant hypocrisy and downright inaccuracy embedded in the Bushies' constant mantra of "sore losers!", let me confess something - I am not a gracious loser. When I DO 'lose', I get really cranky; in fact, at times I act downright petulant. I would certainly be able to make a better case against the accusations of poor sportsmanship if I pretended to be a humble type, full of goodwill to those who best me, but I'd be lying if I said those things.

As a child, I'd frequently knock over board games if my opponent won; as an adult, I clench my fists and paste a phony smile on my face, hoping my opponent doesn't hear my teeth grinding. I hate to lose. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I refuse to play the game Risk with my fiance because he has a stupid, boring, pointless strategy that almost always beats mine, unless I throw out enough nasty comments to interrupt his concentration. I'm extremely competitive, both in games and in real life, and I don't like it when the other side wins.

When Bush Sr. beat Michael Dukakis in '88, I was furious. But let's clarify - I wasn't furious at Bush Sr. for winning the election. He clearly had the support of more voters, and whether or not I agreed with his policies, he was a legitimately elected President. My fury was directed at the American people who were stupid enough to vote him into office. Likewise, when I lose a boardgame, I don't get angry at my opponent for winning - I get angry at myself for losing (and, well, okay, I also get angry at the stupid, pointless game). This is an important distinction. However, it doesn't mean that I'm going to pretend I'm a gracious loser, because I'm not. Oh, sure, I'll admit defeat, but I won't pretend to be happy about losing, because what idiot would be happy to lose? Losing sucks!

The right-wingers gleefully accuse those of us who are angry over the stolen election of being 'sore losers' without stopping to think about what that term means. They're certainly correct when they say that we're sore - we're sore as hell - but where, exactly, do they get the notion that we're "losers"? What did we lose?

We didn't lose the popular vote - Gore won that handily. We didn't lose Florida - Gore clearly received more votes there. We DID lose the US Supreme Court case, but since Republicans were calling us sore losers long before that decision came down, one can't reasonably assume that the 'sore loser' label is a result of that loss. So where does the label come from?

You got it. It's yet another example of right-wing projection.

Let's go back eight years, to a happier time, when Bill Clinton defeated both George Bush and Ross Perot and won the presidency. And let's pause for a moment to reflect upon the gracious attitude of the Republicans after their defeat, their humble concession that the people had spoken and the best man had won. Let's remember how the Republican leadership urged their followers to unite behind President Clinton, and worked their tails off to achieve bipartisanship and a spirit of harmony in Washington. Let's say a special little prayer of thanks to men like Newt Gingrich, who emerged as such a heroic example of graciousness and statesmanship, and Bob Dole, who stood up and proclaimed to the country that President Clinton was a legitimate President. Let's tip our collective hat to that bastion of truth and justice, Ken Starr, who put partisanship aside and refused to engage in a witch-hunt against a sitting President.

And, now that we've taken our fun little trip to Wonderland, let's face the facts - the right-wingers aren't just sore losers, they're childish, bitter, hateful, self-serving, blame-dodging, fact-twisting, mean losers. They spent eight years screeching that President Clinton wasn't "legitimate" and did everything within their power to trash and destroy a man who had beaten them fair and square.

Fast forward to the present, and we see these same Republicans, after cheating, harassing, lying and stealing their way to a so-called "victory", pointing their fingers and chanting "sore loser! sore loser!" at those who dare to stand up and tell the truth. It's no surprise that the sore loser label was trotted out at the first opportunity...right-wingers have a long and intimate knowledge of what it is to be a sore loser.

In fact, Republicans are still acting like sore losers, even while they continue to pretend that Shrub actually won the election. For nearly two months we've had to listen to them carping on and on about President Clinton's pardons, because they simple can't bear the fact that so many people still admire and respect Clinton. At the same time, they fly off the handle at the suggestion that perhaps other presidential pardons were as bad or worse, and sharply reprimand anyone who asks why other Presidents shouldn't be held to the same standards as President Clinton.

They accuse us of being sore losers because we don't agree that the man who received fewer votes nationwide and fewer votes in Florida should be pushing an extreme right-wing agenda. They then refuse to acknowledge that Shrub lost the popular vote, even going so far as to say 'Well, so many votes were thrown out that it's not even certain that Georgie actually lost' in the same breath as their assertion that 'The votes thrown out in Florida were the voters' fault; those weren't real votes!'. It seems improbable that any sane human being could hold the view that too many votes were thrown out to know for sure who won the popular vote, and AT THE SAME TIME hold the view that the votes thrown out in one state weren't "real" votes, but then, Republicans consistently turn probability on its head. The one consistent trait of right-wingers is their unending ability to be inconsistent.

The Bushies continue to tell us that we should "get over it" - when they pause for breath in the midst of their Clinton-bashing. "Move on!" they shriek, "We have more important things to do, like continuing to trash Clinton's legacy because we don't like him! You're a sore loser!"

Sheesh, talk about lousy sportsmanship. Not only do they whine and complain when they lose fairly; they take gloating to new levels when they "win". Because the US Supreme Court voted narrowly in their favor, they trumpet their "victory" and expect everyone to behave like good little sheep.

Telling those of us who love our country and are willing to fight for the principles of democracy to "get over it" is roughly comparable to telling a rape victim who wants her attacker to be punished to "get over it". Speaking for myself, I'll "get over it" when every lying, hypocritical, cheating right-winger is ousted from office and punished for their role in stealing the election. And not a minute earlier. Get over that.

Unfortunately, there are a large number of people in this country who are cowards, and who tremble in their shoes at the prospect of being called a "sore loser". And so, they remain quiet - but they're watching. And they aren't as stupid as the right-wingers think they are.

The hypocrisy, self-delusion, projection, propaganda and outright lies coming from the Republican party is neverending. And right-wingers are so firmly entrenched in sore loser mode that it's doubtful they'll ever dig themselves out of it.

Which is a good thing, because they need the practice. Come 2002 and 2004, they're going to have PLENTY to be sore about.



~Rose

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