The Morning Briefing: Let's Play the Blame Game!

Happy Monday! Kruiser is recovering from his high school reunion this weekend, and the Sine Qua Non Sequitur sent me a postcard from an idyllic beach location that read, “The weather is beautiful. Glad you’re not here.”

Today’s a special day. It’s my younger brother’s birthday, so Happy Birthday, Matt. It’s also Veterans Day, so thank you to all who have served our country. I’m eternally grateful for your willingness to put your lives on the line for our safety, security, and freedom.

We’re now nearly a week removed from that epic Election Night. I’m still in a bit of shock at how well Donald Trump did. I had a gut feeling that he would squeak by with a win, but an overwhelming victory that included a popular vote win was an exciting surprise.

The left is already moving on from Kamala Harris:

Unburdened by what has been. pic.twitter.com/ofX1HNcLhA
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) November 8, 2024

But the blame game is just getting started. Democrats are looking to blame anybody and everybody but themselves for the drubbing they took on Tuesday.

Rick wrote about how Democrats are trying to chalk up Kamala’s big loss to misogyny.

“Instead of looking to her gender for an explanation of her defeat, maybe we should look at the ideas she proposed — or lack of them — to understand why gender and race had very little to do with her crushing defeat,” he wrote.

He added, “Kamala Harris was roundly rejected by the people because she had very little credibility and a majority of Americans turned up their nose to her radical economic plan.”

Speaking of misogyny, Rick shared how the Dems are also trying to blame [drum roll please] white women for Kamala’s loss:

Some women are blaming white women in particular. Why? They voted their pocketbook instead of their vulvas.
[…]
The point [The New Republic] is trying to make is that white women didn't vote the way that their left-wing sisters told them to vote. For that, they should be condemned to the outer darkness.

Matt pointed out that some Democrats are trying to blame Joe Biden.

“In one sense, Biden is responsible for Trump’s victory because he embraced radical leftist policies and his administration was incompetent,” he wrote. “But many of the people who are blaming Biden don’t see it that way, they blame him for not dropping out sooner.”

Look, the Democrats are going to throw the blame at anything except for the real culprits: unpopular radical policies and a pair of inept candidates.

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A Few of My Favorite Things (Right Now)

Here are some of the cultural items I've been into lately.

What I'm watching

Right now, there's nothing new. I’ve been on a nostalgic kick lately, especially since I’ve discovered some free streaming apps.

I’ve been watching old episodes of “The Love Boat” on Paramount+; obviously, that’s not a free app, but the show is as entertaining now as it was in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

I started watching “Knots Landing” on an app called Plex, but I had to put watching it on pause because almost every ad was for Kamala. Now that the election is over, I’m going to pick it back up.

My Roku device also has a channel that runs episodes of “The Price Is Right” from the Bob Barker era 24/7. I’ve been a game show junkie ever since I was a little kid — when I grew up, I wanted to be a game show host — so watching these old episodes is a treat, even if Barker comes across as a bit of a creep in retrospect.

What I'm reading

After the election, I started two books. I’m not too far into either one, but I like what I’ve read so far.

The first one is “Daily Doctrine” by Kevin DeYoung. It’s a clever concept: a systematic theology in the form of a daily devotional. I’m hoping to write in more detail about this book, but so far I love it.

The second one is Boris Johnson’s memoir, “Unleashed.” Johnson has written a terrific history of his political career and a fascinating description of his political ideas. He’s helping me understand UK conservatism a little better, as well as his philosophy of "cakeism": having it and eating it. It’s a rollicking book.

I’m listening to the audiobook, and it proves that not only is Johnson a talented writer — after all, he wrote for the Telegraph and edited The Spectator for years — but he’s also a decent narrator.

What I'm listening to

I’m working on a column to publish sometime (maybe) this week about how Christmas music is comfort music for me, and one of the artists I associate most with Christmas is The Carpenters.

This year, Richard Carpenter released a remastered collection of some of the duo’s best-loved Christmas tunes. “Christmas Once More” is as wonderful as you would expect. (It’s also available on limited-edition gold vinyl, which I’ve ordered.)

I’ve extolled the virtues of 21-year-old singer-songwriter Sam Barber a couple of times here on the Morning Briefing, and I had the pleasure of taking my two youngest nieces to see him live back in October.

His first full-length album, “Restless Mind,” came out on Nov. 1. At 28 tracks, I assume it’s safe to call it a double album. (I’ve also ordered it on vinyl, but it won’t arrive until February.)

Barber’s an unassuming guy with a terrific talent, but I can’t help but believe that he hasn’t really inhabited the lives of the characters in many of his songs: ramblers, gamblers, and heavy drinkers who treat the people they love badly. He’s such a talented writer and interpreter of the songs that you still feel every ounce of emotion.

I’ve said before that he inspires me to pick my guitar up and try again to learn how to play. Now that the election is over, I just might do that.

Have a great Monday!