Being a gracious winner is overrated and there’s nothing wrong with being a sore loser.
As far as being a “sore” loser goes, show this writer a “good” loser, and he’ll show you a loser. There’s nothing wrong with letting a loss bug you and eat away at you, especially if it helps provide some much-needed life motivation.
(Society could stand to benefit from quite a bit more of that sort of shame and introspection, but that’s neither here nor there.)
As far as how it’s overrated to be a gracious winner … Look, sportsmanship and decorum obviously have their place in civilized society.
But there are times when tough love — or “tough grace,” if you will — isn’t just recommended, but almost necessary.
Take, for example, the biting victory speech put forth by the new Houston mayor, John Whitmire.
As reported on by the Houston Chronicle, Mayor-elect Whitmire handily beat Sheila Jackson Lee in a landslide win, 64.4 percent to 35.6 percent in a special election Saturday night, and didn’t pull punches when describing his fellow Democrat in a victory speech.
“People want to go to work for me because we respect people. We don’t bully people,” Whitmire said in a Saturday night victory speech, per the Chronicle. “My family taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated, and that works wherever you are, regardless of what community you’re visiting with.
“Treat these individuals like you want to be treated.”
Should Sheila Jackson Lee leave politics?
Whitmire was clearly referring to an October audio leak that exposed some ugly behavior from Lee. The audio leaks revealed a voice that many think is Lee, berating staffers in a positively degrading way.
Elsewhere in his victory speech, Whitmire noted how “fed up” he was with Lee’s constant boasting and bragging, particularly when it came at the expense of other Democrats in the local delegation.
Lee, a card-carrying Democrat and documented Trump hater, is no stranger to the hysteria and theatrics emanating from the three ring circus known as the modern Democratic Party.
Whitmire, while still a Democrat (and therefore not fully trustworthy), at least seems to understand a basic reality of the modern American society: People are sick and tired of being sick and tired about the partisan hackery that has consumed American politics.
People are hurting — and painfully reminded of that fact during the time of year where gifts are expected to be purchased — and don’t have the time or patience to see grown adults squabbling like children instead of passing legislation to improve their lives.
And because of that, how can anyone find fault with Whitmire’s potshots at Lee in his victory speech?
Whatever one may think of the Democratic Party, it’s inarguable that swathes of America will likely always remain under some semblance of deep blue control. Given that, even Republicans and independents should be demanding more of that party — and not more theatrics.
A fawning, congratulatory victory speech from Whitmire would only embolden the worst behaviors of Lee and further hurt her constituents.
Applying some shame — assuming Lee has any — and pressure is exactly what any right-minded Democrat should be doing.
And to be clear, this is not an exclusively Democrat problem. There are plenty of Republicans (some in name only) who are far more enamored with shallow style than actual substance.
It’s high time the American government started working for Americans again, instead of focusing on itself.
If it takes “sore winners” to be the agents of change for that, so be it.
