Yeah, it never went that far. I remember there was a #resistance hashtag campaign that started within about 24 hours. There were a couple days there where it looked like Hillary might press the issue. The tension was palpable. There were definitely some people who were fired up and it was potentially a tinderbox, but it didn’t escalate.
Obama was quick to respond and struck the right tone. He acknowledged the disappointment while reinforcing democratic values and peaceful transfer of power. I remember something to the effect of the sun still rising tomorrow so go out and get involved in productive ways. I felt like he was a calming voice at a precarious time, although I didn’t realize the gravity of it at the time.
It was a similar feeling, however misguided, for some Trump supporters after the 2020 election, but that time we had an outgoing president who fed the fire. I don’t necessarily feel like his supporters were somehow “lesser” people than Democrats in 2016. There have been bad presidents before and there are some pissed off people after every election, but every other president had enough integrity to strike a conciliatory tone and move on. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and good people can become very dark when a leader is bad. Trump is one of those bad leaders.
For me, looking at the aftermath of both those elections just goes to show how fragile our system is and how fortunate we have been for almost 250 years. I used to believe the system itself prevented autocratic rule and tyranny we see in other places. Instead, it all hinges on our continued shared commitment, trust in each other, and belief in core American values. Most importantly, it’s the commitment to those values in the face of defeat and disappointment.