Clinton rallies Michigan voters ahead of Tuesday election

Iván Flores
Staff Writer

Hillary Clinton made a campaign stop in Detroit on Friday Nov. 4, to bolster up support, with the election just four days away. Billionaire Mark Cuban took the stage at Detroit’s Eastern Market to kick off the rally. Cuban pleaded with the crowd to turn out to vote.

“We all have a unique responsibility, not just to get out and vote, but to convince our friends and family to get out and vote,” Cuban said.

Clinton was introduced by Wendell Anthony, head of the NAACP Detroit Branch. He delivered a fiery speech saying, “she still stands” in the face adversity. He referred to the email scandals that have rocked her campaign and her opponent, whom he described as a bully.

Clinton’s message focused on education and jobs. The former senator and Secretary of State pledged to make higher education at public institutions free for households earning under $125,000. She also promised to make college debt-free for anyone above that threshold, and to help people pay off existing student loans.

On the subject of employment, Clinton promised to introduce the biggest jobs program since World War II, but did not provide specifics Friday. She did say she was committed to reintroducing technical training to high school curriculums in order to meet demand for highly skilled workers. She advocated for raising the minimum wage and establishing equal pay for women, saying, “People who work full time should not be left in poverty.”

Clinton attacked the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, on a wide range of issues, especially his racially charged comments and the history of racial discrimination in his housing developments.

She struck a chord with the crowd when she alluded to a rape case in New York where five black males were wrongly found guilty and imprisoned.

Trump took out full-page ads calling for the death penalty and, according to Clinton, continued to support their imprisonment even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence.

Acknowledging the culture of distrust between law enforcement and communities of color, she said: “(People) should have respect for the law, and be respected by the law… We’re going to take on discrimination and bigotry.”

Clinton presented three main challenges she expected to face as president.

• Establishing an economy that works for everyone.
• Keeping the country safe by working with our allies.
• Bringing the country together to overcome the social divides that have become apparent during the election.

However, Clinton’s biggest challenge remains getting elected. As Anthony said, “she still stands,” but barely.

Clinton’s visit to Detroit comes at a time when national polls show her lead over Trump slipping. An ABC-Washington Post this weekend shows Clinton ahead of Trump by just 5 percent.

James Comey, director of the FBI delivered a letter to Congress 11 days before the election saying his agency had uncovered emails that may be pertinent to the investigation into the private email server Hillary Clinton used during her time as secretary of state. Though Trump is still dogged by questions about his business affairs and relationships with women, Clinton’s momentum grounded to a halt in the aftermath. (UPDATE: The FBI Sunday cleared Clinton after reviewing the emails. CNN coverage | Associated Press coverage)

Clinton needs 270 electoral votes to clinch the presidency.  Michigan can provide 16 of them.

“It all comes down to you,” she told the crowd Friday. “You have the vote.”

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