Hometown Proves Allegiance

Tuesday was an exhilarating day for Mitt Romney. Despite initially having high hopes for the Michigan primary, seeing that his father, George Romney, had earned the respect of many locals while serving as a three-term governor, Romney said last week that he feared that a win in his home state could be nearly impossible. He implied that nothing seemed certain in this election and he didn't know if he was able to depend on his hometown for support.

Even political analysts and journalists called the Michigan primary Romney's "last stand:"

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us

Romney's former neighbors proved him wrong and erased his fears by showing their support at the polls. He easily defeated Republican competitors John McCain and Mike Huckabee in the Michigan primary, giving him a renewed sense of hope. He jubilantly proclaimed that, "Tonight [Jan. 15] proves that you can't tell an American that there's something they just can't do...and tonight is a victory of optimism over Washington-style pessimism."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/01/15/VI2008011503541.html?sid=ST2008011504575

A groomed, well-rested Romney spoke with "Today Show" correspondent Meredith Viera this morning (Thursday, Jan. 17) about how Michigan residents "resuscitated" the election for him:

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us

Romney won 39 percent of the vote in the Michigan primary. McCain came in second with 30 percent of the vote and Huckabee made a feeble performance with just 16 percent of the vote.

Romney appealed to voters not only through his home-state ties but through speeches dedicated to improving Michigan's struggling economy. Michigan currently has the highest unemployment rate in the country, which was the topic upon which most of Romney's presentations focused. While traveling throughout the state, Romney also targeted the auto industry, one of Michigan's main sources of revenue. He rallied their support by proposing solutions, including increased flexibility regarding fuel-economy standards in Detroit.

Romney is now leading in the total number of delegates and the total number of votes for the Republican nomination. But the race is still wide open and Republican voters seem to have no idea who they want to represent their party. Republican voters haven't identified with a single candidate yet, signifying that anything can happen in the primaries to come.

Most political analysts agree that Romney's win is a deciding factor in prohibiting him from dropping out of the presidential race. His positive financial situation (a result from notably successful fund-raising events and tactics throughout 2007) is another reason that voters are sure to see Romney press on in the scramble towards the White House.

The South Carolina primary will be held on January 19 and, with 24 delegates at stake, will undoubtedly be a defining moment in Romney's political campaign.