Yesterday I removed the McCain ad from my blog, took down the McCain-Palin sign from my front yard and removed the McCain bumper sticker from my front storm door and the bumper of my car.
I think that following an election it is bad form, if you win or lose, to keep your yard sign up for more than a couple days after the election. I live in a small well-defined neighborhood of only about one hundred and fifty homes. I regularly walk the neighborhood to get a little exercise. In my whole neighborhood, there were only three McCain-Palin signs, including mine, and there must have been twenty to thirty Obama signs. I will be glad when all the signs come down.
Winners shouldn’t gloat and losers should accept defeat without bitterness. I read a lot of blogs and visit a lot of chat rooms and am seeing an awfully lot of bitter sore losers and a lot of bloating winners. I think both McCain and Obama set the right tone on election night; McCain was gracious and Obama was humble. That does not mean that one has to stop arguing issues, but one should avoid bitterness or gloating.
I think it is ill mannered for anyone to ask me, “What did you think about the election.” If they know me, they know what I thought about the election. To ask, is to just rubbing salt in the wound. It would be hard for me to answer that question without offending you.
Some people, when they win, feel that their views have been vindicated and they have been proven right. Winning an election does not prove you were right about anything; it just proves your candidate was able to persuade more people they were right. It does not prove your candidate had the better ideas; it proves he was the better salesman. Winning shows that you are in the majority, not that you are right. If you won’t gloat about the elections, I won’t have to point out to you why I think the majority made the wrong choice.
When at a family gathering it is ill mannered to voice your disgust or glee when the President Elect’s name is mentioned. I think it is in poor taste to pontificate, lecture or sermonize about the issues of the day and then take offense when an alternative view is presented. Those who agree with you may think you are brilliant; those who don’t may feel obligated to present an alternative view. If you know you are sharing the holidays with those who do not share your values, maybe you should discuss nothing more controversial than the weather.
Don't forget your manners. Can’t we all just get along?
Top Stories
Posts
I don't know. You sound pretty bitter to me.
ReplyDeleteYou might want to remove that last post from The Onion, then. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have to say, if McCain-Palin had won, I would have been pretty bitter. And scared. The rest of the world, especially, would have disowned us. At least they now know the American People didn't like Bush and the Republicans any more than they did.
By the way- I like your blog. Even though our politics are 180 degrees apart, I like the way you express your honest feelings.
Best,
Lisa
I agree with you 100%. What you advocate is civility and courtesy. I don't see how anyone could argue with that.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you about the yard signs and stickers. Although, I couldn't go as far as sporting a McCain-Palin sign or sticker(I had to swallow hard just to vote for them - but I did it!), I did post a Republican Elephant sticker on my truck just to show which side I supported. I hope it isn't bad manners to keep my elephant sticker on my truck for the next 4 years (or until it falls off or someone tears it off!)
ReplyDeleteAs for the supporters on the other side, "Now that your side has won, do you think you can remove the Kerry - Edwards stickers from the bumpers of your Volvos, Outbacks and Mercedes?!?!"