The morning after
| The voters have spoken. Loudly. They basically said "NOT YOU!" There's losing and then there's the old fashioned whipping I took last night. I'm strangely calm today. I'll spend the afternoon taking in my yard signs. Contemplating what to do with my life. I've been a "candidate" for so long I don't even remember what it feels like to be anything else. I'm sorry for my volunteers. Especially yesterday. I know it's tough working for a losing candidate. The looks of disappointment on their faces is something that will be tough memory to carry around. It's one thing to deal with your own disappointment, it's quite another to feel like you've let someone down. Will I keep blogging? Probably. I don't know. It's a little too soon to make any decisions. Thanks to all 1969 of you who voted for me. Thanks to all of you who volunteered for my campaign. Thank you for the contributions both monetary and good old hard work. And finally thanks for reading this blog, and allowing us to believe, if only for a little while, that you can rage against the machine and win. It's been a wild ride. Thanks for coming along. |
posted by Mark at 11:04 AM
Comments on "The morning after"
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Stacey K said ... (11:36 AM) :
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Area Code 817 said ... (11:59 AM) :
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Bob Asher said ... (10:46 AM) :
post a commentIf I had been able to vote for you there would have been 1970 votes. I really liked your message and thought you were a great choice to be on the city council. Take some time yes, but don't let a loss silence your voice - your ideas deserve to be heard.
Wait a minute. Think about it.
Were those looks of disappointment you saw directed at you? Not likely.
You believe in something so strongly that it becomes a passion. You share that belief and passion with others and they believe in you and your message.
The disappointment you saw was that others did not choose to believe the message. This time.
A little wisdom from the pits and garage. You have to learn to lose, before you can learn to win. See? You're half way there.
Disappointed that so many people voted for the wrong candidate. If there is a 'next time', I'm coming along for that ride too.
Clearly there was a lack of awareness of or interest in anything down-ballot from Mayor. And the results showed that the internet is not yet living up to its hype. But that's only because the average voter yesterday does not have a myspace. Until the people born in the 1960s and later start to make up a much bigger chunk of these low-turnout elections, we'll keep getting stuck with the big-money, special-interest-backed candidates.
Just keep blogging, Mark. I will keep visiting because -- on the council or not -- yours is a refreshing, honest and principled view of what's going on in this town.
From your fan-base in the 6th district...
What they said.
How your race turned out was not the only disappointment for me...I think the message that was sent wasn't "NOT YOU" it was "Viva la Status Quo!" which is worse IMO but a big sign you should take none of it personal.
Almost all of the candidates I voted for didn't make it so -- hmmm, maybe all of this is my fault!?!
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds" - Samuel Adams
You started a little fire Mark. Even if it wasn't enough -- this time -- never underestimate the affect that one candidate can have on starting the brush fire...even in defeat.
If we had all been able to vote, there would have been many more votes for you. As has been eloquently stated by others, don't be silent. You have ideas and enthusiasm that need to be shared. This should only be the beginning....
Mark, don't take these results as the final word on your efforts. M & S both have ties in the community to constituencies that vote in primaries. You tried combining time honored grass roots involvement with today’s technology and were just ahead of the curve. I would be willing to bet by the next election cycle candidates will be studying your playbook and you will be even further ahead because your outlook, instincts and skills are absolutely what the city and the 4th need.
I will see if I can find an analogy about running practice laps before tackling marathons and get back to you, ha! In the mean time, take care and I hope you don't give up on your blog.
"It's not easy being green."
Ditto on what folks have said.
Take some time and relax.
If you choose to blog/stay "politically active" then you have a forum. You also have the advantage of choosing your issue(s) now. You don't have to try to cover everything to please the masses; you can choose what you like (if you like).
I'm a do-it-yourselfer that would like to experiment with solar energy (mainly photovoltaics). I have some electronics knowledge, but just enough to "cookbook", not design. Plus I would like the money to go to materials, not a middle vendor, in order to be more effective for grassroots implementation. I'm probably not the only one on this blog and it seems to fit your interests/abilities.
If your environmental concerns are more general, Heartland All Species Project (http://allspecies.org/) is very active in the community. That's who told me about your Sierra Club endorsement.
That's my "think about it" with examples.
Now, go get a case of your favorite beverage and relax until it's gone. (Not necessarily in one sitting. :)
We'll check-in here and see how you're doing.
Take care,
Brian. (bk)
Mark,
No matter what else, keep on blogging. I think this town needs some new ideas bandied about from time-to-time not matter what.
Keep your chin up, you didn't lose, you just ran out of time while the other team was ahead.
Mark you ran a great campaign and caused a lot of issues to be discussed that would have otherwise been ignored. That alone is worthy. Here's hoping I have the opportunity to vote for you again someday.
Hey brother, sorry to hear the results, but never more proud of you for trying and getting out there and being heard. This is not the end, you can't keep a good Forsythe down! Keep up the good fight!
Thank you for doing what most of us are unwilling or unable to do. I've learned so much from reading your blog and it has sparked some of the most spirited debates I've had in quite a while. Regardless of the outcome, I am proud of the strength and wisdom of Kansas City's emerging leaders like yourself.
I hope this won't be your last try. I am really impressed by your thoughtfulness, integrity, and knowledge. This is one city employee that wishes you were going to be in city hall. I will support your efforts in the future.
Well, Mark, I had a good time pitching for you. I think it's unfortunate how few people vote in the primaries, it's more important than the main election, IMO. But Tuesday's election is most unfortunate for us in the 4th district b/c now we won't have satisfactory representation. I'd be interested in knowing who you'd pick...
Anyway, your loss is our loss. But maybe its more fun and productive to be the vocal outsider. At least that's what I keep telling myself.