Successes in Defeat
The following is a letter Das recently sent out to many of us...
-------------------------------------
Volunteers, Donors, and Supporters,
I just want you to know how much I am strengthened in this time by the phone calls, emails, and recent conversations with so many of you, and the love and support I've felt from all of you (whether spoken or unspoken). The work, heart, and resources you committed make me feel that we are in the midst of a large effort to change things.
And this effort for change must be ongoing. We continue to be in the midst of a tough time in this county and nation. Changing things means taking risks, and risks mean you don't prevail every time. I have learned so much, tactically and personally, that it would be impossible to count this a failure. There are other successes in the midst of this hard time:
1. Keeping a primary campaign positive. There are so many temptations to get negative in a campaign, but it was not appropriate. We fought with honor.
2. Ensuring that the head-to-head contest was in November. Both our polling and several matriarchs of the environmental movement (with sympathies both with me and Janet) concluded that a June election was risky. Tuesday's results would have been much different if Dan had spent an additional $80,000 or more. There was a larger chance that in a two or three person race, Dan could have garnered 50% +1. Our main mission, as I told many of you throughout the campaign, was to deny Dan 50% in June. While it did not turn out as we hoped, we did accomplish that mission.
3. A very strong grassroots campaign, especially in terms of people mobilized in the last two weeks.
Beyond smaller personal and tactical considerations (how I can do things better), there was one great lesson: the environmental movement's focus has moved away from campaigns. Currently it is well-suited to advocacy, but not to electoral action. Things have changed in the last twelve years, and we do not have the army of volunteers early enough in campaigns to make a difference with absentee voters.
To ensure that our efforts were not in vain, I will be putting time in pulling new people into our efforts, and creating a structure and life to the environmental movement which is vital if we are to elect candidates who are going to protect this community.
In appreciation,
Das Williams
-------------------------------------
Volunteers, Donors, and Supporters,
I just want you to know how much I am strengthened in this time by the phone calls, emails, and recent conversations with so many of you, and the love and support I've felt from all of you (whether spoken or unspoken). The work, heart, and resources you committed make me feel that we are in the midst of a large effort to change things.
And this effort for change must be ongoing. We continue to be in the midst of a tough time in this county and nation. Changing things means taking risks, and risks mean you don't prevail every time. I have learned so much, tactically and personally, that it would be impossible to count this a failure. There are other successes in the midst of this hard time:
1. Keeping a primary campaign positive. There are so many temptations to get negative in a campaign, but it was not appropriate. We fought with honor.
2. Ensuring that the head-to-head contest was in November. Both our polling and several matriarchs of the environmental movement (with sympathies both with me and Janet) concluded that a June election was risky. Tuesday's results would have been much different if Dan had spent an additional $80,000 or more. There was a larger chance that in a two or three person race, Dan could have garnered 50% +1. Our main mission, as I told many of you throughout the campaign, was to deny Dan 50% in June. While it did not turn out as we hoped, we did accomplish that mission.
3. A very strong grassroots campaign, especially in terms of people mobilized in the last two weeks.
Beyond smaller personal and tactical considerations (how I can do things better), there was one great lesson: the environmental movement's focus has moved away from campaigns. Currently it is well-suited to advocacy, but not to electoral action. Things have changed in the last twelve years, and we do not have the army of volunteers early enough in campaigns to make a difference with absentee voters.
To ensure that our efforts were not in vain, I will be putting time in pulling new people into our efforts, and creating a structure and life to the environmental movement which is vital if we are to elect candidates who are going to protect this community.
In appreciation,
Das Williams
Posted by Malcolm on
6/21/2006
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