CLINTON PLAYS TO HIGH SCHOOL GYM: TWO-THIRDS EMPTY

Former President Bill Clinton said there is no question that Virg Bernero is the best candidate to be Michigan’s next governor.
“You have a uniquely qualified person here,” Clinton said at today's rally at Renaissance High School in Detroit. “If he loses, you lose.”
He compared Bernero’s record to his own – an era of balanced budgets without tax hikes and deficits that turned into surpluses. The naysayers, Clinton said, are manipulating vulnerable voters who are struggling to hold onto their homes and jobs.
“These other guys are playing you. They say they’re mad, they’re frustrated and want something new,” Clinton said. “But this country is coming back.”
Bernero was joined by all the other statewide candidates at the rally. Their message was clear -- don’t be discouraged by the polls that show them trailing Republicans.
“Are you ready to win, ready to fight, ready to vote?” Bernero asked the crowd, getting a resounding yes to each question. “You have to remember the votes, because this election is up to you, not the editorial pages, or the pollsters, or pundits or prognosticators.”
While the crowd hoisted signs that stated “Virg Surge,” the turnout at the rally was anemic. More than 500 people came to the rally, but the gym at Renaissance High School was only about one-third full, even though Clinton used to command full houses wherever he went, especially in Detroit.
Politician after politician exhorted the crowd to not let the polls keep them from voting on Nov. 2.
“They think that if they tell you often enough that you’re not doing well that you won’t go to the polls,” U.S. Rep. John Conyers said. “But we’re not buying that malarkey. If Detroit turns out as it has in the past, we win.”
Other statewide candidates to speak were Bernero’s running mate Brenda Lawrence; David Leyton, for attorney general; Jocelyn Benson for secretary of state; and Alton Davis and Denise Langford Morris for Michigan Supreme Court.
“This is the time we need your energy. This is the time we need to be excited and committed and we can win this race,” Lawrence said.
Clinton also went to Ann Arbor for a rally with U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Detroit, who is facing a challenge from Republican Rob Steele, and Battle Creek for a campaign stop with U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, who is locked in one of the most competitive races in the state against former U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton.
“I think he’s a nice guy and I’m going to vote for him,” said Wendell Broughton, 56, of Detroit, referring to Bernero.
His main purpose in coming to the rally was to see Clinton, but “I also believe in Virg’s ideals and vision for the economy,” Broughton said.
Jeff Boyd, 15, of Rochester woke his mother, Barb Boyd, at 4:30 a.m. to make sure they didn’t miss Clinton. The two were among the first in line at 6 a.m.
“I really wanted to see somebody that big,” Jeff Boyd said.
Barb Boyd said she’s also excited about seeing Clinton, “But I also want to hear what Bernero has to say. I’m still undecided about the race.”
She’s really turned off by the negative advertising on both sides of the gubernatorial race and is especially upset that she hasn’t heard enough specifics from either candidate.
After the rally, Boyd said she’s still conflicted about the gubernatorial contest and worries about a continuation of similar policies of the last eight years.