Democratic elections, that is, ones that proceed by way of the vote, imply winners and losers. The more importance that voters place on their choice’s victory, the more difficult it is for them to accept their choice’s defeat, if or when it occurs. The undeniable rudeness and conflict that characterizes our political sphere bears witness to the breakdown of a consensus that once existed in the background of American politics. There was a general sense of respect for the other side, conditioned by the sense that, at the end of the day, we were all Americans that want the same things. In 2008, John McCain famously responded to a woman claiming she could not ‘trust Obama’ by saying, “he’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and…