Iie 1idigan Baily Ann Arbor, Michigan Monday, November 3, 2008 michigandailycom NEARING THE FINISH Groups, make last pushes on campus College Dems chair: We're 'trying to run up the score' By JULIE ROWE Daily StaffReporter After months of campaigning, the College Democrats and Col- lege Republicans are preparing for their final campus push to turn out voters for their respective can- didates. With polls showing a double- digit lead for Democratic presi- dential nominee Barack Obama in Michigan, Styer said his group is no longer focusing its efforts on just "winning the game." Now, he said, they're "trying to run up the score." "It's one thing to win by a point or two," he said. "But if we can win inalandslide in thepopularvote, if we can win with a clear landslide in the electoral vote, Obama enters the presidency with a mandate." To make sure the Democrats on campus turn out to vote for Obama, Styer said the group will be calling and knocking on the doors of every student registered to vote and blanketing the campus with flyers and posters. College Democrats members* spent Saturday campaigning in Oakland County for Gary Peters, the Democratic challenger to 0 incumbent 9th District Rep. Joe Knollenberg, and began their final canvassing and phone banking drives yesterday. Styer said 80 students volun- teered yesterday, a number well above what he anticipated. See CAMPAIGN, Page 7A HOW TO TOMORROW JACOB SMILOVITZ DAILY STAFF REPORTER Macomb could go either way Tues. By JACOB SMILOVITZ Daily StaffReporter STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - Less than an hour's drive from Ann Arbor, Macomb County has for years typi- fied the trials and tribulations of the Rust Belt, a region tom- prised largely £ of white, blue- collar workers. To political insiders and opera- tives, it is considered a hotbed of so-called Reagan Democrats - the traditionally Democratic voters from Midwestern, working-class areas who supported Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980 and 1984 elections in opposition to the economic troublesthey facedunder former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat. Recent election cycles have shown the region can tilt either way. In 2004, President Bush edged out Democratic opponent John Kerry by less than two per- cent in Macomb but ultimately lost the state. Four years earlier, Bush lost the county by two percent to Democrat Al Gore. In 2006, the county heavily supported Democratic Gov. Jen- nifer Granholm. During that same election, though, the county was staunch in its support for Pro- posal 2, which banned affirmative action at public institutions across the state. Macomb voters voted 2-to-1 in favor of the ballot initia- tive, which most Democratic and minority interest groups opposed. The county's vote raises the ques- See MACOMB, Page 7A John McCain campaign volunteers make phone calls from the Republican presidential nominee's campaign office in Grand Rapids Saturday. In the state's west a conservative counterweight Kent, Ottawa Party, said canvassers counties key to will knock on 100,000 Republican hopes Grand Rap- ids-area By JULIE ROWE doors over Daily StaffReporter the final three days before the election. The organiza- GRAND RAPIDS - Western tion will deliver pamphlets Michigan conservatives, long promoting Republican candi- considered the counterbalance dates, including presidential to the overwhelmingly liberal nominee John McCain. voters of Ann Arbor and Detroit, Volunteers will make phone have entered into the final stage calls to Republican and undecid- of their campaign to turn out ed voters until polls have closed, Republican supporters on Elec- to make sure every conservative tion Day. in the county voter casts a ballot, Sam Moore, director of Moore said. the Kent County Republican See GRAND RAPIDS, Page 7A EAST AND WEST While Ann Arbor and Detroit skewed Democratic in the 2004 presidential elec- tion, the state's west skewed Republican. But it has less than half as many voters. KENT/OTTAWA COUNTIES WAYNE/WASHTENAW COUNTIES Total: 419,538 Total: 1,038,624 sOURCE: MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE Go to your polling place as designated by your voter registration card. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Bring some form of photo identification and some- thing that shows your local address. This can include: Your MCard EDriver's license HA utility bill or your voter registration card If you don't have an ID, you can still vote. Ask the poll worker to let you sign an' affidavit stating that you are not in possession of a photo ID. Cast your vote. If you choose to vote straight party, don't forget to vote in the non-partisan judicial section. Don't wear any campaign paraphernalia within 100 feet of the polling place. If you are voting absen- tee, your city clerk must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on election night. At U,' Nader decries two-party system, RELIGION AND POLITICS Speaker: Jesus wouldn't be a single-issue voter Candidate running in Mich. on Natural Law Party ticket By CAITLIN SCHNEIDER Daily StaffReporter AspollsshowedDemocraticnom- inee Barack Obama with a growing, double-digit lead in Michigan, both he and Republican candidate John McCain largely abandoned their efforts in the state more than a . month ago. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, third-party candidate Ralph Nader spoke to a large crowd at the Michigan Union Friday. The consumer advocate and three-time presidential candi- date held a press conference and rally with about 250 supporters, addressing the nation's financial crisis, corporate responsibility, civic engagement and what he described as the failures of the two-party sys- tem. "When are the American people goingtogetangry?"Naderaskedthe audience. "They've got two corrupt parties bordering on decay, who have turned your government - the only countervailing force against global corporations and corporate globalization - into an indentured servant for them." During a press conference before his speech, Nader spoke on issues specific to Michigan, including the state's ailing auto industry. He said See NADER, Page 3A At Christian event, students urged to weigh policies of both candidates By THOMAS CHAN Daily StaffReporter How would Jesus vote? That's the question Fred Bai- ley, regional coordinator for Intervarsity Christian Fellow- ship, aimed to answer during a talk in Palmer Commons Friday night. Speaking to a group of about 90, Bailey said there's reason for Christians to vote for Republi- can presidential candidate John McCain because of his pro-life views. Bailey said people can vote for Democratic nominee Barack Obama if they believe he could better improve the quality of life for mothers and children. Instead of endorsing one can- didate or party, Bailey advised the audience to consider nation- al priorities and each candidate's beliefs, policy proposals and See RELIGION, Page 7A Presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who's running on the Natural Law Party ticket in Michigan, spoke at the Michigan Union Fridly afternoon. WEATHER HI:69 TOMORROW Lo: 43 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Men's swimming toppled by top-ranked Texas THEGAME.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX N EW S.................................2A ART SA.................................5A Vol. CXIX,No. 43 SUDOKU--.........................-3A CLASSIFIED5-..............-...6A Om2008The Michigan Daily OPINION ............................4A SPORTSMONDAY.................1 B michigandoily.com r i*