Democrats are less likely to accept defeat than Trump.

[Beet]

For all the talk of Trump refusing to step down if he loses, or there being Republican violence-- the same things were said in 2016. The news media hounded Trump over whether he would accept defeat, while ignoring the possibility that he would actually win-- which turned out to be the case.

A similar dynamic is at play here. A recent polls show that Biden supporters are less likely to accept that a defeat was fair than Trump supporters.

A Biden defeat would be way worse and more traumatic for Democrats than a Trump defeat would be for Republicans.

If Trump loses, the Republicans merely lost running a guy with every scandal in the book, an undisciplined man with no experience, no business being in office in the first place, who was never popular, mishandled a pandemic that got 200,000 people killed, lost 10 million jobs, betrayed the country, broke the law, bragged about sexual assault, etc. etc.,

A shame, but not exactly something to be ashamed of. Republicans would still have a strong bench in 2024 with people like Haley, Rubio, Hawley, Cotton-- people who can do the same politics as Trump without the foibles. They would be facing an old, doddering establishment politician who doesn't inspire much enthusiasm and is at odds with his own base.

In other words, things would not be too bad.

If Biden loses however, the Democrats would be in cataclysmic shape.

For the first time in American history, the winner of the popular will have lost the election twice in a row. Democrats would have to face the fact that they are a majority denied power.

The Supreme Court would be in apocalyptic shape for them. Ginsburg, and likely Breyer would be gone, a 7-2 conservative majority likely by the mid-2020s.

Trump has never shown himself as a man who has governed for all Americans. He has never, unlike past Republican presidents, even made a pretense of differentiating his role as President and his role as leader of his Party. He governs for his base only. He makes no bones that anyone who opposes him can be mercilessly derided, and anyone who helps him will be praised, regardless of their nationality.

The Democrats would be totally shut out, with no consideration, no recourse, no nothing.

In this case, I do not believe the Democratic base would be able to accept the result. Biden would: his life is over anyway. He gave it "one last shot" and did it for Beau. He can go to the grave at peace. It won't be like an Al Gore situation that tortures him.

But his supporters will be in Hell.

[Devout Centrist]

So?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

That’s because Trump is actually doing objectionable things to sabotage democracy. Trump is only pretending that Biden is doing objectionable things so that he can save some face when he loses. Huge difference.

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

Yes. Trump is fueled by ego.

Democrats are fueled by years of the erosion of our democracy.

[Hammy]

Say what you want, but there's light years of difference between supporters of one side questioning the fairness of an election and the other side advocating a coup to maintain power if they lose.

[Brittain33]

That’s because Trump is actually doing objectionable things to sabotage democracy. Trump is only pretending that Biden is doing objectionable things so that he can save some face when he loses. Huge difference.

This. Plus, only Democrats have to worry about winning the popular vote by 2, 3, or 4 points and still losing the electoral college and the Presidency again.

[SnowLabrador]

Say what you want, but there's light years of difference between supporters of one side questioning the fairness of an election and the other side advocating a coup to maintain power if they lose.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

There's a difference between 'accepting a defeat was fair' and 'accepting defeat'. However, I think Democrats will have plenty of convenient narratives to cloak themselves in so that they can do the former despite simultaneously being cognisant of the imbalances in this election.

"Bernie/Warren would have won," and "Emerging Democratic Majority" are the most predictable, but I'd also watch out for claims that no other Republican could assemble the Trump coalition and that Democrats need to nominate an ethnic minority to win in the 21st century.

[Red Wall]

No surprise. The left never concedes elections.

[Roemerista]

Democracy for Democracy sake is not moral.

Donald Trump is the greatest force of evil I've seen in my lifetime. I do believe that he and his enablers are agents of Satan. So, no, in the event he is reelected we shouldn't meekly accept it.

[Rand]

You think the riots and fires are bad now?

Just wait.

[Non Swing Voter]

I disagree that a Biden defeat would be worse for Democrats.  For a lot of Trump fanatics he's basically their reason for living.  If he gets defeated they won't even care about the Republican Party anymore.