Seth Moulton admits defeat on the first Debate criteria

Christian,

I knew that getting in the race so late there was a strong chance I’d miss the first debate—and yes, I will. But fear not! I’m not losing any sleep over it, and neither should you.

This race is a marathon, not a sprint. At this point in the 2016 presidential campaign, Jeb Bush was leading in the Republican primary. Ben Carson was in second. And Donald Trump hadn’t even announced his candidacy yet.

Even though I entered the race late, we’ve already done so much to show America what kind of president we need in the White House:

I announced plans to launch the largest call to national service in our country since the Great Depression.

I spoke for the first time publicly about my struggle with post-traumatic stress after my four tours in Iraq and outlined a mental health plan to help servicemembers, veterans, and civilians alike.

I told our LGBTQ friends who were kicked out of the military for being who they are that, as president, I will right that wrong and upgrade their discharges to honorable.

And one more thing: we’ve been here before. When I first ran for Congress in 2014, I took on an 18-year-incumbent from my own party. After eight months of slogging it out on the campaign trail, we did our first poll. My opponent was at 62 percent; I was at 8.

We won that primary by 11 points—and then beat my Republican opponent by 14 in a district that voted overwhelmingly for our Republican governor.

So I know what it’s like to start from behind, and I know the importance of working hard. That’s what we did during long days in the Marines; that’s what we did in my first campaign; and that’s what we’re doing in this race.

Christian, I’m up for the challenge and I know you are too. The first debate isn’t going to pick the next president—American voters like you are. Our message of generational change, service, and patriotism is resonating with everyone who hears it. Trump is going to be harder to beat than many people think, and we need someone who can build the broad coalition to win. I’ve done that before and I can do it again.

And I know that if we can bring that message to the rest of the country, we will win. Can you contribute a few dollars to help us make that happen?

In just eight weeks on the campaign trail, we’ve made tremendous progress. We’ve got a long way to go, but together, we can bring this home.

Seth