Differences between Republicans and Democrats

Man, the Internet's full of this stuff today. Here's Timothy Noah:

When the Republicans lose a presidential election, it's a shock to their system. When Democrats lose, it mostly just confirms their tragic view of life.

For Noah, this difference is situational:

During the past 40 years, the GOP won seven presidential elections. Democrats have won only four, and all of these were under conditions that were unusually favorable (a Watergate hangover in 1976, a sluggish economic recovery in 1992, a booming economy in 1996, and a very deep recession in 2008).

Of course, it could also be a general attitudinal difference.