It’s the end of the year, and disappointment is in the air. It has been for a while now. Given the current state of liberal politics in the United States, it’s easy to imagine why it might feel that way. 2024 has been a cascade of disappointments, a series of escalating underperformances from people we readily or reluctantly put our faith in, raising our hopes and crashing them down to the ground. The first domino was Joe Biden’s hilariously inept performance at the first presidential debate.