Well, as somebody who's been a Republican Committeeman, a poll watcher, poll worker, door-to-door canvasser, phone bank caller, Clerk of Elections, and Judge of Elections for 31 years, it's truly touching to be condescended to by somebody who hasn't been watching one defeat after another of just this kind for over three decades. You may have been sitting around with your thumbs in your rear-end for those years, but me, my wife, and my children haven't been. Thanks for coming to the fight now that it's over.
I remember when I had the stars in my eyes too, kid; I came over from the other side in the mid-seventies, and for a while I thought we could win. We can't. It's over. You have no idea how that makes someone with grown children, and grandkids on the way, feel.
We had an historic tidal-wave election in November, and we've just given the Democrats cover to pass -- literally -- 99% of what they wanted in a budget they couldn't get passed when they held overwhelming majorities of both houses and the presidency.
If you think that's a "victory" you deserve my pity much more than my scorn; I feel sorry for you. After this, the deluge. We lost. You can't spin it any other way. The sound you hear isn't whining, it's resignation.
Don’t give up.
I’m not new to the battle, and I’m not a kid. I’m 59 and I, too, have worked to raise money and elect solid conservatives for many years. I understand the disappointment. Perhaps I view it as a longer process. We must continue awakening America. We need still larger numbers. We need to show them how their lioves are framed by these issues, how their destiny is heavily controlled by them. We finally have a good start. Let’s keep going, not wallow in disappointment. NEVER GIVE UP!
I’m happy to tell you I was never on the ‘dark side’. Both my folks were active in conservative pub efforts and I had those principles ingrained in me from an early age. Dinner table talk was almost all current events and politics. I have never, not once in my life, voted for a rat. In fact, I’d like that engraved on my headstone, “She never voted for a ‘rat” ;)
Seriously, though, thanks for the efforts you and your family make. I apologize for my part in our disagreement about where we are now and where we go from here. I guess we’ll just have to continue to disagree about that, but hopefully withoout animosity.
Have a nioce weekend.
Thanks for saying that Fred, and for your service to the country. I have a similar background of lifelong in the trenches work for the GOP. Like you, I have seen this same damn thing more often than I can count. And like you, I have watched the GOP spinelessly try to spin defeats with a BS "just-wait'll-next-year" garbage so much, that it just makes me sad.
Not sad for myself, but sad that there's always a perpetual new crop of GOP faithful Charlie Browns who really and truly believe that THIS time, Lucy (the GOP Establishment) really, really means it when they say they won't move the football.
Sigh. People, how many times do we have to listen to "It was the best we could do." to explain away disastrous results?