The McCain campaign also intercepted a taped message to voters from conservative activist Pat Robertson, trashing the senator on abortion and other issues. His campaign has telephoned thousands of voters to urge them to beware of negative attacks. I want to hear the issues. I don't want to hear them talk about each other. The issues and trends in Michigan are typical of larger states.
Education remains a key concern even as voters see different problems.
In Detroit, some Democrats are angry that Bush's top supporter, Gov. John Engler, and the Legislature eliminated the locally elected school board. In more conservative Grand Rapids to the west, several Republican voters said they are disappointed the governor is not backing a ballot initiative for tuition vouchers. Some of the rust has chipped off the Rust Belt city of Detroit, which is dominated by Democrats who have been advised by Mayor Dennis Archer's aides to vote for McCain. The sprawling downtown Renaissance Center is undergoing an expensive face lift, and there are plans for more development along the Detroit River. But there are still plenty of run-down neighborhoods and abandoned buildings in the state's biggest city.