Gloomy win
Aug. 3rd, 2005 09:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumWe (and by that I mean liberals, moderates and those who believe in good government; run by good politicians) scored a win yesterday.
It might not feel like it, because our guy lost.
That's right, Hackett lost to Schmidt.
The margin was 52-48. Four points. Close, a squeaker even (3,500 votes). He didn't get the seat but we won nonetheless.
They tried to tar him as a lackluster patriot (a sham, someone who led a Marine Civil Affairs unit, but not a, "combat" unit, and so unfit to claim he's a combat vet [and civil affairs is no slacker, if he can't claim to be a combat vet, I certainly can't). They took his statements of disgust with the President, as a president, and tried to make it seem he was a traitor; to the Nation and the men fighting the wars. They said his opponent would pay more attention to the District, because she wouldn't be gallivanting around in Iraq.
They spent damn near a million dollars to beat him.
And it was nip-and-tuck all the way. This is a district which has been seeing the Republican win by thirty points. To get within five is a win.
Imagine, as Steve Gilliard points out, that this had been flipped, that Berkeley had a run this tight, and the Republican lost by a mere 4 points. It would be the headline on Rush: "Dems on the run!"
This is what Dean is tallking about, what Western Democrat is talking about, and; to a lesser degree, I have been talking about.
We lost the big one, and there are a lot of rear-guard actions to take to keep that loss from becoming a rout. This is the way it's done. Put someone up, from dog-catcher to President. Make the case for the things we believe. When they fling muck (as they did, and they will) scrape it off, and fling it back. Don't reward bad behavior. If they do it once, and get away with it, they'll do it again. This is no time to let the other sides cavils and complaints that we aren't taking the high road quash us when they take the low.
Make them spend the money. Make them go begging for more. When someone like Hackett needs some, pitch him 20 bucks. We can't afford to think the only local races that matter are the ones in our back yard. It isn't how the Republicans see it, it isn't how the allies of the Republicans see it.
Shaping politics from the pulpit
Evangelical Christian leaders nationwide have been emboldened by their role in re-electing President Bush and galvanized by their success in campaigning for constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, passed in 18 states so far.
Now some are organizing to build on last year's successes. They want to solidify their role in setting the political agenda and electing sympathetic public officials.
The Ohio effort isn't unique. Johnson's project - which he says has signed up more than 900 pastors in Ohio during its first 10 weeks in operation - has helped spawn the Texas Restoration Project in Bush's home state. The fledging Pennsylvania Pastors' Network has signed up 81 conservative clergy so far. Similar efforts are beginning to percolate elsewhere.
"It's maturing as a movement within the evangelical Christian community," says Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring, a Pennsylvania-based group that teaches pastors how to be involved in politics.
This is no time to cry in our beer. We may have been beaten, but we didn't lose.
It might not feel like it, because our guy lost.
That's right, Hackett lost to Schmidt.
The margin was 52-48. Four points. Close, a squeaker even (3,500 votes). He didn't get the seat but we won nonetheless.
They tried to tar him as a lackluster patriot (a sham, someone who led a Marine Civil Affairs unit, but not a, "combat" unit, and so unfit to claim he's a combat vet [and civil affairs is no slacker, if he can't claim to be a combat vet, I certainly can't). They took his statements of disgust with the President, as a president, and tried to make it seem he was a traitor; to the Nation and the men fighting the wars. They said his opponent would pay more attention to the District, because she wouldn't be gallivanting around in Iraq.
They spent damn near a million dollars to beat him.
And it was nip-and-tuck all the way. This is a district which has been seeing the Republican win by thirty points. To get within five is a win.
Imagine, as Steve Gilliard points out, that this had been flipped, that Berkeley had a run this tight, and the Republican lost by a mere 4 points. It would be the headline on Rush: "Dems on the run!"
This is what Dean is tallking about, what Western Democrat is talking about, and; to a lesser degree, I have been talking about.
We lost the big one, and there are a lot of rear-guard actions to take to keep that loss from becoming a rout. This is the way it's done. Put someone up, from dog-catcher to President. Make the case for the things we believe. When they fling muck (as they did, and they will) scrape it off, and fling it back. Don't reward bad behavior. If they do it once, and get away with it, they'll do it again. This is no time to let the other sides cavils and complaints that we aren't taking the high road quash us when they take the low.
Make them spend the money. Make them go begging for more. When someone like Hackett needs some, pitch him 20 bucks. We can't afford to think the only local races that matter are the ones in our back yard. It isn't how the Republicans see it, it isn't how the allies of the Republicans see it.
Shaping politics from the pulpit
Evangelical Christian leaders nationwide have been emboldened by their role in re-electing President Bush and galvanized by their success in campaigning for constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, passed in 18 states so far.
Now some are organizing to build on last year's successes. They want to solidify their role in setting the political agenda and electing sympathetic public officials.
The Ohio effort isn't unique. Johnson's project - which he says has signed up more than 900 pastors in Ohio during its first 10 weeks in operation - has helped spawn the Texas Restoration Project in Bush's home state. The fledging Pennsylvania Pastors' Network has signed up 81 conservative clergy so far. Similar efforts are beginning to percolate elsewhere.
"It's maturing as a movement within the evangelical Christian community," says Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring, a Pennsylvania-based group that teaches pastors how to be involved in politics.
This is no time to cry in our beer. We may have been beaten, but we didn't lose.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 11:31 pm (UTC)Not, perhaps meriting a charge of distorion (which implies wilful intent) but an error in fact nonetheless.
And I can take that, though having my entire argument discounted for want of 2 days was a bit much. I didn't think it bore any reflection on you.
You ought to see what I get when I wander into lions' dens (not that it justifies his response, nor that I am trying to diminish your apologizing for him).
I don't think you need to shame him, and I appreciate your saying he was rude (which opinion I share :)
TK
no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 11:04 pm (UTC)