The liberal media playbook when a Democratic city or state fails is to blame the nearest Republican, no matter how uninvolved the Republican may be or how thin the connection. That is the case even when an entire state has a Republican-proof majority, as California does.

Steve Lopez at the Los Angeles Times wrote what may be the single worst opinion of this election cycle, blaming Republicans for the current state of California. The Golden State is racked by a variety of crises, from drug addiction and overdoses to homelessness to the worst poverty rate in the country. Californians are moving to red states for more affordable living conditions, which would have been unthinkable a decade ago in the most naturally gifted state in the country.