Dear John,
First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you don’t win :)…
I appreciate greatly all the incredible people who accompanied me on our political journey over the last ten months. While the level of our failure is obvious to all, a level of success is real nonetheless. We articulated deeper, more authentic truths than those regularly acknowledged by the political establishment. And I’m not only glad we did that; I’m proud of it. We spoke for those most ignored in America today and whose wounds are most in need of healing. I wish I could have reached them. I know we would have provided hope.
I will never be able to fully express my gratitude to those who supported the campaign — as donors, as volunteers, as team members, and more. I hope the blessings you have shown me will be reflected in your life many times over. There are memories of support and kindness that I cherish, carrying an emotional fragrance that will linger in my heart forever.
In the final analysis I think the only real failure in life is that which we fail to learn from. I have learned so much already and I know that I will learn more. Processing this experience will itself be an ongoing journey, and forgiveness will guide me as I move through it. I will not allow the mental torment of all the woulda shoulda couldas to tie me to the past, but rather I will keep my eye on the larger story. In ways I cannot yet see, none of this will have been in vain. There are hidden gifts that have only just begun to reveal themselves.
Among those gifts are seeds I know we dropped into the hearts of many — those who will in their own time, in their own way, carry our ideas forward. Although as of today we are suspending our campaign, our platform — with its deep dive into many issues — will remain on Marianne2024.com. I hope future candidates will take what works for them, drinking from the well of information we prepared. My team and I brought to the table some great ideas, and I will take pleasure when I see them live on in campaigns and candidates yet to be created.
I wish I could give a personal hug to every person who encouraged me on this journey. So many had faith and believed in what was possible. While we did not succeed at running a winning political campaign, I know in my heart that we impacted the political ethers. As with every other aspect of my career over the last forty years, I know how ideas float through the air forming ever new designs. I will see and hear things in different situations and through different voices, and I will smile a small internal smile knowing in my heart where that came from.
I am wishing you all the love in the world, with a thanks more sincere than you can possibly imagine. May love yet prevail, in our hearts and in the world.
With endless gratitude,
