Anybody remember way back in 2016 when refusing to “accept the results” of the presidential election — whatever that means — was tantamount to treason? Donald Trump complained about “rigged” elections and was denounced for it, and was pressed endlessly about whether he would “accept the results” of the election, the unspoken subtext there being that he’d lose the election.


I was never sure what those who fretted about his refusal to “accept the results” thought Trump was doing to do. Raise an army?

Funny how quickly things can change. Trump wasn’t even sworn in before Democrats starting complaining that the election was rigged and made clear their refusal to accept its result. The talk about “coups” and such is irresponsible, but that speaks, fundamentally, to what this extended anguish about Russian bots on Twitter and trolls on Facebook is about: The Democrats cannot accept that they legitimately lost the election to Donald Trump.

If Mrs. Clinton had won in 2016, “IRA” would still mean “Irish Republican Army” in the national political conversation.


Somebody should probably start asking the Democrats now whether they’ll “accept the results” in 2020. It isn’t a sure thing.