"To all the volunteers, all across this country who gave so much of themselves... I say to them now, don't lose faith...
...we go on to make a difference another day. I promise you, that time will come... I believe that what we started in this campaign will not end here. And I know our fight goes on to put America back to work and make our economy a great engine of job growth. Our fight goes on to make affordable health care an accessible right for all Americans, not a privilege. Our fight goes on to protect the environment, to achieve equality, to push the frontiers of science and discovery, and to restore America's reputation in the world. I believe that all of this will happen—and sooner than we may think—because we're America. And America always moves forward."

So close and yet so far. When all is done, less than 100,000 votes in Ohio will have kept us from the White House prize. But they will not keep us from looking back with great pride at having accomplished more than we dreamed we could; they will not keep us from looking forward to building on the new foundations we have laid. (read more)

Thank you to all the Silicon Valley volunteers for your energy, your drive to make things better for our country, your inspired and inspiring hard work. Together we accomplished so much (although the prize evaded us this time around).

But the call to action rings out loud and clear. The next election cycle will soon be upon us, and we have much to accomplish: taking back our nation's public discourse, the legislature, the White House. One day at a time, one seat at a time. Let's get prepared. Here are some places to start:

• We've set up a Yahoo group, SiliconValleyForChange, to serve as an open forum where we can discuss ways to get the country back on the right course: fairness, freedom, and opportunity for all. Join the group here. (more information)
• The Santa Clara County Democratic Party website at http://sccdp.org/. The Call to Action page offers a number of ways to become involved in local party organizations and help shape the Democratic Party's message.
• Several Meetup groups are ongoing:
  Democratic Party Meetup Groups: http://democrat.meetup.com/
  Democracy for America Meetup Groups: http://dfa.meetup.com/
• Set up your own meetup group to talk with like-minded people, discuss issues, share visions for America. To start a new meetup group, go to http://www.meetup.com/create/.

Is your personal state blue these days? Looking for a place to share ideas and join like-minded people? Eager to start on the long road back to the country we want?

We've set up a Yahoo group, SiliconValleyForChange, to serve as an open forum where we can discuss ways to get the country back on the right course: fairness, freedom, and opportunity for all. To join the group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SiliconValleyforChange/join.

We're people who met while actively engaged in the effort to get John Kerry and other progressive politicians elected in 2004. Yes, we're very blue. But we're nowhere near done. This is just the start. We want to go on being active; we want to exchange ideas and information about upcoming opportunities to take action (like the next nation-wide Senate elections in 2006); we want to work for a change in our country.

We're at the start of a renewed effort. Let's share ideas, experiences with promising groups, new ways to organize for change. We look forward to hearing from you all, reestablishing connections we made during the campaign, and meeting new friends. Come and join in!

Please note: The moderators of the SiliconValleyForChange group will occasionally send messages to the members. These will primarily be call-to-action messages and "best-of" posts chosen by the editors. If you have limited time but want to stay informed, please subscribe to these "special messages."

The messaging area itself will be unmoderated. We're hoping to keep the discussion positive—it's just too easy (and not usually helpful) to get into Bush-bashing. But since the discussion will be unmoderated, some members will probably sound off. And if experience is any indicator, some Bush loyalists will join in just so they too can share their opinions. Please ignore them and don't let them get to you.

To join the Yahoo group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SiliconValleyforChange/join

So close and yet so far. When all is done, less than 100,000 votes in Ohio will have kept us from the White House prize. But they will not keep us from looking back with great pride at having accomplished more than we dreamed we could; they will not keep us from looking forward to building on the new foundations we have laid.

We helped fill John Kerry's coffers with more campaign funds than Bush and Rove ever dreamed we could—and ended their hope for an early knock-out. From all across the county, we pulled together volunteers filled with new enthusiasm—who, with our brothers and sisters across the country, produced a tremendous turnout, and greatly stunned our opposition, who thought their machine would bury us. (Remember, John Kerry received the second most votes for President than anyone else in history.) We learned how to take the reach of our campaign across the country, to Ohio, Florida and elsewhere. And we pulled together the most enthusiastic group of dedicated volunteers I have ever seen. (Right up through election day, they would not stop until they found every county vote that could be found, and until every poll in Florida and Ohio closed their doors.) It was inspiring.

But the best news was to come. The days after our tragic loss, person after person, while saddened and disappointed, refused to become embittered or discouraged from carrying the fight on. We have taken to heart John Kerry's words, "What you did made a difference, and building on itself—building on itself, we go on to make a difference another day. I promise you, that time will come. The time will come, the election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world, and it's worth fighting for."

We have reenergized and expanded our political base in politics with new-found understanding of how we can leverage the power of technology. We have raised the bar and heightened our determination. We vow to build on what we have accomplished.

So, disappointed in losing a hard-fought, and often bitter, campaign, I see more hope than when we started—hope for our vision for our children's future. We have much to think about, and a lot of regrouping to do. This would have been the case even in victory, because this campaign was just the beginning. That discussion is already underway.

Democrats will move on. John Kerry will take his voice to a new national platform. Other leaders will join. And our own campaign for John Kerry will find a new form and forum to do our part to move our country forward. We will say more about this soon, and hope you will stay connected.

On behalf of the Silicon Valley for Kerry leadership team and eight months of effort, we thank you all for this uplifting campaign.

John Soper
Co-Coordinator, Silicon Valley For Kerry