Story

I don't know where to begin. I worked and sweated long hot days with Stan at county fair booths. We all faced parade routes full of folks who would spit at me and tell me F___ off simply because I was representing a Democrat. I, along with several other vollunteers, passed out thousands of brochures. I would arrive home and tend to blisters on my feet after marching in those long parades. I would bring Stan water on many occasions after watching him run from one side of the street to another to shake as many hands as possible in the 95 degree heat. I have never been so involved, but this race was personal! I had been attacked, and I vowed to do everything I could for myself and my fellow gays to defeat Marilyn Musgrave. Simply put, we failed. I feel I personally let the community down.

I don't know where to go from here. I am deeply disturbed by the efforts that seemed all in vain. I got to know Stan Matsunaka, a man I grew to admire, and I truly believe he was the right man to win the strong Republican district. Sure, one could say that we had a great showing, but that doesn't make me feel better. Pehaps if I worked harder, spent more time on the trail, knocked on a few more doors, we could be celebrating. This is the first campaign I have put so much heart and soul into. I don't know if I could do this again. It's tough to lose. Losing any of the other races was fine with me, so long as we beat Musgrave.

I guess what I am saying is that I am sorry. I did my best, and we did what we could. This is a huge let down for me, my fellow volunteers, the gay community, and Stan.

I am taking a break from the P&R forum. I will watch and respond to this thread as long as there is interest, but I am leaving Politics for a while. I need my life back. Once again, as pathetic as it sounds, I am sorry we didn't win this one for you all frown

Hey Denver, I totally understand. I think I'm going to take a break soon too. The candidate I supported in the Senate race, Barack Obama, won in a blowout, and Illinois was one of the first states that went for Kerry, but I feel like I and all other gay people, all the people from the northeast and West coast, all the people who try to employ reason and thoughtfulness in the face of what we're encountering as a nation, have been totally dissed by the hateful, right-wing zombies who would cut off their faces to spite their noses.

Matsunaka far and away was the better candidate. He wasn't operating out of a position of hate, Musgrave was. But you know what: this is the person the people craved, and we as a nation get the leaders we deserve. If we can't see through the lies, the chicanery, the true tragedy that W has caused in Iraq, the fiscal damage and economic destruction he is wreaking here, his extremist plans for our social safety net, and on and on, and fall back on slogans and inanities, then we deserve this man.

Perhaps Kerry can pull it out. Who knows? He was smeared and attacked and trashed nonstop--this is the best our leader of the free world could come up with. And you know what? It appears to have worked. For W, for Musgrave, for all of these creeps.

Take heart--at least in some parts of America, people with good sense acted on it.

[ November 02, 2004, 11:54 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

All night long I was hoping that Stan could pull an upset. I'm not in Musgrave's district but did send money to the Matsunaka campaign. This was the first time that I did send money to a candidate outside my district. And, as a Republican, I am sorry that we have the likes of Musgrave in our party. Of course, she is not alone in foisting her own agenda. She has not represented the interests of her district well. She has merely been there to further her own crusade. Sigh.

Coming as I do from the Buckle on the Bible Belt, we were one of the first states to go to Bush-whom I did not vote for. However, you will actually find some thoughtful and intelligent people that voted for GB.

"OMG Really?" you ask. Yes really. Just because they don't agree with your views, or mine, does not mean they have not thought about the issues. They may come to the problems in America from a different perspective and have different priorities, but they are smart people.

We survived 8 years of Clinton, so I think America can handle Bush.