I am getting a little ill in my stomach each time I hear "lets look at our successes" or "we did wonderful, it is a shame the movement was so irrelevant" type quotes from one or more of the so called leadership of the party and movement. We messed up, we lost. (and when I say "we" I mean you...you with the power, money and echo chamber of yes men kissing your ego for your good efforts.)
The public interest groups and foundations botched their role in the election. Many GOTV efforts registered voters that didn't care about our issues. The information was fractionalized and kept in the dark. Good ideas that could have delivered votes and power were thrown aside in favor of traditional group think. The leadership across the nonprofit sector continues to be focused on individual achievement in spite of systematic failure.
While some leaders take comfort in the small margins that the Democrats continue to loose elections by, the faithful must only be reminded of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy joke at the Gridiron Dinner “Don't buy a single vote more than necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.” The reality that the Republicans are winning by exactly how much they need to should not be seen as a Democratic strength but as Republican efficiency.
They got your game figured out. Change your game.
