Why does (my) vote matter? Today's blog post by a Chicago public school activist tells why

Fred Klonsky's blog, "Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data," is like a little shaft of sunlight that brightens up my day. He's a tireless advocate for rank-and-file teachers and all-too-often disadvantaged students in the public schools, and a strong supporter of Ald. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's long-shot campaign to upset Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Today he posted an account of the first day of early voting in Chicago's April 7 mayoral election, and it was an instant classic. He quoted Chicago icon Studs Terkel -- "take it easy, but take it" -- in a column that belonged to the ages as soon as he put it up on the World Wide Web.

"It just took a minute," Klonsky said. "Just a minute until the paper tape rolled up the voting machine and my vote was cast."

Then he added:

It was then that it occurred to me.

I just cancelled out Ken Griffin’s vote.

Griffin is the richest man in Illinois. He is currently fighting with his soon to be ex-wife over child-support but he has given millions to Governor Private Equity [Rauner] and Rahm.

But I cancelled out his vote with mine.

He still has his millions, of course. And he is still powerful. He can still buy politicians.

But his vote for Rahm means nothing.

Because I cancelled it out.

It turns out that I was not the only one who was compelled to vote on the first day of early voting.

“What number was I?” I asked the poll judges.

“31.”

“Is that good?”

“Best first two hours ever.”

We'll see how it all shakes out April 7. Garcia is still a very long shot, and Griffin is still worth more than $6 billion. He and his private equity fund cronies like Gov. Rauner and Mayor Emanuel still have political resources the rest of us can never hope to match.

But we can still vote against them. It's our right.

"Take it easy," as Studs Terkel used to say. "But take it."

For the record (April 10), here's how it shook out: Garcia lost. Emanuel had 55 percent of the vote, and Garcia lost. According to a very good analysis in Crain's Chicago Business, Emanuel did especially well in the city's wealthiest wards, but easily carried the African American vote as well.

But Klonsky's vote still mattered.