11/13/2012
Friends,
Our long, strange journey comes to an end, and there are so many people to thank for their kindness, candor, dedication and generosity. My wife is making a special Thank You card to send to you individually, but I wanted to address the election results here from my perspective.
I am reminded of Bobby Kennedy's response to the question of why he lost the Oregon presidential primary in 1968, where he declared simply "I just didn't do well enough..." taking personal responsibility for the defeat. I feel a similar responsibility in our race for Texas House District 102, but I hope to address many of the practical and systemic difficulties Democratic candidates face in the foreseeable future in the weeks and months to come.
When I was first approached to make a run against the incumbent Republican representative in a newly-fortified Republican majority district, I was told numerous times that I could not win. The money, organization and resources necessary to beat Ms. Carter would be prohibitive, and the commitment would be great. I was blessed from the start with the support of my wife and daughter, my extended family and, perhaps most importantly, the Far North Dallas Democrats.
The financial commitments of a few individuals who don't care much for the spotlight were crucial to our start-from-scratch campaign, and the passionate involvement of a few magnificent volunteers and staff were a blessing.
We did, however, face challenges from some of our own.
With all due respect to those who feel the need to succeed by avoiding the label of Democrat as a "damaged brand", I respectfully disagree.
For many of us, Democrat is not merely a brand. It is a definition which represents the history of our strongly held principles and ideals, and, if it is damaged, it is our job to fix it. I firmly believe that hiding or disguising our party allegiance is a negative in itself, and any success among the electorate which comes from this deception is, at best, short-lived.
Our focus in the future must be devoted to expanding our base of active voters, not merely attempting to appeal to the marginally moderate faction of the center/right. Democratic principles of fairness and inclusion will create new opportunities for candidates all across America, as we watch the shift to more progressive voters impacting elections from the White House to the Senate to the Congress to the nation's state houses.
I first spoke to the members of the Far North Dallas Democrats last December, on the same night I was approached to run for office, about the importance of the 99%/Occupy movement. I spoke about the importance of that grassroots effort, and I feel just as strongly today that our only advantage in challenging the country's most powerful special interests is our superior number. We must speak to that multitude, and offer progressive, common sense solutions to their challenges. We are the 99%, and they know it.
God Bless, and Happy Holidays,
Rich Hancock
