DU Veterans of Losing Political Campaigns: How do you recover from

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

this?

When you've cared so much about something, and worked for it, and you fail?

And it's not even something selfish, a personal goal you wanted for yourself, you wanted it for others, and for the good of your country...

How do you pick yourself up from the devastation of this and go on to the next battle?

Do you just do it right away and jump into something? Give yourself a few days or a week to grieve? What?

[Joe the Revelator]

1. Relize that there are only 1460 days until you get another chance..

and that there is a shit ton of work to do in the meantime

[stepnw1f]

3. Ahhhhh.... wisdom (sarcasm off)

The best antidote to Fascism.

[Joe the Revelator]

5. I'm tired and drained....

was that meant to be an insult?

[stepnw1f]

9. Not at all... Note the sarcasm off?

It was a genuine sentiment.

[Joe the Revelator]

10. ah, thanks...

i couldn't tell if "sarcasum off" meant that it was on when you first started typing. Like i said, this cycle has knocked me down. i need to sleep for a week :)

[stepnw1f]

11. By The Way

I need mentors. I am fairly new to this. 3 years now. If there are other tips, please let me know.

[hlthe2b]

2. I don't think there is any comparison, except perhaps those who worked

on RFK's only to lose him to assasination... By this, I mean, never have the stakes been so high... even in 2000, we were not on the precipice like now--With 2-4 Supreme Court Selections likely, a whole slew of federal justice appointments and four years to launch more needless wars and to devastate our economy..

[Cobalt Violet]

4. I never recovered fully from the Contract on America.

And the repuke take over of congress. .

[yardwork]

16. Last night I said to a friend "Remember how awful we felt in 1984

- we felt like it couldn't get any worse?"

He responded, "And it did." We all laughed and it actually made me feel better. As bad as this is today, it could be worse.

I was too young to work for Kennedy in 1968. I can't imagine how awful it must have felt to have a candidate assassinated, and then watch a pig elected on a lying platform. Nixon was reelected in 1972, also. Those were extremely dark days but remember that Nixon got his.

[intheflow]

6. Drugs and alcohol. Bah-dum-pah! But seriously folks...

I'm in seminary and we always say you can't minister to others if you can't minister to yourself--you won't be healthy enough or sane enough and will probably just f*ck up yourself and others. So give yourself time to grieve, get pissed, get a massage, read a junk novel. Take the time you need. Don't feel guilty. You are the best gage of your own mental health. And remember, we're all working on a piece of this. You don't need to feel like you have to do it all alone because you're not alone!

Then, when you're ready and rested, jump back in and help us bust through the next political hurdle.

:hippie:

[kikiek]

7. The worst one was when Paul Wellstone died. We put in one of the

biggest assholes in the Senate Norm Coleman. I still cry when I think of Paul. Looking back I see how that was the beginning of our descent into hell. I think the country has to hit bottom, and we haven't yet. The election was proof of that. Another 4 more years of Bush, and it will be a long time before another repug gets in. He will mess things up so bad it won't be funny. We will all be vigilant. We aren't going away. That's how you get over it. You keep fighting.

[Emops]

8. Life goes on.

Well, maybe not for me. I'm 21 and am probably going to be drafted, but you get the idea.

This was the battle, not the war. Everybody here is acting like Kerry lost 49 states. The election, while somewhat decisive, wasn't a blowout, and we certainly have a good shot at 2008.

The Democratic Party isn't in "shambles," but we desperately need to unify, reorganize, and make some changes at the top.

Of course, I thought we learned that lesson in 2002...

[Michael]

12. Lincoln had many failures....

He got up dusted himself off and put in another effort. Failures make us stronger. Who would have ever thought Lincoln would be president after his failed businesses and congressional bids? His tanacity put him in the history books.

Cherish the people and contacts you made during your labor in the Democratic party. They will benefit you later in life. Grieve and take some time off for a while. The Demoratic party will still be there waiting for you.

[Missy Vixen]

13. One word: therapy

If you're not into therapy, do something nice for yourself. Get a massage. Read a good book. Play with one of your pets. If you have no pets, play with one of your kids.

This may seem immature to other posters, but I don't want to have a Republican in my house until further notice. This means the holidays, visitors, whatever. I just have nothing to say to them.

I lost my election last November. It took me almost 10 months to stop beating myself up over it. Everyone works at a different pace. You need to do a lot of self-care and take it all at your own pace.

Julie

[DELUSIONAL]

14. You have to back away from Politics

First you have to vent and rage -- and then you have to take a vacation from politics.

Then you have to find something to focus your attention on that is not political at all. Learn a new craft, how to play an instrument -- re-dig and replant your garden.

Once refreshed -- go back to work.

The country can only stay extreme right for only so long. My 94 year old friend has lived through a series of tyrants -- first Hitler and then McCarty's attack on the left.

She voted this time -- I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet. But she will have words of wisdom as someone who has seen a national hatred that made her flee Germany with her Jewish husband.

This time we have Randi Rhodes and Janean&Sam and Mike Malloy. And we can rage together -- Randi and Mike have been through this before -- I'm listening to his rage tonight. This is like a group therapy session.

Mike tells us that the election was stolen, "please get that through your head".

So we have someone to rage against -- the fucking creeps who stole the election.

We have to realize that this is a long long effort to change every single county, state election so that every single vote counts.

[Chili]

15. find a goal

...I just found mine: if Ken Blackwell runs for governor of Ohio, as is predicted, I will risk everything to DEFEAT HIM SOUNDLY.

[baltodemvet]

17. Well

1. Keep busy. Fortunately my job (which I've slighted slightly for the past couple of months) is endlessly demanding (as is of course my family)

2. Get some diversion. I gave up fishing for politics for the past three months. I may get out this month.

3. Start thinking about the next battles. Losing hurts but never accept it as final.

4. Think about what you learned and how that will make you more effective next time.