For those of you offering advance condolences and excuses and reassurances and explanations for whatever may or may not happen tonight, I say, "Thanks, but no thanks."
It matters...big-time.
For all the reasons we should lose, especially in CA-50, it matters. Because it's a heavily Republican district...because of the $10,000,000 dumped in by the RNC...because it's a race we never dreamed of winning...it matters.
But most of all, because CA-50 is
a prelude to every fight we'll fight on November 7th. We can't call out CA-50 because we're in Republican territory, or because we have a rookie candidate, or because we're losing the money war, or because "we never
expected to win here anyway."
That's horseshit. We'll encounter the same uphill battle, over and over this fall, from sea to shining sea.
The "big picture" is a puzzle with 435 pieces...and this small part, named California 50, is the first piece in that puzzle. This is the big picture, friends.
Especially when you consider the reason this special election exists today: corruption. For all the polls and low approvals and negative sentiment that Americans are bestowing upon this Congress, today is the day that we learn how much is lip-service, and how much is genuine. Republican district or not, this election is the consummate referendum on everything we bitch about here daily.
I'm of the opinion (and you'll have to pardon my candor here) that anyone who lowers expectations for the sake of minimizing disappointment has no place in the political process. Moral victories, good fights, nice tries and underdog effort will get us no closer to winning our country back.
And last but not least, it matters because there are hundreds of dedicated folks in CA-50 who have worked their collective asses off to deliver this shock to the country. Minimizing the importance of the result of that work may be comforting in some hollow and masochistic way, but it doesn't pay the appropriate tribute the volunteers on the front lines -- literally -- of this election year.
It matters. The circle you put on your calendar back in April says it matters. Don't kid yourself.
And Francine -- you go, girl.