"If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven't lost."

"If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven't lost. Others might remember winning or losing; I remember the journey." -- Apollo Anton Ohno

Apollo Ohno's performance in the 2006 Olympics was inspirational, to say the least. In the semifinals of the 1500m event he tripped, preventing him from defending his title (he'd received the gold in this event in 2002). However, he pulled himself together to win the gold in the 500m event.

In my case, I may not have won the election, but I do seem to have made an impact. As the campaign heated up and came to a conclusion, there were a variety of 40B-related developments in town.

Several weeks prior to the election, it was reported in the Falmouth Enterprise that the selectmen had finished the Local Initiative Plan (sorry, I don't have the edition handy), something that I had mentioned several times here in my blog including here and here, in my answers to the League of Women Voters questionnaire, and during my FCTV appearence on "Falmouth First".

And then, immediately after the election, it was reported (page 5, of the May 22 edition of the Enterprise) that the town was now going to take a "team approach" to address the 40B issue.

The icing on the cake will be Monday, June 11, when the selectmen will "Discuss 'unfriendly' 40B projects" - according to their agenda.

The signifigance of this cannot be understated, since I was the first candidate to openly discuss the issues, the biggest of which was 40B. While the other candidates' advertisements in the paper were simply asking for your vote, my April 20 ad in the Falmouth Enterprise featured the question "Tired of 40B?" as the first line.

Moreover, my insistence on discussing the issues put the other candidates on the spot. One voter noted that he had tossed another candidate's flyer into the trash because that person refused to answer his questions about the issues. This voter was very grateful that I was willing to speak openly and honestly.

So, while I may not have won the election, I didn't lose. My campaign has had an effect on the way the town does at least some of its business. So far.