A Trump supporter in New York City across the street from the Hilton Midtown Manhattan Hotel, where the Republican candidate gave his victory speech on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
As lame-duck President Barack Obama met yesterday with President-Elect Donald Trump, we Americans got the first taste of our new reality. The White House will become Trump’s home on January 20.
But scarcely a moment has passed since Tuesday's election that frustrated anti-Trump partisans haven't blamed someone or something for an outcome they view as shocking and catastrophic.
So who is responsible for Trump’s triumph?
Blame the reporters for failing to interview disaffected voters in the Upper Midwest. Blame media companies for cutting the number of journalists capable of explaining how Rust Belt people really think.
Blame the anchors for not asking the right questions. Blame the talking heads for yapping without listening.
Blame the TV executives for using Trump's rise to boost their own ratings. Blame the news business for providing too much entertainment.
Blame pollsters, prediction markets, and quantitative experts for their ill-founded statistical confidence and myopic analysis. Blame readers for lack of awareness that an improbable event is still mathematically possible.
Blame the electoral college for giving us an antiquated and undemocratic formula. Blame the electors not willing to “faithlessly” betray their obligations come December 19.
Blame the #NotMyPresident protesters for being late to the scene and not uttering a word when it mattered. Blame the hidden, underground Trump fans for not revealing their true feelings until Election Day.
Blame the poll workers who allowed intimidation and scare tactics. Blame voter suppression for low minority turnout.
The People
Blame the Hispanics who voted Republican because they love America and want to assimilate. Blame the blacks who lacked passion for Hillary Clinton, the candidate who stood awkwardly on stage with Jay-Z and Beyonce.
Blame the women who overlooked allegations of groping and assault to vote for a sexist. Blame the men who called Clinton a "bitch" and stopped her from breaking the glass ceiling.
Blame the two-faced indignants who were offended only when their own wives were threatened with indecency.
Blame the millennials who refused to be passionate about pulling the lever for an uninspiring, pragmatic, experienced centrist. Blame the old folks for believing our next president will restore the U.S. of yesteryear.
Blame white people for still being the demographic majority. Blame racists for being bigoted, intolerant, and xenophobic. Blame the alt-right for tribalism, ethnocentrism, and nationalism.
Blame the evangelicals for embracing a nihilist who holds nothing sacred except the exercise of power. Blame the Jews who control too much. Blame the Muslims for making fear great again.
Blame the proud ones. Blame the differently abled. Blame the PC police.
Blame the multiculturalists for underestimating their culture war opponents. Blame the apathetic liberals for neglecting to volunteer in Pennsylvania. Blame the cheese-eaters of Wisconsin.
Blame the merchandisers selling stuff for and against. Blame the internet for treating the election like a giant meme.
Blame the “half” of America -- a 47 percent plurality of those who voted -- for not being numerous enough. Blame the 43 percent of Americans registered to vote who didn't bother going to the polls.
Blame the 6 million blue asses that stayed home and the 6 million that voted yellow or green. Blame the 60 million who said “yea” and the 60 million who said “nay.”
The Politicos
Blame the Trump campaign for lies and deceit. Blame the victor himself for malicious words and hateful rhetoric.
Blame Hillary's campaign for strategic complacency and a lack of transparency. Blame the Clintons for scandalous tendencies and dubious foundation activities.
Blame Hillary’s lack of charisma for her defeat. Blame the corrupt campaign finance system’s dark money and Super PACs. Blame the big banks. Blame the slow economic recovery.
Blame Barack Obama for being an imperfect leader who inspired a brutal backlash.
Blame the Republicans for letting their party be hijacked by an outsider. Blame the conservatives who pretend a cabinet of GOP hardliners is poised to "drain the swamp."
Blame Bernie for not winning enough. Blame the Bernie bros for never rallying around the winner of the primaries. Blame the third-party candidates who siphoned off votes.
Blame the libertarians who voted for an authoritarian. Blame the wealthy who voted with their pocketbooks. Blame the corporate shills for being company men.
Blame the civil rights advocates for pushing too hard the last eight years. Blame the immigrants who became scapegoats.
Blame the wounded veterans and fallen heroes. Blame the generals on television. Blame the nuclear codes for their new owner.
Blame the FBI for interfering. Blame WikiLeaks for more damn emails. Blame Putin for hacking.
The Deplorables
Blame the legions of Trump hats. Blame the Twitter trolls and armchair activists.
Blame the poor for classism and economic hardship. Blame the uninformed for their miseducation.
Blame the rural people for saying Trump represents their best interests. Blame the anti-establishment ideologues who think Trump is anything but urban business elite.
Blame the blue-collar workers looking to populism for a leg up. Blame the working-class folk for believing that someone can bring back their coal and steel jobs from China or build a good wall with Mexico.
Blame the middle class for taking issue with trade deals and an overstretched American empire.
Blame the truth for being malleable. Blame liberty for not fulfilling her potential. Blame freedom for not being free. Blame democracy for not working. Blame the Republic for falling short of its ideals.
Blame history for repeating. Blame our common fate. Blame the apocalypse. Blame the political gods.
Blame me for writing this long list. Blame everyone, except yourself.
We, the people, have spoken. We elected Trump, for good or for ill, as our 45th president and commander-in-chief.