Ross Mirkarimi for SF Mayor?

Chris Daly threw his second Progressive convention today and it ended
with an electrical charge.

I was probably one of the last people in the room expecting it. I was
not at all excited about the event. But Chris and his friends have
become very effective at energizing Progressives at critical moments.

If you missed it, or left early, it finished in a most remarkable way:
no viable candidate actually announced their candidacy. But an extremely
strong (unannounced) candidate emerged: Ross Mirkarimi. Ask anyone who
attended and stayed until the conclusion.

The convention was going along for quite a while with most people talking
to each other rather than listening to the many accomplished activists
speaking from the stage. It was becoming clear that we wouldn't be
"choosing" anyone to represent us, which discouraged me. And it was getting late.

Then it was Medea's turn to speak. She got our attention. Then
Ross spoke. And then Chris spoke. They created an electricity that was
palpable. Everyone I spoke to felt it.

And it was Ross who generated an exceptionally intense voltage. There
were probably two or three hundred of us still in the big hall at the
Tenderloin Elementary School. Everybody, I think, recognized in one way
or another that Ross had transitioned, before our very eyes, into the
candidate who can beat Gavin Newsom in November..

It's as simple as that. Please talk to other people who were
present about what happened. I wish I could remember all of their
names. You can start with Medea Benjamin. And June Brashares. Sasaneh
Solimani. Julian Davis. Randy Knox. Vicki Leidner. Andy Blue. Susan
King, Charlene Smythe. The League of Pissed Off Voters. John Rizzo, John
Avalos, Josh Wolf. Christine Olague. Fog City Journal. Ray Toby. Mark
Powell. Quintin Mecke. Thirty of us went over to Harrington's Bar
with Ross after the event and the women took over and discussed his
candidacy with him.

You'll be hearing more about this in the next weeks, I'm
sure.

Right now, I think, we need to get Matt, Chris, and Ross to sit down
together and talk this thing through. Sooner rather than later. We need
a candidate to speak for our values. Any one of them would make a fine
candidate. We need someone who will win.

I think Ross is the one. It was clear from the response that Ross got at
the convention that a lot of hard core activists are ready and willing to
go to bat for him. His performance on the Board of Supervisors has
proven his strong capabilities. As he spoke at the convention, it became
clear that he has the outstanding ability to explain what's missing
in Room 200. On each issue he sliced through to the heart of the matter
in simple, unrehearsed, eloquent sentences. He exposed Newsom's
total abandonment of the progressive values that most San Franciscans
hold dear.

Ross is ready. He's fresh. He's very smart. He carries no
unwanted baggage. The crowd greeted him with "runRossrun"
chants. And then he delivered. We all got excited. Ross will beat
Gavin in November.

(His speech will be online soon. When I find out where, I'll send
another email. Please watch it. I think you'll be extremely
impressed.)

Thanks,

Charles