If McCain wins, will you Obama supporters handle it as well as Bill Kristol plans to handle the Obama victory?

Bill Kristol gives you some reasons why you should:

1. It would be a victory for an underdog....

2. It would be a defeat for the establishment....

3. It would be [anti-Bush]....

4. It would be a victory for freedom....

5. A McCain victory would be good for liberalism....

If McCain wins, think of this column as a modest contribution to cheering up distraught liberals. If Obama prevails, I’m confident there are some compassionate liberals out there who will do the same for hapless conservatives as they hobble out to the wilderness.

If Obama wins, some Obama supporters will gloat and taunt. I won't, but it will happen. Bill will have to deal with that. I can believe he won't gloat and taunt if McCain wins, but, obviously, some will.

Kristol makes me think about how I felt on election night in 2004, as I sat watching the returns, fully believing that I would see John Kerry's victory. I had already adjusted to seeing my man lose:

Yes, I care a lot about the outcome of the election, and I'm sitting here waiting for the news to come in, sampling the dribbled out exit polls, and fretting. But at the same time, I feel complete assurance that as soon as the outcome is known, I'll fully accept it. Either man will make a decent enough President. I think Bush deserves to continue in office, but if it is to be Kerry, Kerry can handle the job too.... Despite all this political blogging, I'm not really all that political.... It will be nice to break loose from the grip of politics that has held us for so long. As I blogged long ago, I've had preferences in presidential elections going all the way back to 1960, and only one man I've supported has been President. (In case you've forgotten or are not a long-time reader, that man was Bill Clinton.) I'm accustomed to spending election night seeing my man lose.

You young people who think it will be just terrible if you don't get your way this time, let me tell you: I was over 40 before I saw my candidate for President win.

... Basically, I am a grand supporter of losers. My support is the kiss of death. Oh, no! Have I gone all pessimistic? No, no. It is equanimity that flows through me. Time for a nice glass of win, a plate of pasta with Bolognese sauce, and a calm absorption of reality.

UPDATE: "A nice glass of win" -- ah, so hope does live on! Time for a nice glass of wine and toast to hope! A glass to be refilled later, perhaps, in a quenching of sorrow!

ANOTHER UPDATE: 10:53 p.m. Maybe I am going to get that nice glass of win after all....

Ha ha. That was so weird.

The worst thing about an Obama loss -- something Kristol doesn't mention -- is the Bradley effect. After all these polls, if Obama doesn't win, people are going to think that racial prejudice played a role. Because of this, it's very hard to say that because McCain supporters will handle a loss well, Obama supporters should too. It will hard not to feel disillusioned if the polls have misled us.