Life is funny sometimes. You work and strive for something for so long that it becomes a part of who you are and you become identified with that thing, for better or for worse, and then all of a sudden it’s gone.
My race for California State Controller was my life for an entire year. As some would say, I put my life on hold to run for Controller. I don’t know how many times I crisscrossed this state. From touring the state with Mark Meuser (Secretary of State, Candidate) on the Elections Matter Bike Tour, to driving a 45-foot RV up and down the state for the Yes on 6 – Gas Tax Repeal Initiative, I saw some amazing places and met some amazing people.
Even though being the Republican candidate for Controller consumed my life for an entire year, I completely forgot that today is the day I would have been sworn in as California’s Controller if I had won. My friend’s trip to Sacramento today is what reminded me.
It’s so funny how something that consumes your life for so long can be so easily forgotten.
When I was asked to write a piece on my experience on my race for Controller, I was wondering what I would write. Would I write about what the CAGOP needs to do to become competitive? Would I speak on what we could have done differently? I could have written on a lot of different things, but I decided to write about my experience and what I’ve learned, and hopefully, pass along some words of wisdom to you.
To begin with, I have the title of being the biggest loser on election night. Unlike other candidates that lost their race, I lost two campaigns. I lost my race for Controller and I failed to pass Prop 6.
You see the thing is most people would be embarrassed to say they are a failure. I, on the other hand, am proud to be a failure because through failure and adversity I have become the man I am today.
Imagine everything always going your way? It sounds nice, right? But would you ever understand what humility is, and thus, would you be able to show love and compassion to others when they are hurting? Would you appreciate what you have, or would you only seek pleasure in attaining something new? Would you be the person you are today?
As they say, history is written by those who win, but we place too much emphasis on winning. I want to ask you a question: do you know who the State Controller was 30 years ago? Who was the Governor 60 years ago? Who was President of the United States 130 years ago? Can you name at least five of the Roman Emperors?
Most will not be able to answer all, and for others, even some of these questions. We had Emperors that ruled most of the world with absolute authority, yet today, only historians and scholars remember their names.
Those of us that work or are involved in politics sometimes put too much importance on what we do. Now, this is not to say that politics aren’t important. I fight for what I believe in because it is important, but it isn’t everything.
Life is more than just will I get that promotion, will we defeat our opponents, will we pass this bill, will we…
We want to be thought of and remembered for what we accomplish, and not by our failures. But as I have shown you, most people will never know anything about you or even know your name, even though you might have been the most powerful person in the world.
Just remember, life is an adventure, and we will have setbacks, failures, heartbreaks, and disappointments. Without these experiences, I would not be the man I am today. I will continue to fall short in so many aspects of my life. I will fail to do what is right, and I will regret a decision I will make. As I like to say, “I might not be the man I should be, but by the grace of God, I’m no longer the man I used to be.”
I appreciate the man I am today because of how far God has brought me from yesteryears. I appreciate but am not satisfied with who I am, because just like California’s High-Speed Rail, I’m permanently under construction. God isn’t done working on me yet.
We cannot change the past, what we can do is reflect on our decisions and failures and see how they shaped our lives and what positive experiences we can ascertain.
Today, just like yesterday, and just like tomorrow, I will hold the title of being the biggest loser in California politics in 2018, but today, just like yesterday, and just like tomorrow, I can say I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I matured, learned to trust in God even more, gained some wisdom, and made friendships that will last a lifetime.
Even if I was being sworn in today the one thing I am certain of is this: 30 years from now very few people would remember my name, know who I am and that I was the Controller of California, but the thing I do know is that my friends will, because to them I wasn’t only a candidate, I am their friend and we will have the privilege of experiencing life together.
My parting words of wisdom to you are this: Trust God and do Life. Breathe in all it has to offer and be thankful for what you have and don’t dwell on what you could have had. Always be adventuring and drink up the experiences this life has to offer because in your failures you might gain more than in your victories.
Will America-First News Outlets Make it to 2023?
Things are looking grim for conservative and populist news sites.
There’s something happening behind the scenes at several popular conservative news outlets. 2021 was bad, but 2022 is proving to be disastrous for news sites that aren’t “playing ball” with the corporate media narrative. It’s being said that advertisers are cracking down, forcing some of the biggest ad networks like Google and Yahoo to pull their inventory from conservative outlets. This has had two major effects. First, it has cooled most conservative outlets from discussing “taboo” topics like Pandemic Panic Theater, voter fraud, or The Great Reset. Second, it has isolated those ad networks that aren’t playing ball.
Certain topics are anathema for most ad networks. Speaking out against vaccines or vaccine mandates is a certain path to being demonetized. Highlighting voter fraud in the 2020 and future elections is another instant advertising death penalty. Throw in truthful stories about climate change hysteria, Critical Race Theory, and the border crisis and it’s easy to understand how difficult it is for America-First news outlets to spread the facts, share conservative opinions, and still pay the bills.
Without naming names, I have been told of several news outlets who have been forced to either consolidate with larger organizations or who have backed down on covering certain topics out of fear of being “canceled” by the ad networks. I get it. This is a business for many of us and it’s not very profitable. Those of us who do this for a living are often barely squeaking by, so loss of additional revenue can often mean being forced to make cuts. That means not being able to cover the topics properly. Its a Catch-22: Tell the truth and lose the money necessary to keep telling the truth, or avoid the truth and make enough money to survive. Those who have chosen survival simply aren’t able to spread the truth properly.
We will never avoid the truth. The Lord will provide if it is His will. Our job is simply to share the facts, spread the Gospel, and educate as many Americans as possible while exposing the forces of evil.
To those who have the means, we ask that you please donate. We have options available now, but there is no telling when those options will cancel us. We just launched a new GiveSendGo page. We also have our GivingFuel page. There have been many who have been canceled by PayPal, but for now it’s still an option. Your generosity is what keeps these sites running and allows us to get the truth to the masses. We’ve had great success in growing but we know we can do more with your assistance.
Thank you, and God Bless!
JD Rucker
