Oct. 24, 2010 -- Former President Bill Clinton speaks as Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) listens at a rally to get out the vote. Clinton earlier stumped for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
DETROIT -- Former President Bill Clinton lavished praise Sunday on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero, but the Detroit rally took place in a high school gym that was only about one-third full.
Clinton, who has always enjoyed strong popularity in Detroit and was described by one Democrat on Sunday as having "rock star" appeal, drew a crowd estimated in the high hundreds to Renaissance High School on the city's west side.
He was trying to stir up the base for Bernero, shown in polls to be trailing Republican Rick Snyder by 20 percentage points.
The former president praised Bernero for balancing budgets and creating jobs as mayor of Lansing, a city Clinton said is a standout for its recent economic performance. He criticized Snyder for an economic plan he said is big on feel-good rhetoric and short on specifics and said the Ann Arbor businessman has chosen China over the U.S. when it comes to job creation.
"If he loses, you lose," Clinton said of Bernero.
Shortly before Clinton spoke, the Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit NAACP, urged attendees to leave bleacher seats along one wall of the gym to try to fill the floor area in front of the podium.
Sunday's turnout for Clinton is a sign of the malaise afflicting Democrats in Michigan and around the country after huge voter turnout and countrywide gains in the 2008 election that swept President Barack Obama to power, said Bill Rustem, president of Public Sector Consultants in Lansing.
Still, "I am a little surprised," he said. "Bill Clinton remains a pretty iconic figure in Detroit and southeast Michigan."
Bernero spokesman Cullen Schwarz, who estimated the crowd size at 1,000, said the campaign never expected to fill the gym. Bernero was pleased with the size and the excitement of the crowd, especially since the site of the Clinton rally was nailed down less than 48 hours in advance, he said.
Bill Nowling, a spokesman for Snyder, said the criticisms Clinton leveled Sunday are "the same kind of partisan-charged rhetoric that Mayor Bernero and the Democratic establishment have been throwing at Rick for months now," and "it's just a message that's not resonating with voters.
"It's probably pretty indicative that they can't fill a gym on a Sunday afternoon for a former president of the U.S."
Two more stops for Clinton
Clinton later appeared in Ann Arbor to support U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Detroit, and was expected to move on to Battle Creek to stump for U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek.
The audience in Ann Arbor waited three hours to see Clinton share the stage with Dingell, because Clinton's appearance in Detroit got behind schedule. Snyder's only public event Sunday was at a dinner in Detroit with the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Jewish schools group, Nowling said.
Clinton, who served as president from 1993 to 2001, said the GOP is motivating voters by blaming Democrats for a recession brought about by the Bush administration. "(Republicans say) 'We gave them 21 months to dig out of this hole we dug,' " Clinton told the Detroit crowd. "We're not out of the hole because it was a very deep hole."
The country is on the road to recovery, so "don't shoot yourself in the foot" by failing to vote, he said.
Though he didn't fill the room, Clinton sent many people away feeling fired up.
"It was very motivating," said Sonia King, a Detroit resident and city family services worker. Clinton's appearance will make a difference because those who attended will spread the enthusiasm through word of mouth, she said.
Sharon Baseman of Huntington Woods said many Democrats were likely at church Sunday or out knocking on doors or the crowd would have been bigger.
"He's a great communicator," and "we needed to have him or Barack" to fire up the base, she said.
Dems make pleas to vote
Democrats who spoke at the rally made passionate pleas about the need for a huge turnout on Nov. 2.
"It is up to you to decide what happens in this election," said Bernero.
Though polls point to a strong Republican year, "we're not buying that malarkey," said U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "We don't care about polls."
"Now is not the time to give up," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing.
Many remained hopeful Clinton's appearance would make a difference.
"Clinton is still a rock star in Detroit," said Wayne County Commissioner Kevin McNamara, who represents southwestern Wayne County .
