Thank You, Team GK

Jeff Jedras‏@jeffjedras

#TeamGK is rockin-out to A-Ha at the moment. All the other camps seem a little subdued. #olpldr

 

 

While we were unsuccessful in our bid to see Gerard Kennedy become Ontario's next Premier, Team GK - now happily part of Team Wynne, also known as the Ontario Liberal Party - is proud of our candidate and our campaign.  We're equally of the woman who is now our leader.  We're optimistic about the future, too, as were all Ontario Liberals I spoke with last night.  It didn't matter who they had supported, originally - it was clear Kathleen Wynne would represent each and every one of us.

 

There's good reason for this.  More than just a ground-breaking Premier in terms of demographics, Kathleen Wynne presents an historic opportunity for growth, both for the Party and for Ontario.  Perhaps a bit more pragmatic than Kennedy, Wynne is just as much a consensus builder with a knack for active listening and developing shared solutions, an approach sorely needed right now. 

 

As Gerard is one of those who engages in politics because he actually believes that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts; there is still a role for him to play in provincial politics.

 

The same, I hope, holds true for the amazing team assembled by Gerard's Campaign Manager, Suzanne van Bommel.  CMs and campaign teams tend to reflect a bit of the candidate's personality, which was certainly the case with us.  Every single member of the team dedicated 120% of themselves to the cause.  We made the best use of new technology but rocked it old-school, too.  We made dirty hobo chic trendy. 

 

Along the way this team developed, under the guidance and direction of Gerard himself, some amazing ideas for political and social service renewal.  The ideas never stopped flowing, really; we were flexible enough to reinvent ourselves to maximize the potential of our ever-growing team but focused enough to never lose sight of the prize - seeing Gerard's vision made real.  We also had the most convoluted inside jokes of any campaign I have ever worked on.  Despite the overall pressure to engage in cynical political tricks on any political trail, we worked hard to keep to the high road, following the example set by Gerard himself.  Plus, we had crazy fun doing so. 

While I'm flattered that Jeff Jadras notices how much we enjoyed ourselves, the quote above doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.  What other team could have turned last night's late-night Convention Clean-Up into the After Party at the Holiday Wynne, including a DJ and a push-up contest?  Check out our Tumblr page for just a hint at the fun we had along the journey.  Work hard, work creatively, work ethically, leave no stone unturned and live in the moment.  That's how Team GK rolled. 

I want to thank the team, some who were there from day one and others who brought their talents to the gang throughout the campaign.  In no particular order, thanks to Melissa, Allie, Jay, Tamer, D-Love, Chelios, Krystyna, Debra, TorDan, Calgary Grit, Jason, Gaby, Chris, Tom, Matthew, Bennett, Sarah, Matt, Vince, Jill, Grahame, Michelle, Kathleen, Denise, Kira, Luke, the other Sarah, any missing Dans, Dagny, Greta, Amanda, Mary, Dave, Mark, Salma, Carolyn, Ryan, Nicholas, Was It Andrew?, Priti Kriti, Kuttimol, Kim, Brad, Kristin, Rachel, Jenny, Ted, Ruth, Jeremy - and anyone I missed, please know it's due to fatigue, not a reflection of your impact.  Team GK was truly a team, in every sense of the word.

 

Special thanks goes Suzanne for the invitation to join Team GK and the opportunity to be part of something so special. 

 

Above all, though, I have to thank Gerard and Jeanette for creating this amazing opportunity in the first place.

Now that the campaign is over, let the renewal begin.