ArchPundit

Isn’t for 2007, it’s for 2011.

Simpson said finding issues that resonate with citizens is critical to mounting a successful campaign. Responsible government and accountability are two issues being raised in many wards.

Identifying those key issues is also a critical factor in winning the support of community groups and organizations that can help mobilize support.

The Service Employees International Union is one organization trying to flex its muscle in February. It has targeted incumbents in several wards -including Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) for opposition to the Big Box ordinance – and plans to place its support behind candidates considered more supportive of key union issues. SEIU officials are still in the process of determining which candidates will receive their attention.

The SEIU is also recruiting “block captains” from its 78,000 Chicago members to canvass their neighborhoods for the elections, the first time the union has done so.

While SEIU spokeswoman Marianne McMullen said the growth of the SEIU, rather than the political climate in Chicago, drove the decision to take more of an active role in the city elections.

The reality for SEIU is that since there will be no serious challenger to Daley, figuring out how to capitalize on the setbacks the machine has faced and will continue to face with further federal investigation leaves open a huge hole in the political infrastructure of the city.

Even while the machine has been falling apart through changing demographics and a relatively mobile population, the machine was the easiest way to put people on the ground in an election and having the support or at least the lack of organized resistance was the best way to get elected. As it becomes harder for patronage workers to be the foot soldiers of campaigns, SEIU can create an infrastructure to compete and a voter list that can identify those likely to support SEIU and generally progressive candidates.

It also fits in with the types of people SEIU represents in service workers who tend not to be neighborhood oriented. Additionally, the unionization of home child care workers provides an important network in communities with hard to reach people–single working parents.

SEIU will likely do well this cycle, but assuming Daley hangs it up for 2011, whomever is going to run for Mayor will certainly look to SEIU for support as the best organized entity to contact voters and organize a ground campaign. It’ll also be critical in statewide primary campaigns for Democrats. SEIU was a strong supporter of the Governor and whomever looks to replace him will be seeing a strong organization unit that help deliver victories to both Blagojevich and Obama and which has only strengthened itself since.

(h/t Rich for the article)