ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The No. 1 loser this year was Hillary Clinton, of course, but we might shed a tear for the man who stocked his warehouse with women’s pants suits in all colors and sizes, expecting millions of women to make a run on the most unflattering ladies’ garment dreamed up since Eve discarded her fig leaf for a bearskin.

Following closely was President Obama’s legacy. Donald Trump promises to “repeal and replace” the irreparably flawed Affordable Care Act, which the president regards as his “signature” legislative “achievement.” His badly bruised legacy includes Mr. Obama’s lost opportunities in the Middle East and his many unconstitutional executive orders.

The Democratic Party lost big time by failing to hold the White House, making negligible gains in Congress, and taking a drubbing in state houses from coast to coast. The Democrats, who have lost 816 state legislative seats since 2009, suffered a net loss on Mr. Obama’s watch of 13 governorships, nine U.S. Senate seats, 63 House seats and 29 state legislative chambers.

The Clinton Foundation lost double: With neither Hillary nor Bubba as officeholders or candidates for the first time since 1992, the “two for the price of one” power couple now has no influence to sell for seven-figure donations to the family slush fund. Worse, federal investigations into their foundation are proceeding apace, enough to keep their lawyers busy forever.

Political dynasties took a frightful licking. A new crop of Bushes and Clintons is on the way, but they’re a long way off. Pundits and pollsters have work to do to reclaim their reputations, such as they were. Sanctuary cities, shielding the lawless from New York to Los Angeles, can now expect to be under siege, losing federal largesse for education needs, and, delicious irony, law enforcement.

Judge Merrick Garland, the president’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, was put on hold pending the election returns. Now the returns are in and Judge Garland is out.

The Washington Post and New York Times, which made themselves over as media arms of Hillary’s presidential campaign, debunked the long-held admonition never to pick a fight with the man who buys ink by the barrel. The Donald picked a fight and drowned their dreams in their own ink. That crawly thing that climbed up Chris Matthews’ leg to give him a thrill when Barack Obama won, was a loser this year. There were no more legs to crawl upon.

Hollywood celebrities who promised to leave the country if Mr. Trump won — the likes of Barbra Streisand, Cher, Jon Stewart — were losers. The rest of us were losers, too, because they’re probably staying. Men and boys who yearn to use the ladies’ room (and vice versa) were losers. The U.S. Justice Department under Jeff Sessions, the U.S. attorney general-elect, will no longer be required to make latrine orderlies of its lawyers.

The most deserving loser of all was one Brad Avakian, the Oregon official who fined a baker and his wife $135,000 for declining to bake a wedding cake for two lesbians, because it would violate their Christian beliefs, to participate in a same-sex wedding. The bakers offered to find someone else to bake the cake. Paying the fine drove them out of business, and Mr. Avakian counted on the publicity to assure him a career in higher politics, and he ran for Oregon secretary of state. He was trounced by an opponent who was the first Republican to win a statewide race in Oregon in 14 years. Not even a doughnut hole for Mr. Avakian.

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