Paul Wellstone became a Senator by losing a race for State Auditor, then lost a battle against an unneeded power line, and then took on the task of defeating a republican incumbent Senator in a safe seat and got the party endorsement largely because on one else wanted to be the sacrificial lamb, and then won that Senate seat twice and was gonna make it thrice when we sadly lost him. Tim Walz was just another high school teacher who got really ticked off when he took some students on a field trip to a republican campaign rally and one was turned away because he’d been involved in the democratic party, motivating him to run against and defeat a republican incumbent in a red district and he held that seat ’til elected governor. Keith Ellison defended people who couldn’t afford a lawyer in Minneapolis until we needed a state representative and he ran and won, and then went on to ignore the party’s “seniority system” and win a seat in Congress and was later elected Attorney General. Every one of these elected democrats and more won despite long odds and some times rigged party endorsements against them too.
I am continually amazed and humbled by the small “d” democrats who run in deep red districts and challenge the party hierarchy that dictates a long stepped progression up the political ladder and kowtowing to special interest groups to win endorsements. These are the brave democrats who put their own hard earned money down and file for office despite the slim odds of victory, then spend every available hour until Election Day earning more voter’s support but sadly usually not enough. Then there’s the volunteers who campaign for these brave candidates despite the long odds and not always friendly or even civil reception they get. Privately the big “D” Democrats will call you idealistic, unrealistic, and even fools for running against such long odds, but the real fools are the party bosses and big donors who refuse to support you and waste $$$ and other resources in “safe” districts and saturation ad spend in expensive media markets.
Because you dared to run and campaign regardless of the odds our Democratic Party will win everywhere in the future- Candidates and Campaigners, Thank You!
Sassy Democrat 