[Peace-discuss] Fwd: I Will Never Concede Defeat by Cindy Sheehan

[Morton K. Brussel]

Cindy lost, unfortunately. The odds were stacked. --mkb


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Cindy Sheehan <contact at CindyforCongress.org>
> Date: November 5, 2008 2:02:57 PM CST
> To: mkbrussel at aya.yale.edu
> Subject: I Will Never Concede Defeat by Cindy Sheehan
> Reply-To: Cindy at CindyforCongress.org
>
>
> 	
>
> "I have fought the good fight, I have run the good race, I have  
> kept the faith."
> St. Paul in 2Timothy
>
> I kept on saying to my supporters, staff, interns, volunteers and  
> myself, that no matter what happened on November 4th that we could  
> hold our heads up high and be very proud of our campaign. Until  
> yesterday, I wasn't sure that what I said would be true, but I feel  
> an incredibly sense of peace and pride in our accomplishments.  
> There were so many victories over the last year that the American  
> paradigm of "winner-take all" just doesn't fit.
>
> We moved into San Francisco a little over a year ago with less than  
> nothing. We used savings and credit cards to open our office and  
> sometimes to keep it open. We transformed a former "sex shop" to a  
> fully functioning and vibrant campaign office. Our "natural base"  
> never materialized, so we had to build a foundation in less than a  
> few months.
> In August, we historically gained ballot access as only the 6th  
> independent campaign in California history to do so. Our platform  
> based on humane economics was in place long before the recent  
> collapses and resultant bailouts. Our labor platform was hailed all  
> over the world, while unions here in SF supported the corporate  
> "rescuer" Nancy Pelosi.
>
> Cindy for Congress never once sold out our solid principles and  
> issues based campaign and would never sell out the voters of San  
> Francisco like Nancy Pelosi has. Nancy Pelosi never ran a campaign  
> here, but she did run from my campaign and our demands to debate.  
> Yet we persevered and did so amazingly well after a near total  
> media black out and several attempts at political intimidation.
>
> We got to the end of this stage with a barrel full of integrity and  
> a boatload of dedication and love. Dozens of activists came from  
> all over the country to be here to help us spread our progressive,  
> peace based message and thousands donated to help keep our campaign  
> afloat.
>
> We have moved right through November 4th because this is a movement  
> for peace and against corporate control of our political system.  
> Movements can't stop: we must keep moving.
>
> The way we do elections in this country must be reformed because  
> clearly the campaigns with the most money won all over the country.  
> If we never level the playing field to allow the people's voice and  
> message to be heard, the tyranny of incumbency and the obscene  
> amount of money spent on these circuses will continue and true  
> progressive change will never happen. Long voting lines and the  
> fact that election day is not a holiday or on Sunday give a clear  
> disadvantage to the working class that need campaigns like mine and  
> elected officials like me to improve their lives.
>
> We will still have to fight the establishment with everything we  
> have and this campaign has proven that we do have a lot of clout if  
> we are persistent and devoted. Yesterday, at about 10, we were  
> traveling around the district and receiving huge amounts of support  
> and were dismayed to see an article from the AP saying that Nancy  
> Pelosi had already defeated me. Our exit polling (from every area  
> in the district) showed me receiving between 35-60% of the vote. We  
> were very optimistic that we would do much better than we  
> ultimately ended up doing.
>
> However, Cindy for Congress got almost twice as many votes as  
> anyone who has ever run against Pelosi since she eked out a primary  
> victory in 1987 over Harry Britt, who was also the most progressive  
> candidate. We raised a decent amount of money and are honored by  
> the support we have gotten from all over this nation.
>
> This is not the time to give up and give in to the politics of  
> blinding amounts of money shrouded in "hope."
>
> On November 5th, we still have millions of people sleeping on our  
> streets and without jobs and health care. We still have our troops  
> mired in two unconscionable wars that Obama has not promised to  
> end. Our economy is still on a very precarious footing and oil, the  
> lifeblood of the elite, is running out. There are many people in  
> this world, and yes, even this nation that are food insecure and  
> the next resource wars may be over water.
>
> Despite all this, I slept like a baby last night for the first time  
> in months. I feel like a new person today and am holding my head up  
> high. I dedicated my campaign to my son, Casey, and his comrades  
> who have tragically fallen and the people of Iraq and Afghanistan  
> that our government have devastated. We need to continue to make  
> their deaths count for something noble. I dedicate the next steps  
> to them, also.
>
> There are still many "fights" and "races" ahead. Take a few days to  
> celebrate or mourn and reflect and then jump back in with both feet  
> into the struggle for peace and justice.
>
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