(REAL CLEAR POLITICS)
By David Shribman
DETROIT — Is Michigan about to flip for Mitt?
Let’s stipulate that by the word flip we are not talking about heedless somersaults of ecstasy. This is not that kind of place, and Mitt Romney is not that kind of candidate.
Michigan is not particularly flighty. Up north they take their fishing so seriously they pursue it in forbidding wintry conditions. In Ann Arbor and East Lansing, the gridiron game is played with stern, nearly religious devotion. No one doubts that, despite its resurgence, there aren’t many laughs in the auto industry these days, and the state of Detroit is no laughing matter.
But suddenly Republicans are feeling good about Michigan. Not giddy, mind you. Just a bit optimistic.
It now seems clear that if the GOP wins Michigan, it won’t necessarily win the fall election — but if Romney wins the election, he will very likely win Michigan. That makes for difficult political choices for campaign strategists.