Alright, I expected to be busy. But I have to admit I didn't expect to be so busy so early. I'm bragging, not complaining.
It seems somebody forgot to tell central Ohio Democrats that 2005 is an off-year for elections. They could have taken their ball and gone home after the last presidential election, but they didn't. Grassroots groups that sprang up in 2004 coalesced into standing organizations which, I'm told, are over 6,000 or so strong. And they kept meeting, working and planning in backyards, parks, shelterhouses, libraries, living rooms, coffee shops and anywhere else 5 to 100 folks at a time could meet.
At the beginning of this year, I also expected that a lot of folks would be receptive to change in 2006. But I didn't know so many would be so receptive so early. Especially in small towns and rural villages, I frequently encountered a reaction I really wasn't expecting.
At festivals, fairs and roasts, we would say hello, tell people we were running for Congress and give them a copy of our flyer. I expected some to be curious, some interested and some skeptical. I got a fair amount of curiosity, a fair amount of interest but little skepticism. But the thing that really floored me was the gratitude. Without even reading the flyer or asking me about a single issue...one person after another would heartily thank me for running for Congress simply because I offered change.
I know it's anecdotal, but there really does seem to be a strong wind of change blowing in Ohio. I also know our small towns and rural communities will demand a lot of work. The point is they haven't been worked. The need for a party that stands up for regular Ohioans has never gone away. The problem is that candidates willing to meet that need have gone away.
We're back.
Mark
http://www.loseyforcongress.com/
http://www.ilovelosey.com/