Your recent Cheers and Jeers editorial (“Losers serve democracy” Leader, Nov. 20) struck a chord with me.
The word “loser” has unfortunately been transformed into a disparaging epithet by, among others, Trump. But in the context of candidates for public office who don’t prevail, these people should be admired for their guts, sacrifice of time and money, and willingness to take on criticism and adversity. They ran because they cared, and they cared enough to run.
Regardless of political stripe, these people offer us an alternative. They forced the successful candidates to better show us why we should elect them. Your editorial was dead on; the “losers” are critical to our democracy.
I have never run for public office, but my hat is off to all that do. Like most people, I have had my own share of win or lose endeavors, and have not always come out on top. I have learned more from a loss than a victory, an observation I also recently heard from a top professional athlete.
Many of our nation’s past leaders experienced painful political losses before they were successful. Which is a reminder to those of us who may denigrate a “loser” in recent elections: he or she may be the next election’s winner.
So “cheers” to the losers; we need ‘em.
Jim Brennan
Port Townsend