The 42nd president, speaking before a packed gymnasium on the campus of Rutgers University, then answered his own question. He said the only reason the race is tight is because "people are in trouble," struggling in tough economic times.

"This should not be a close race, because the majority of people in New Jersey agree with Jon Corzine's policies, and because the results he has achieved in incredibly adverse circumstances would be envy of any state in America," he said. "But no one can think about relative well-being when everybody feels threatened. You have 13 days to go out and share some of the things I told you tonight with your friends and neighbors."

The event here was the second Clinton did with Corzine today, two weeks before voters go to the polls. And it's the latest stop on what has been a thank you tour of some early supporters of his wife's presidential campaign.

Clinton was greeted enthusiastically by the more than 2,000 on hand, many who were in diapers when he was elected 17 years ago. He tailored his message somewhat to that demographic.

"You cannot afford to allow one vote to be cast in frustration, in spite of what the facts are. And it is very, very important that the young people of New Jersey go out and vote," he said. "It's your future that's on the line."

Some of that enthusiasm for Clinton spilled over to Corzine, who in his introduction seemed somewhat taken aback by the chants of "Four more years."

"I'm not going to talk very long because I don't think you came to hear me," he said.

But urging students to vote, he invoked the close presidential election of 2000, outlining how this decade might have been different had Al Gore won instead of George Bush.

"Elections matter," he said.

The week of Democratic super-surrogates campaigning for Corzine continues Wednesday with a visit by President Obama to Hackensack.