Romney wins big in Michigan

Patriot Ledger, The (Quincy, MA) - Wednesday, January 16, 2008

By Adam Riglian, The Patriot Ledger

All eyes are on South Carolina and Nevada today following former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's primary win in his native Michigan. The win there Tuesday gives the Belmont Republican some much-needed momentum going into the two contests Saturday.

It was his first major primary win after coming in second in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

"You can make the argument that he is the frontrunner now," Northeastern University journalism professor and political author Alan Schroeder said. "South Carolina is probably going to be hard for him, but if he can hold out until Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, which I think he can after this win, then he has a chance."

Romney got 39 percent of the vote in Michigan, well ahead of the 30 percent for Arizona Sen. John McCain. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee finished third with 16 percent.

Charlie Manning of Hull, a consultant to the Romney campaign, said Romney's business background and economic expertise resonates with voters concerned about the possibility of a recession. CNN exit polls showed that 55 percent of Michigan Republican voters said that the economy is the most important issue of the campaign this year, with 42 percent of that group's votes going to Romney.

Romney also capitalized on his family ties to the state. His father, George Romney, was governor there in the 1960s and a well-respected auto industry executive.

But South Carolina represents much more of an unknown for Romney. His campaign pulled its ads from that state and Florida in the days leading up to the Michigan primary and put them back on the air after a five-day blackout.

"People are deciding (on candidates) later and later," Manning said. "People will be looking at the candidates in South Carolina and Nevada in the next few days."

McCain and Southerners Huckabee and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee are expected to do better in South Carolina.

The candidates have mostly ignored Nevada. The Romney campaign plans to take advantage of that, spending time in the state before the caucus.

Schroeder said that to continue winning, Romney must prove to voters that his stances are based in his beliefs and not on what voters want to hear.

"The knock on him is still that he is a phony," Schroeder said. "It is a tough problem to address, but it is a charge he will have to knock down if he is to gain traction."