Thank you to those whose candidates lost

 This is pretty much an appreciation for all that hard work.  Many hours by volunteers, as well as donations which paid for ads...did not go to waste. 

Here's the same message from Robert Hubbell (newsletter available free on line.)

Among all the hopeful news and “unexpected” victories, we must not forget that many of our friends and colleagues are in mourning and shock over losses by their candidates. I have heard from readers in North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, who feel shell-shocked and (for the moment) disillusioned and helpless. They backed outstanding candidates like Beto O’Rourke, Val Demings, and Cheri Beasley. (And let’s not forget supporters of Tim Ryan in Ohio.) If you know anyone who lives in a red state or is devastated by an irrational result, reach out to them. Assure them that they aren’t forgotten and their efforts matter. Their efforts are seeding the ground for future victories, even though that future may seem distant and contingent.

          The week before the election, I published a newsletter titled “No effort is wasted.” In the newsletter, I wrote that  

our efforts cannot be measured only by whether our candidates win or lose. In evaluating our efforts, we must ask two additional questions: First, what would have happened if we had not put in the effort to affect the outcome? Second, how many new voters did our efforts bring into the lifeblood of democracy?

[I]f our efforts bring new voters into the democratic process, that is a long-term win without regard to short-term outcomes. Building democracy is a slow, accretive process. Our goal is to bring as many new voters into the process as possible. If we can do that, we will win—it is only a matter of time.

          So, for those readers whose candidates lost, the real measure of success is whether we fortified the foundations of democracy by bringing new voters to the polls. We did that on November 8th, which is why it was a “good day for democracy.” Every member of the resistance who contributed to that “good day” should be proud and grateful.

This is a time to rest and regroup. Many more opportunities are on the horizon. 

Robert also said:

As lessons begin to emerge from the midterms, it appears Americans rejected not only election deniers but also the GOP assault on democracy. As noted in Vox,

But the fact that high-profile election deniers did poorly in competitive races, often worse than comparable non-denier Republicans, suggests there may be something else going on here: that maybe, just maybe, a significant swath of the American public is punishing the Republican Party for running candidates who sought to turn against democracy itself.

          If true, that is the most important outcome of the 2022 midterms by far. If Americans reject those who seek to destroy democracy, there is plenty of room for spirited debate and strongly held disagreement between the parties. But if democracy itself is under attack, partisan debates become proxies for coups.

And also this...

 Victor Shi has been reporting on Twitter (@VictorShi2020),

data confirms 18-29-year-olds voted for Democrats more than “any other” age group yesterday. Young people literally prevented a Red Wave & saved Democrats. Full stop. If you know a young voter, please thank them.