Differing expectations

I received an email from someone commenting on the bizarre fact that, in the wake of the November elections, it’s the winners who are whining, not the losers.  Putting aside the fact that the losers this time around (that would be conservatives) are a different caliber from the losers in the last to Presidential elections, in that they seek to correct their own failings, rather than pinning the blame on others, I think there’s also a matter of differing perspectives.

Conservatives were concerned that Obama would set them up for instant Armageddon vis a vis the Islamists in Iraq.  That he is pursuing Bush’s course is a great relief, and not something that’s going to incline them to whine.  (We’ll get to that once Obama starts fiddling with the economy.)

Liberals, however, had very different expectations.  Consistent with electing the Messiah, they expected instant troop withdrawal (even though the big O’s not even President), an instant recognition of gay marriage, instant redistribution of wealth, etc.  Rational Obama supporters understand that there is always a divide between a candidate’s promises and his acts — although I suspect Obama’s divide will be more in the nature of a chasm.  For the true believers, however, who actually expected God-like miracles from a man who hasn’t even yet taken office, his every expression of rationality, pragmatism, or bipartisanship is a crushing blow.  Hence the whining.