The mistakes of our leaders

In politics, there are no do-overs

Even our leaders don't get do-overs.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Regrets, I have a few.

I've made some impulsive and boneheaded mistakes in my life that sometimes surface in the wee hours, like Dickensian phantoms, to mock me. (Lately I've been seeing several pre-election covers of The Week that were premised on polls predicting a Trump defeat.) But there are no do-overs in life; we all have to live with — and learn from — our mistakes. There are some people, however, for whom that burden is public, historic, and unimaginably heavy. Consider what some of the losers of the recent election will have to carry for the rest of their days.

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William Falk

William Falk is editor-in-chief of The Week, and has held that role since the magazine's first issue in 2001. He has previously been a reporter, columnist, and editor at the Gannett Westchester Newspapers and at Newsday, where he was part of two reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes.