. . . in her latest column when she says. “Democrats are so much better at placing blame.”

Placing blame, putting one’s opponents on the defensive, claiming the high road, constructing narratives – these are all elements of a skill set known as strategic communications, and other than Reagan (ably advised by Mike Deaver and Lyn Nofziger), few Republicans have possessEd them (very few in the Bush White House, where loyalty often has trumped ability, e.g. Scott McClellan — and you see how well that worked out).