If you believe that only your voters constitute the "real America," & that blue America is an alien force looking to irrevocably transform the nation's fundamental character, then by definition, any defeat is illegitimate. (1/2) https://twitter.com/jamesoliphant/status/1345073697988747265

That has been a long-time subtext in GOP messaging but its growing much more explicit in the Trump era. In his Valdosta speech Trump flatly declared: "This is our country...but they are trying to take it from us through rigging, fraud, deception and deceit."

There's a direct line between such messaging & the willingness of more & more Rs to openly subvert the election result. If defeat means that America as we've known it-i.e., an America dominated by white Christians-ceases to exist, ditching democracy may seem a small price to pay.