web analytics

Will Conservatives Riot If Donald Trump Loses?

Comparing 2012's post-election calm with rambunctious 2016.

A plethora of presidential polls highlights that Republicans overwhelmingly approve of President Donald Trump and his administration. GOP voters have never given up on Trump despite the bombardment of toxic media coverage, manufactured scandals, and hysterical Democrats proclaiming the end of civilization. You only need to check out a Trump rally to see a monumental level of enthusiasm unmatched by any politician today – at home or abroad. Should the incumbent lose the election in November, will this type of loyalty and fervor ignite into national unrest among conservatives in Middle America? The cable news networks might champion this narrative, alluding to a niche group named the Proud Boys. But modern history proves the right is passive, patient, and peaceful, even when the government destroys the livelihoods of millions of people and forces everyone under house arrest. The left is, well, the opposite.

A Tale of Two Ideologies

The 2004 documentary, Super Size Me, and the 2006 mockumentary, An Inconvenient Truth, spawned a trend across America of people promising to change their lifestyles and dictate to others how they should do the same thing. One class of consumers vowed to quit fast food, and another group promised to drive only a Prius. Years later, 30 Big Macs are sold every second, and the Ford F-series pickup truck was last year’s best-selling vehicle.

The same principle applies to prominent leftists who threaten to move to Canada if a particular candidate is victorious on Election Day. Despite the winner being a fascist dictator who wants to imprison babies, poison the water, and eviscerate the planet by nuking hurricanes, left-leaning celebrities choose to stay and gripe. It is as if, after all, they did not believe what they were saying. Or perhaps the benefits of living in the United States far outweigh their feigned outrage.

But what about conservatives and even libertarians? Have they threatened to move to Liechtenstein yet? Have they burned down a federal building, attacked police officers, and shut down somebody’s speech? Indeed, right-leaning folks carry on with their lives whether their candidates win or lose. They will go to work, care for their families, and enjoy a barbecue in the backyard. Sure, they may attend a peaceful protest or vent about a political issue on Facebook, but they largely avoid draping themselves in black garments and beating up senior citizens because of their skin color or political affiliation.

Former CNN personality Sally Kohn tweeted on Nov. 8, 2016: “My sense is that if Trump wins, Hillary supporters will be sad. If Hillary wins, Trump supporters will be angry. Important difference.” Suffice it to say, that tweet did not age well.

Right now, the president’s position in the polls does not look great. But while his supporters point to 2016 for the industry’s blunders, many pollsters have adapted and revised their tactics. Even if the real estate billionaire mogul becomes only a one-term president, conservatives will, of course, oppose a Joe Biden administration. Nobody is arguing that he will unite half the nation. At the same time, you will not find the right hurling Molotov cocktails or proclaiming that Biden is Literally Hitler(TM). Fox News may have wall-to-wall coverage of the inevitable gaffes, and conservative pundits will play a game called “Imagine if Trump…” But that is probably pretty much it.

Is that not the American way? Well, tell that to the militant left.

After the 2020 Election

The nation will unlikely know the presidential contest results the night of or day after the 2020 race. But that does not mean we cannot anticipate the reactions on the left and the right.

The day after the 2012 election, conservatives were disappointed that Republican nominee Mitt Romney failed to defeat a fragile but media-endorsed Democratic president. Did riots ensue? Nope.

Following the 2016 election, tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets, denouncing the election results and coming up with a myriad of excuses for Hillary Clinton’s defeat, from fictitious voter suppression to conspiratorial Russian interference. Throughout Trump’s administration, the leftist umbrella has been working overtime. Progressives have gathered to scream at the sky, Antifa has behaved like Brown Shirts and Red Guard fascists, and college students have censored opposing voices and accused anybody they disagree with as being a Nazi. Should Biden defeat Trump, you can anticipate conservatives to keep calm and carry on. You know, the same thing they have been doing the last four years – and the eight-year reign of Obama.

~

Read more from Andrew Moran.

Get Your Top Election Coverage Right Here on Liberty Nation

Read More From Andrew Moran

Latest Posts

Social Media or Bust?

While social media can be a good venue to find and connect with relatives and friends, it has been accused of...

White House Muzzling Free Speech?

The Supreme Court hears arguments against social media censorship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY1v36oBgKc...

Survey Says: It’s Time to Leave New York

Things are tough all over in New York, and a recent citizens survey describes just how dissatisfied residents are...

Latest Posts

Social Media or Bust?

While social media can be a good venue to find and connect with relatives and friends, it has been accused of...