Earlier today a slide was posted on Daily Kos purporting to be an announcement by the cast of "Sesame Street" that "today's show" (presumably the 2012 election) was brought to us by the number "47" and the  letters "f" and "u". Although not on quite the same level of wit and invective as my favorite jingle from 40 years ago (Why change Dicks in the middle of a screw?/Vote for Nixon in '72) it did get me to thinking about this year's results and how to apportion credit and blame. Clearly, "f" and "u" had rather minor roles at best. Clearly and without doubt, the chief founder of the electoral feast is the letter R.

First, R for Romney. Obvious, I know, but he was just way too full of himself, a combination of Bill Clinton's ego, Richard Nixon's dishonesty, and the warmth and genuineness of Ken Mattel. I must admit, though, that his concession speech was a model of brevity, grace, and good humor, and the only time during the campaign where he accomplished what he set out to do without contradicting a previously stated position or embarrassing himself, his party, his country, or the United States of America.