Local opinion: Winning, losing and victimhood

We win some, and we lose some. That’s how it goes in nearly every aspect of life. As children, we’re (hopefully) taught that there is honor in winning and in losing. The sweetness of victory is diminished without the comparative harshness of losing. Great athletes and great statesmen have spoken often of the lessons they learned in defeat.

The American political arena was designed by our founders to host the competition of ideas. The voters are the ultimate arbiters of which ideas are embraced (victory) and which ideas are rejected (defeat). Of course, it’s never that simple, but the ultimate goal is for ideas to bring voters together.

Until MAGA slithered into our politics, this system relied on acceptance that, after the vote, one side’s ideas won and the other side’s ideas lost. It is empirical. Losing an election is devastating, but leaders with integrity and honor were expected to pick up the pieces, examine why their ideas failed to capture the majority, and step back to recalibrate. This is how political comebacks start.

Not so much anymore. MAGA World simply will not accept defeat, even when it is beyond debate. This is true in elections, judicial decisions, what have you. Their cause is apparently so righteous, the very concept that a majority might disagree is a non-starter. In spite of that, since 2016, MAGA candidates have amassed an unenviable record of electoral defeat. And they’re dragging the GOP down with them.

MAGA brags about overturning a woman’s right to choose. More than 70% of the voters strongly feel otherwise, and the result has been MAGA loss after loss. MAGA embraces dictators like Putin, Xi, Un and Orban. And while polls show nearly 75% of MAGA voters are okay with a Trump dictatorship, polls also show that more than 80% of Americans reject Putin and other dictators whom Trump so shamelessly glorifies. “A Vote for Trump is a Vote for Putin.” There’s a winning bumper sticker we should see more of.

MAGA rejected a bipartisan Senate bill to strengthen the southern border and enhance our asylum processing laws. It was overwhelmingly popular, even among border hawks. Although it wasn’t perfect, it represented an enormous step forward, born of bipartisan compromise (we used to call that “governing”). Only a political death wish would lead someone to oppose it, right? Enter Dear Leader Trump. Kill the bill, he said, because the only legislative victory he can accept is one he can sign and take credit for himself. No apologies to the thousands of people, both immigrants and US citizens in border states, this law would benefit. It’s about him. Not them.

In our history, there have been few political movements as intimately familiar with failure as MAGA. Regular and special election cycles have not been kind to them, and yet, they still cannot lose with honor. Arms flailing, facts disregarded, they point their fingers wildly at anyone and anything and they claim their most prized mantle, victimhood. It’s as repulsive as it is predictable, and of course, it leads to more losses. Perhaps voters are tired of victimhood candidates.

The GOP would do well to remember that the American political system is a competition of ideas. Yet, since 2020, they’ve declined to articulate policy priorities beyond supporting their Dear Leader. Just victimhood and fear. No ideas, precious few victories.

Under MAGA influence, the GOP has also failed to govern with their House majority. It’s incongruous to play the victim while you’re in charge, so they choose not to govern. This election cycle, spare us the suffering victim act. Share your ideas if you have any, and after the vote, please govern if you win, or try something new and lose with a little honor.