Did Conservative Republicans Learn Political Strategy from African Politicians?

The most difficult aspect of a democracy is learning to accept defeat graciously.  President Laurent Gbagbo in the West African nation of Ivory Coast  refused to step down, after losing the 2010 election to his rival, Alassane Ouattara. The ensuing conflict cost thousands of lives.  Similar instances in which the incumbent's supporters refused to accept electoral defeat have caused eruptions in other African nations as well, including Zimbabwe, the Congo and Kenya.   But apparently, it's not only in Africa, that we find political parties unwilling to accept the legitimacy of the winner. 

 The  birther movement and several similar groups emerged after the 2008 election of America's first black president. These groups were drawn from among the 41% of Republicans, who believe that President Obama is not a bonafided American citizen, and thus ineligible to sit in the White House.  Against all rational evidence, some within this movement insist that the President is Kenyan, others believe that he is a citizen of Indonesia and lost his American citizenship.

The U.S. Secret Service,  the federal agency responsible for guarding the President, has thwarted two assassination attempts on President Obama.  It has also been called upon to investigate more threats on the life of this President, its First Lady, Michelle Obama, and their two daughters, than what all previous U.S. presidents were subjected to, in toto.  

Tom Tancredo, a former Republican Congressman, and spokesman for the conservative  "Tea Party Movement" told a crowd:  “This is our country, let’s take it back.”    It's hard to say whether this was his own statement or merely something he translated from Swahili.