It is with a heavy heart that I must abandon my campaign for the Honorary Title of
President of Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club.
I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail. But it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to be able to win. And therefore, we can not win this election.
My friends, it was here that we began our campaign for the presidency. All we had was hope and a vision for a better Fan Club. It was a privilege and a gift to spend four weeks traveling this Forum, coming to know so many of you. I wish that I could just wrap you in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I will always be particularly grateful to the colleague who became my partner, my very close friend, an extraordinary leader,
Willrow Hood (aka the Ice Cream Maker Guy). I thank him for everything he did. Willrow and I would be the first to tell you that we owe so much to our families. They're here with us today. They were with us every single step of the way. They sustained us. They went out on their own and they multiplied our campaign, all across this country.
I want to thank my fellow staff members and my friends. That great ‘band of brothers’ who criss-crossed this country on my behalf throughout April. Thank you. They had the courage to speak the truth, and they spoke it again and again, and for that, I will forever be grateful.
Thanks to Democrats and Republicans and independents who stood with us, and everyone who voted no matter who their candidate was. What you did made a difference, and 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.
I want to especially say to the Star Wars Fans in this journey, you have given me honor and the gift of listening and learning from you. I have visited your homes. I have visited your churches. I've visited your union halls. I've heard your stories, I know your struggles, I know your hopes. They're part of me now, and I will never forget you, and I'll never stop fighting for you.
You may not understand completely in what ways, but it is true when I say to you that you have taught me and you've tested me and you've lifted me up, and you made me stronger. I did my best to express my vision and my hopes for the Fan Club. We worked hard and we fought hard and I wish that things had turned out a little differently.
I'm proud of what we stood for in this campaign, and of what we accomplished. When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race. But we stood for real change, change that would make a real difference in the life of our nation, the lives of our families.
So here -- so with a grateful heart -- I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I've come to know our vast country so much better. Thanks to all of you and what a privilege it has been. And that prayer is very simple: God bless America. Thank you.
If you've been procrastinating and you still want to cast a vote, I would ask that you vote for the current leader in this race - Tommy "USCWANNABE" Costabile - by entering tom.costabile@gmail.com as your referral.
