Then again, maybe in a city like Detroit that's all that's left of the people who genuinely care.  The Detroit News:

"It's sad," said City Clerk Janice Winfrey, who had predicted turnout of 10 percent to 15 percent. "Anytime an individual chooses not to express themselves ... chooses not to participate in the Democratic process, it's sad.

"I can't fathom not voting and I don't really understand folks who don't."

The mood among voters vacillated from hope about the future to worry about the present. Some said they hoped to move from the city as soon as possible.

I'm not going to seriously knock anyone in the D for staying home on Election day.  Look at their choices...  You've got Democrat A, Democrat B, Democrats C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N and O and that was just on the Mayoral ballot.  Not a single Republican anywhere to be found.  No choices.  No alternatives.

And the rumor, though I haven't been able to substantiate it, is that the other 85 percent of voters actually stayed home because they'd been assaulted by Democratic Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers in the past four months and didn't want to risk another political "adventure."  

Threats of physical violence may or may not be what got to four of her fellow Council members who yesterday joined her in voting down a nearly $300 million expansion of Cobo Hall, citing worries that too many people from outside the City (crystal clear and unambiguous code for "white," by the way) would have too much of a say in the event-center's future.  Never mind that the bulk of the cash would be coming from those regional folks... can't let equity, equality and common sense get in the way of racial politics.

The Ivory Tower reports:

The legislation, passed by the state Legislature in December and signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm  in January, would have transferred ownership of Cobo Center to a five-member regional authority with representatives from Detroit, the state and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Each board member has veto power, requiring decisions about Cobo to be reached by unanimous vote.

The stakes, by the way... nothing less than the North American International Auto Show.  Dealers have been pulling out of the show for years, citing space and maintenance concerns around crumbling Cobo Hall, and if you've been there you know it's a pit.  The cash and expansion would have gone a heck of a long way towards solving those problems.

Alas, racism is alive and well in Detroit.  Said Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins:

Detroit should get the stimulus money directly (from the Obama administration), "bypassing the racist extortions of the state of Michigan."

Yep.  I totally see where she's coming from.  The State of Michigan, cash-strapped as it is, managed in a bipartisan fashion to dig up nearly $300 million to give to the City of Detroit to repair a building the City of Detroit has let crumble into utter disrepair for the last twenty years, saving, preserving and enhancing the ability of the City to host large-scale, money making events now and well into the future.  

Racist bastards.