I mean you didn't help yourself by any stretch. Arriving to the airport in the nick of time where everything had to go perfect in EWR on Christmas eve with sub zero temps etc - that is a LOT optimistic. I mean i like your optimism, but this time it bit you.

I am at a small airport and I can generally get from my parked car, check 2 bags and be sitting at the gate in 12-14 minutes. I still arrive 2 hours early for domestic - just in case. Maybe that is the military "If you aren't 15 min early, then you are late mentality" but I would rather be early than try and explain to someone why I couldn't be on time for something.