Losing like a winner vs "my butt hurts!" (a study in contrast)

GA got a copy of a letter that Dem Committee Chair Phil Cohen sent yesterday, which I have posted in full below.  You know, it's impressive to see how much has been accomplished in the three months since the lethargic leadership of Tiffanie Fisher ended on April 9, 2018. 

But, what really struck me about Phil's letter was: this is how to lose an election. 

Sure, 91% of the committee did not get the result that they had voted for.  But, the fight is over. Amy DeGise won fair and square. Now she will lead the HCDO, so anyone rooting for her failure is rooting for their own.  

GA thinks that Phil's letter was grace in defeat;  he noted how he'd congratulated DeGise both privately and publicly and wrote that Hoboken Dems were  "...look[ing] forward to working with her on furthering the progressive ideals for Democratic party that she campaigned on as we head towards the November mid-term elections" 

Cohen did not lick a single wound, ruminate over hurt feelings, or mean things that were said during the election.  The tone of the letter set a mature, positive, forward-thinking example for the rest of the Committee: essentially how to lose like a winner.   

HOW TO LOSE LIKE A WINNER 

From: Phil Cohen
Date: June 13, 2018 at 4:12:01 PM EDT
To: Phil Cohen
Subject: Thanks to the Members of the Hoboken Democratic Committee!

I wanted to take a moment to thank the 70 of you who came out to Kearny yesterday for the HCDO reorganization meeting.  More than half of us arrived together on our chartered bus (joined by Mayor Bhalla and Assemblywoman Chaparro), and the rest carpooled, took the PATH, and/or Uber to participate in the process of selecting new leadership for the HCDO.  You guys are simply amazing.  

This meeting was our third meeting in three months where we had official business to handle and the turnout was incredible.  To put things in perspective, two committee people resigned in the 48 hours before the meeting and three committee people were traveling out of town, so of the potential 75 committee people who could possibly attend, only 5 people did not make it.   

In order to have this kind of effort, you need a great team.  So, I would like to acknowledge the work of our leaders on the Executive Committee, Rachel, Mitch, Nora, Eileen, Seth, Paul and LaTrenda, who all pitched in to handle the details and the effort, with seamless coordination with Mayor Bhalla and his administration.  Of course, once we were delivered to Kearny High School, there wasn’t much we could do to make the conditions better for you (and I know no one liked the seating, the sound system, or the climate control in the room where we were herded), but to the extent we could make your participation possible and comfortable, we really did everything we could. 

I have reached out to Amy DeGise both privately and publicly to congratulate her on her election as HCDO Chairwoman.  We look forward to working with her on furthering the progressive ideals for Democratic party that she campaigned on as we head towards the November mid-term elections, as well as addressing our deep concern that Hoboken is, and has long been, unfairly treated by Hudson County government.

Finally, I want to say that we have accomplished more in three short months than any period I can recall in the more than 10 years that I have served as a Committeeman.  To recap, here’s a few of our accomplishments since April 9: 

• We elected two new Vice Chairs, and a new Sergeant-at-Arms
• We filled six vacancies of committee members who resigned or moved out of Hoboken
• We hosted a spectacular event for Andy Kim for Congress, chaired by Mitch Fagen, raising $10,000, attended by 100 people
• We kicked off a new sub-committee on HDC Ward Meetings, Chaired by Rachel Hodes, moving forward with plans for Ward Meetings with constituents, holding the first sub-committee meeting two weeks ago
• We are moving full speed ahead on a July 31 event for Congressional candidate Mikie Sherrill, on the Sherrill Event subcommittee Chaired by Seth Abrams (details to come)
• We staffed a booth at the Arts and Music Festival and registered a bunch of new voters
• 70 of us participated in the HCDO Reorganization Meeting in Kearny yesterday!

Guys, we have a lot to be proud of, we have accomplished a great deal, and we have a lot to look forward to with the Hoboken Democratic Committee. 

Give yourselves a round of well-deserved applause. 

Much respect!

-Phil

HOW TO LOSE LIKE A LOSER
The mature tone of Phil's letter to his organization put a period at the end of the election. He told his group it's over. You all rock.  We are moving on and working with the winner, Amy DeGise. 

As a study in contrast, this non-conciliatory letter by an election-loser to her supporters was angry, defensive, defiant, combative.   This letter set the tone for her political group we will NOT reconcile with the election winner, Ravi Bhalla.  And they have not.  In fact, the obsession with Bhalla has turned dark and ugly.  None have moved on. 

ATTACHMENT TO FISHER LETTER

Waaaaaaaaaah!