I'm one of many people saying this now, but here goes. If Hackett wins tonight, it will be a much needed victory for us, especially in a state with a Governor polling 17% and a coin scandel engulfing a state that is GOP in every state-wide office. However, even if Hackett loses, it will still be a victory for us, AS LONG AS IT IS A CLOSE RACE! While 1994 may be an election year where we think of upset wins, there were also many close races in safe districts for Democrats. There were candidates who would normally get 70-80% of the vote only getting 50-60% of the vote. Bernie Sanders, who is still on our side despite being an Independent, only won his election that year by single-digits, in one of bluest states in America! As long as we make the race close, it is a good sign for us next election.
Here's my threshold for sucess:
51% or better: Outright victory, and symbolic victory
40-49%: Despite losing this race, we made this "crimson red" district go pink.
35-40%: Gray area, hard to tell whether or not we were sucessful, because whil we outperformed the Democratic runners of the last twenty years, we still weren't close
35% or less: Outright failure. If we only moved our total up by 5%, or if we only finish with the same 70-30, 74-26 results that we are used to seeing, then it is failure. I am confident that this WILL NOT HAPPEN AT ALL!!!!!!!