With North Carolina?s primary less than a week away, Bill Clinton continued a two-day swing through the Tar Heel State by stopping in downtown Apex this morning. The turnout was less than I expected?around 400 spectators maximum?much less than recent showings for Obama in Wilson and Chapel Hill.

The crowd filled only half of the gym at the Apex Community Center. The audience was enthusiastic, but the air of revival was notably absent.

State Sen. Julia Boseman (D-New Hanover) and Apex Town Council Member Bill Jensen pepped up the crowd before the former president took the stage around 8:30AM.

Promise of the day: Clinton pledged that Hillary would create millions of new jobs by investing in alternative forms of energy, including wind and solar, and that North Carolina is a good region for this type of investment.

He also chided Obama indirectly for opposing a moratorium on the federal gas tax. Rather than encourage overuse of gas, a gas tax holiday during the summer would help struggling families make ends meet, he said.