I am here at a Chicago north side cafe with a dozen and a half other bloggers who are supporting Miguel Del Valle for mayor of Chicago.
People are introducing themselves, their histories, their work and why they support Del Valle for mayor.
“I worked for Harold.”
“The City Clerk’s office works now.”
“People all over the country are looking at Chicago.”
“He revolutionized the City Clerk’s office.”
“The last two City Clerks have gone to jail!”
“I’ve known Del Valle since 1996 when I was working with the Coalition for the homeless.”
“He was always fighting for housing.”
“Del Valle was there when we were fighting to regulate day labor, the Day Labor Act.”
“I’m Steve. I live two blocks away. I had no idea this was happening today. I’m looking for someone other than Rahm Emanuel to vote for.”
“I got burned out by electoral politics a long time ago. Miguel’s the only guy I can relate to as a human being.”
“This is not a corporate powered campaign. It’s a people powered campaign.”
“I’m new to Chicago and looking to know the candidates.”
“I did computer programming for Harold Washington and Eugene McCarthy.”
“If I could narrow it down to one issue, it is public education.”
“I’m Tim Furman, I blog at School Tech Connect.”
“He cares about the community.”
“I go to Jose de Diego.”
“I started a blog about each and every candidate. I was interested at first in Rahm because he was the man next to the man. I blog at votingvixen.com.”
“They call him ‘el santo.’ I said, ‘Really? A politician they call ‘the saint?'”
A cross-section of the city? Probably not. But they’re all for Del Valle.
And now Miguel has arrived and is talking about his campaign.
Fred Klonsky 
Great post. Thanks. I wish I could be at the event, but my wife is working tonight and I’m home with the kids. We really need del Valle in office… is there talk of how he can raise more money or build a crazy huge grassroots movement in about a month?
Sure. But it’s no secret. Write a check. Hold a coffee and get others to write a check. We did it last Sunday and raised 3K. Contact the campaign office. Do precincts. Knock on doors. Count minuses and pluses. Do a phone bank. Put up a yard or window sign. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Wear a button. It just the same stuff we always do. If we do it enough and we get enough others to do it, we win. If not, we lose.
Done, done and done. But need to do more.