Michigan: It’s Your Turn!

Perhaps ‘90s pop star Britney Spears belted it best: “All eyes on me in the center of a ring just like a circus.”

Or not… regardless, the next round of presidential voting is today, when Michiganders and Arizonans will cast key ballots netting a total of 59 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Much of the media’s attention is dead set on a particular state’s fight – and with good reason.

On the heels of the popular Conservative Political Action Conference, otherwise known as CPAC, held this month in the District of Columbia, the remaining contestants for the Republican Party nod packed their heavy winter jackets and headed to the Midwest.

Front-runner Mitt Romney, who won Michigan’s GOP primary contest four years ago, traversed his native land during the final two critical weeks. The former Massachusetts Governor hit all corners of the Great Lakes State, with multiple events in metropolitan Detroit, Lansing and Kalamazoo. He addressed a local Lincoln Day breakfast in Lansing Saturday morning, made a stop near Albion College on Monday, and later that evening hosted a gathering with famed singer Kid Rock (http://bit.ly/xG9UX2) of Motor City fame, to cite only three meetings with potential backers.

Rick Santorum also traveled around the Lower Peninsula, with appearances at the Capitol Building and up north in Traverse City. As a part of a Catholic-sponsored bus entourage, the one-time Pennsylvania Senator toured several large cities especially on the more conservative western side. The attempt to court additional support may decide the heated duel.

Not to be outdone, Texas Congressman Ron Paul held a tremendously successful rendezvous on the campus of Michigan State University. Over 4,000 students and grassroots supporters packed the auditorium yesterday afternoon to hear from the modern libertarian icon. “Governments are a reflection of the people,” proclaimed Paul. “Let’s restore the greatness of America.”

Credible polls show that Romney and Santorum are neck-and-neck heading into the election. With less than two weeks out, the latter held a sizeable fifteen-point lead. However, Mitt has closed the gap in recent days. The difference now is statistically unclear due to the margin of error.

Reports (http://on.freep.com/AhT68M) recently surfaced confirming that Santorum for President paid for a robo call targeting self-identified Democrats. The recording (http://bit.ly/zZp3ws) begins by reminding “Michigan Democrats” that they “can vote in the Republican primary. Further along, it bashed Mitt for opposing the auto industry bailout all the while favoring funds “for his Wall Street billionaire buddies” and therefore slapping “the face of every Michigan worker.” Democratic Party leaders, via Operation Hilarity, have also allegedly (and sinisterly!) pushed for their affiliates to back Santorum in order to defeat native Romney.

The two leading candidates have brought their messages to Michigan’s airwaves. Both have been accused of running negative campaign ads. While Santorum has solidly chosen that route (http://bit.ly/A4Cz0y), Romney appears more focused on challenging the incumbent this November (http://bit.ly/yAICb1). Perhaps the difference in strategy can be attributed to their divergent national standing and campaign strength.

Allow the not-that-innocent votes to trickle in, oops… I did it again. May the best man, or show animal, win!

Romney Wins, Santorum Surges in Iowa

As I stared out the humongous window – a passenger’s pleasure – on one of Greyhound Lines’ sleek new buses, it quickly became evident that Iowa and vast farmland are practically synonymous.

The caucus experience is undoubtedly a unique one. On top of Iowa’s satus as presidential election season kick-off, the early political battle with great implications calls for a different paradigm of preparation. Campaigns ought to identify probable caucus-goers, contact them multiple times for reminder purposes, and citizen leaders enlisted as precinct surrogates. The demand on candidates is much more significant than in the average primary contest. In fact, only fourteen states employ a caucus system.

Unlike primaries, voters cannot show up at the polls whenever they wish nor submit absentee ballots. Rather, a set time is scheduled – usually in the evening, say 7:00 pm – for all to gather and elect delegates. For this reason and others, including suspect weather conditions, turnout is often quite low.

To describe Romney’s current Iowa strategy as merely an updated version of the 2008 playbook would be a vast understatement. This time around the Hawkeye State circuit, Team Mitt has enacted a polar opposite approach. The former Governor of Massachusetts has not visited Iowa all that much prior to the homestretch and spent much less crucial cash. As well, campaign staff disclosed that out-of-state volunteers were not to serve in the role of caucus representatives. Iowans were primarily utilized to stump for Romney at the actual precinct meetings.

In a historically close outcome, Mitt Romney won the Caucuses over former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum by just eight votes. Ron Paul finished in third, Newt Gingrich fourth. Michele Bachmann announced today, hours after an awful Iowa performance, that she will suspend her presidential campaign.

Follow Nick’s live updates via Twitter, @NKowalski.