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Clinton seals nomination in state caucus

Michigan voters showed their support for President Clinton in Saturday's uncontested Democratic Party presidential caucus, where the president sealed his nomination for a second run for the White House.

Steve Gools, communication director for the Michigan Democratic Party, said Clinton had 2,167 of the 2,221 delegates required for the nomination before he entered the state. Michigan's 156 delegates will put him over the top.

With the support of the majority of caucus voters, Clinton faced little opposition. Official results were not released as of yesterday, but Gools said it is unlikely that the few write-in candidates would garner the 15 percent required for securing any delegates

Gools said the Michigan victory is important for Clinton's campaign.

"Michigan Democrats will deliver the delegates the president needed to secure his renomination," he said Saturday.

Election officials said voter turnout was low during the six hours the polling sites were open.

Aaron Dersnah, an Ann Arbor resident, said he went to the polls to show his support for the president and also for the political process.

"It's important to stay involved in the process. A lot of people are disillusioned with it," he said.

A 1992 Albion College graduate, Dersnah said he supports Clinton because of his stances on trade treaties like NAFTA and GATT, abortion rights and the economy.

Members of the University's College Democrats aided election officials during the caucus and attributed the lack of student participation to the locations of polling sites.

"It's not really that convenient," said Erica Cohen, an RC sophomore.

Katie Murtha, an LSA junior, said although there was a lack of student participation in the vote, many local party officials visited the sites.

"Everybody who has been here has been really involved," Murtha said.

State Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor), who talked with voters from Ann Arbor's third and fourth wards at the Church of the Good Shepherd polling site, said it was hard to promote the caucus.

"This event is financed by the Michigan Democratic Party," Brater said. "It's difficult and very expensive to publicize these events.

"I think the fact that President Clinton is uncontested probably lessens the interest."

Michael Koen, a caucus co-chair, said he was encouraged to see the number of party loyalists doing their part to help the president.

"The vote," Koen said, was "less for issues today, just for Bill Clinton."

Party officials say they expect a positive result in the general presidential election.

Pat Skrobe, chair of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party, said Michigan voters found it important to re-affirm Clinton as a candidate.

"There will be terrific voter turnout in November," Skrobe predicted, counting on voter frustration with the Republican "Contract with America."

Leah Gunn, a caucus co-chair, who is running for county commissioner in the 12th district, said the party stands behind Clinton.

"Bill Clinton is going to be our nominee, and he's going to win the election and we're going to work real hard for him," Gunn said.

Democratic Party members also used the day to solicit signatures for the campaign petitions of Sen. Carl Levin (D-Detroit), U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) and Ann Arbor library board candidate Sandra White.