Laffy
My truth. 🧵1/…
Many of you have asked me over the past weeks about my gut feeling on the election. I was honest… to a point. I consistently said I wasn’t as optimistic as many of you, most often replied with 🤞🏼. I sure couldn’t preach “no Debbie Downers” but then rebuff your wonderful hope with my deep doubts. So 🤞🏼was all I could muster while holding in/trying to ignore my fears. I wanted your optimism to infect me, but I couldn’t stop that gut feeling no matter how hard I tried.
Warner Crocker
@GottaLaff ❤️
Laffy
2/ Am I the only one who felt this coming? It was difficult for me to stay silent/avoid sounding negative, but I never understood those prematurely claiming 🌊/landslide. I privately rolled my eyes, despite how great Harris was, straining to be hopeful we might squeak out a win.
I knew we’d lose the Senate, that seemed so obvious, but stayed silent. I tried to hope but couldn’t shake off dread.
Laffy
3/ We moved to 🇨🇦because we knew we couldn’t outlive SCOTUS. I knew Trump’s courts were an obstacle that we couldn’t overcome in my lifetime.
Every word of this is excruciating to write, but it’s my truth and I strive to always be honest with you, holding back only to encourage your hope despite my own reservations.
Laffy
4/ Now the whole world will change. I’m as devastated & scared as you are. I can’t stop crying. I don’t see a way out in the short and even middle term. But we must continue to fight and support each other.
I may start speaking my mind more loudly instead of just cheerleading, I don’t know. I may alienate some of you if I do. I’d hate that. But I’ve always been a realist. Not a pessimist or optimist, a realist… at least as I see reality.
That’s my truth. I love you. I hate this with you. ❤️
Warner Crocker
@GottaLaff Speak your mind.
Laffy
@WarnerCrocker ❤️ my soul mate.
Laffy
@WarnerCrocker I do, but I couch things, don’t want to bring others down.
powersoffour
@GottaLaff you don't owe us anything -- and even if you did, it would come *after* your self-care. Thank you for all you do, especially your honest reflection, which is good to read even if hard.
Warner Crocker
@GottaLaff I get that and love you for it. I don’t think ther’s anymore “down" than where we are now. I’m not sure where or what we’ll build to going forward, but hard thinking and speaking is going to have to be a part of it IMHO.
I don’t think we’ll get that from traditional sources, whatever will be left of them. So it will be up to the clear-eyed to help others see it.
That’s my $.02.
Laffy
@powersoffour Many thanks
Laffy
@WarnerCrocker Now, yes. But during the campaign, I wanted people to hope.
Warner Crocker
@GottaLaff That’s exactly what I had hoped to say. Probably just not saying it well.
Laffy
@WarnerCrocker I probably missed the intent because I’m half asleep
Warner Crocker
@GottaLaff Fair enough, we can both blame lack of sleep. 😉
Robert Link
@GottaLaff My motto for the day is "Everything good that was in you yesterday is still within you today." You are a source of joy to many. Lick your wounds, cry your tears, but don't forget your power is not diminished by this. A lone candle in the dark shines a mighty light, and you are not alone.
Laffy
Laffy
@phaedral That means a lot, thank you
Laffy
8/ I hope this clarifies, because it’s way better than what I tried to write:
Laffy
5/ Since I’m being more blunt, at least for time being, listen up: You don’t need to remind me that Canada has its problems & that I’m not necessarily safe here.
I wrote 3 blogs about it that I’ve shared here, repeatedly. I said as much in those damn blogs. I’ve said as much in my posts here, over & over again.
I said it IN THIS THREAD: “Now the whole world will change.” Again, I’ve been saying this for years, & I’ve incl Canada.
I’ve continually said I feel safER here, for now. Clear?
Laffy
6/ One more thing (maybe there will be more, who knows):
I will not finger point. We lost.
I will not blame a person or entity. I will not blame this one or that one.
What’s the point? To make yourself feel better? How does that make you feel better exactly?
The media. Dems. Garland. Ignorant voters. You can find someone to blame, so what?
Work on changing the situation. Blaming is a waste of time & energy.
Laffy
7/ Another one more thing:
I’m getting feedback that I should “be myself, not do what is expected of me.”
I wasn’t clear. I held back not because of what was expected of me, but because I didn’t want to dash hopes. I didn’t want to be the Debbie Downer I detest.
I want that hope to live and thrive and did not want to extinguish one second of it.
That’s what I meant.
I hope that clarifies.
Brendan Conoboy
@GottaLaff Your updates over the last few weeks really helped me get through the campaign period, I really appreciated your diligence. You're not the only one who felt this way throughout, people were stressed because the outcome they feared seemed likely.
Jon Quass
@artisanrox
Analyzing a situation is different than finding a scapegoat. It's not about finding the thing the the past that didn't go your way, it's about figuring out how to go forward. Both require understanding what went wrong, but blaming doesn't win the next election. We need actual plans to move forward
@GottaLaff
Robert Link
@jonquass @artisanrox @GottaLaff Looking at the election map I see an urban/rural divide, a "northern coastal elites" v "southern values" divide, and, yes, a union v confederacy divide. How then, do yankees connect and make common cause with rebels?
I think we can only brace ourselves for a struggle which will last longer than my remaining years.
artisanrox
"I will not finger point. We lost."
This is also why we lose. Nobody in the highest Dem echelons cares to fix what doesn't work.
Y'all just throw up hands and go OH WELL instead of ANALYZING what went wrong, how messaging could be improved, but NO.
NO IMPROVEMENT. GOOD VIBES ONLY.
Well..now that our entire system can be dissolved, there'll be very little left to improve in the rubble.
GOOD VIBES ONLY.
William Hughes
@phaedral @jonquass @artisanrox @GottaLaff I assume it's still the case today but last night #Kornacki was bringing up Latino/ Hispanic communities swinging toward Trump over and over across the battleground states.
After 2012 I remember the Republican Party identified those communities as targets for persuasion. They have a lot of shared religiosity and "family values" resonates strongly (even if we know Republican electeds don't mean it). It seems like that may have paid off for them.
Laffy
@bconoboy Thank you for that
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