Gore campaigns in Flint

By Jeremy W. Peters

Daily Staff Reporter

FLINT - In the largely working class city of Flint, Vice President Al Gore campaigned last night on the pitch that he is the best candidate to fight for those who "most need help."

"I'm talking about you. I'm talking about the families that have a hard time making car payments and mortgage payments and making ends meet," Gore told a crowd of about 5,000 gathered near the University's Flint campus.

Continuing the line of attack that accuses his opponent, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, of being against the working class, the vice president assailed Bush's economic plans, particularly those that relate to blue collar workers.

"I'll give you middle class tax cuts - not squander the surplus on the wealthy," he said.

"You know, Governor Bush actually proposed that any increase in the minimum wage be subject to a state's rights veto so that individual states can opt out of a minimum wage increase. That would be a step backward," Gore added.

He repeated phrases such as "I'm on your side" and "I'll fight for you" throughout his speech.

The vice president also touched on the issue of making worker unionization easier.

"When a majority votes, that ought to be it. I'm tired of all the loopholes being used, all of the tricky legalisms being used, all of the union-busting tactics," he said.

In a state where nearly one-third of likely voters live in a house with a union member, these issues could prove crucial come November.

According to a recent New York Times poll, Gore is ahead of Bush 55 to 28 percent among union members in Michigan.

Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile said she was confident Gore will have no problem attracting the labor vote on Election Day.

"I think labor will be a very important force not only as we begin the ground war heading into the weeks before the election, but as we do the day to day campaigning. They've given us a tremendous boost for over a year now," Brazile said.

Just outside the rally there was a handful of union members demonstrating against Al Gore. They said they wanted to make it clear that not all organized workers stand behind him.

"I do support Bush, but that's not why I'm here," said AFL-CIO member David Shaffer, a demonstrator from Davison. "What's been done in the past eight years? The AFL-CIO leadership is fully behind Gore, but I know there is a good part of the union that doesn't support him."

Former Michigan governor James Blanchard said that capturing the state and its 18 electoral votes is not solely dependent on winning the labor vote.

"Gore will do very well with labor. But remember, there's a lot more to Michigan than just labor, there really is. Every area of Michigan is important," Blanchard said.

One segment of the Michigan electorate the Gore campaign is seeking to win is the youth vote, an age bracket the vice president acknowledged are often "the least willing to get involved in the political process."

"Young people are playing an active role in our campaign," Brazile said. "Sixty percent of our staff is under 25. Clearly young people are a lot of the fuel and energy behind our campaign."

One young Gore enthusiast, LSA junior Sarah Skow, traveled to Flint last night to see the vice president.

"He needs to know that he has the support of young people," Skow said of why she made the trip from Ann Arbor.

However, all of the young people who attended the rally did not share Skow's enthusiasm.

Eighteen year-old Kelly Dye gave her reason for attending.

"I just wanted to see the Goo Goo Dolls."

The Goo Goo Dolls performed an opening musical set before Gore took the stage. Dye and her friends, who all said they were not registered to vote, left once the band stoped playing.

ABOVE: Al Gore campaigns yesterday at the University's Flint Campus.