The title of this post was the opening sentence of Dick Tuck’s 1966 concession speech, following his loss in a race for the California State Senate. Such truth telling is rare in American political history.
Other American political observers also provide us solace and dry humor at a time like this, especially Mencken.
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
H.L. Mencken, Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920 (Later reprinted in “On Politics, A Carnival of Buncombe”)
Then there’s this, again by Mencken….
“Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. No one in this world, so far as I know—and I have researched the records for years, and employed agents to help me—has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
H. L. Mencken, “On Democracy”
You see, it is an article of faith when you lose that it’s because you are smarter than the masses, and if only they understood, they would have elected you or your candidate. But enough of the sour grapes. I guess many of us right now share the sentiments of Adlai Stevenson, after his loss to Dwight Eisenhower.
“Someone asked me...how it felt and I was reminded of a story that a fellow townsman of our used to tell — Abraham Lincoln. They asked him how he felt once after an unsuccessful election. he said he felt like a little boy who had stubbed his toe in the dark. He said that he was too old to cry, but it hurt too much to laugh.”
Cheer up. This, too, shall pass.