AP Photo

Before the 2006 Mexican presidential elections, the candidate of the left, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, cried, “I’m winning, I’m winning.” When he lost by the narrow margin of 0.56 percent, not only did he refuse to accept the results; he announced that he had been the victim of (unsubstantiated) fraud, proclaimed victory, declared “to hell with institutions,” occupied the Paseo de la Reforma (Mexico City’s main thoroughfare) for six weeks, anointed himself “Mexico’s legitimate president,” and appointed a parallel Cabinet.