CHARLOTTE, NC — Democrats were speaking directly to Michigan voters Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention with nearly a handful of speakers who specifically focused on the auto industry.
For one delegate, the message struck a chord, even though he's never worked in an auto plant or for a parts supplier.
"I was in education, but I taught the children of auto workers," said Fred Overeem, a delegate attending the three-day convention in North Carolina. "It touches every part of the state."
Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president; Bob King, president of the UAW; and Austin Ligon, founder and former CEO of CarMax all hit on issues related to the auto industry during Wednesday evening's speeches.
More than 5,000 Democratic delegates are in Charlotte this week to nominate President Obama for a second term. He'll accept the party's nomination Thursday evening at Time Warner Arena.
Michigan is pivotal to President Obama's re-election strategy. Recent polls put the President up by 4 points in the state.
Democrats have hammered hard at Republican nominee Mitt Romney for suggesting the auto industry enter bankruptcy. The claim has been repeated numerous times this week.
"Essentially, Republicans said 'let it die,'" said Overeenm, a Rockford resident. The Democrats' plans for the economy "are much more realistic."
Keith Best
10:22 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
Here are the job numbers the media is not reporting about the August job numbers that just came out. This is what the media is telling you...and it's true. "The unemployment rate dropped from 8.3% to 8.1%. 96,000 jobs created in August."
Here are numbers they are NOT telling you:
1) 368,000 people STOPPED looking for work in August. Meaning they CANNOT be counted as unemployed. These people have no more unemployment benefits to claim and have realized there are zero jobs out there for them. If you were to re-calculate those numbers and include the people who are no longer looking for work, the unemployment rate would be 12%. This number does not include the UNDEREMPLOYED, or the people who have stopped looking for work over the past 3 years; that number would be an astonishing 23%.
2) 69% of men are working. Meaning 31% are not. The lowest % of working men since the 1940's.
3) The number of employed Americans is at the lowest number in the past 31 years. An incredible number considering there are more people now in the USA than there were in 1981.
4) A record high of 88,921,000 Americans whom are not in the civilian labor force.
5) Manufacturers have cut the most jobs in August than at anytime in the past two years.
6) The supposed "job growth" each month is LESS THAN the number of people LEAVING the workforce every month. People leaving the work force CANNOT be counted as unemployed.
If you need a job, VOTE ROMNEY/ RYAN.