Del Valle Wins Debate--NBC5 Ward Room
JANUARY 28, 2011
From NBC5 Ward Room, 1.28.2011
Miguel del Valle: A. Del Valle won the debate, in the sense that he gained more than any other candidate. Finally given the air time he can’t afford, del Valle passionately argued his case for neighborhood empowerment and good government. He was also the candidate who best understood the financial struggles of the average Chicagoan. “People have had it up to here with the city,” he said, sharing our exasperation with the red light cameras and parking meters that have been picking motorists’ pockets. Del Valle’s other big advantage: unlike his rivals, he had no skeletons to answer for. The worst the moderators could come up with was that he has no money, and he turned that around by saying, “If you’re looking for a candidate who’s beholden to the special interests, I’m not your guy.” Some voters have been waiting 50 years to hear his closing message that “Chicago is ready for reform.”
Miguel del Valle: A. Del Valle won the debate, in the sense that he gained more than any other candidate. Finally given the air time he can’t afford, del Valle passionately argued his case for neighborhood empowerment and good government. He was also the candidate who best understood the financial struggles of the average Chicagoan. “People have had it up to here with the city,” he said, sharing our exasperation with the red light cameras and parking meters that have been picking motorists’ pockets. Del Valle’s other big advantage: unlike his rivals, he had no skeletons to answer for. The worst the moderators could come up with was that he has no money, and he turned that around by saying, “If you’re looking for a candidate who’s beholden to the special interests, I’m not your guy.” Some voters have been waiting 50 years to hear his closing message that “Chicago is ready for reform.”
Gery Chico: B. Chico was trying to rabbit punch Rahm Emanuel from the moment the cameras went live. During the opening statements, he tried to attack Emanuel’s plan to tax hair cuts and pet grooming. “We’ll get to that,” the moderators told him. Finally given his chance, he said, “If you thought the Stroger Sales Tax was a killer, you will hate the Rahm Tax. This is the worst time to raise taxes and the last place a candidate should be looking for revenue.” Chico succeeded in his goal of looking like a competent bureaucrat, pointing out several times that he’d written 16 balanced budgets, and arguing that “we can’t cut our way out of this crisis,” but need to grow the city’s revenue base through job creation. Weirdly, during the debate, Chico was making snippy comments about his opponents on Twitter: “Breathe @DelValle4Mayor,” “@RahmEmanuelcan’t do math.” Was his account hacked?
Rahm Emanuel: C. Emanuel has refused to participate in any of the community forums, and his lack of