I have been thinking of this diary for just over four years ago, so be patient with me. I have commented a lot on site and diaried a few times.
Ten years ago, I ran for state representative to get the voice of education out to the people of my very Republican district. The state rep was a lazy, self important cattle man who did not work very hard. With total naïveté, I started running with a few hundred dollars. We won on election night by 28 votes, and the recount dropped that to 14. I was able to win 2 more terms, which brings us to my discovery of Dailykos.
Follow me for the reason I am writing!
My last election was by far the most expensive and against my best opponent. We spent 150,000 and he spent 250,000 which is hard to do. He also worked very hard, and he went negative early and often. I was slow, sluggish, and did not run a very good campaign. With a week to go, I thought I was going to lose. The state party was great, my local people worked hard, but it wasn’t enough. During those late nights home from knocking doors, I would turn to Kos to try to get some feeling for the election. On election night I lost by 4%, and I was the only democratic incumbent to lose in the state.
Without two things, I never would have made it through the next five months: first Kos kept me in touch with democrats as I withdrew from the local and state democrats. Second, and the purpose of the diary, I received many cards and letters thanking me for my effort. Part of problem was that I let a lot of people down by not running a good campaign, but they didn’t hold it against me. Those letters kept me going to my real job.
Many people on this site are running for office, and I want to thank you. Many of you ran in districts that are not good for democrats, especially progressive democrats. Many more of you worked hard to get people to run and elected.
PLEASE CALL THEM TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY AND THANK THEM. WRITE THEM A LETTER THAT TELLS THEM HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS THAT THEY STOOD UP FOR YOU, FOR US, FOR THE FUTURE, BY TELLING THE TRUTH TO POWER.
Let them know how important their campaign was. Let them know how important their effort was to you, your family, and your area. You can all write on this site. Richard Nixon always wrote to the people who lost. Write to those who lost. I wrote John Kerry, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton and thanked them.
No democrat ran in our state representative seat this year. It’s too bad because it is a good democratic year. It still may not have mattered. If no one runs, if no one thanks these people, you will face the same dilemma we do in recruiting candidates.
Tonight, after it is too late to make any more damn phone calls, I want you to think who you will call if they lose.
Will you help them retire their debt?
Will you be there for those who you talked into running?
Will you call them and thank them without crimination?
Will you write them letters?
Write it now, because on Wednesday we will be worried about how we are going to Govern.
Finally, thank you all on Dailykos for helping me become a productive democrat again and to believe in the power of the people in this country. I walked more and made more phone calls for this election than any besides my own and gave more money in this cycle than I have ever before.
THANKS TO ALL THE CANDIDATES WHO RAN FOR US. Especially who ran against long or impossible odds.