Primary concern: Candidates aim to sway Mich. voters

Republican presidential hopeful former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney sits in the Ford Explorer America concept as his wife Ann watches at the North American International Auto Show Monday, Jan. 14, 2008, in Detroit. (Photo: Carlos Osorio/AP)

Just hours before a Michigan presidential primary that could reshape the Republican campaign, autos and politics collided Monday as candidates made their final pitches to voters.

At the center of today's contest: an electorate battered by layoffs, falling home values and rising uncertainty.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee visited the North American International Auto Show, paying homage to the industry that dominates the state despite the fading fortunes of the Big 3 automakers. California Rep. Duncan Hunter, a long shot for the GOP campaign, courted voters in Lawrence, near Paw Paw, and Battle Creek.

In an indication of how important the auto industry's plight has become to the campaign, McCain re-arranged his campaign schedule -- loaded Monday with appearances on the west side of the state -- to visit the auto show. Romney, his main competitor here, delivered a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Monday in which he pledged a five-fold increase in federal research on automotive technologies, to $20 billion.

"This is a big victory for the citizens of Michigan, the industry of Michigan and the long-term good of Michigan," state Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis said of the attention showered on autos and Michigan. The decision to move Michigan's presidential contests into January, he said, has been validated. "We wanted to affect the debate, and clearly we have."

Debbie Dingell, a General Motors Corp. official and Democratic Party leader who along with Anuzis and other Michigan officials pushed for the early contest, beamed Monday afternoon even as she was bumped by a crush of photographers straining for a shot of Romney on the auto show floor.

"This is what it's all been about," she said. "Look how all the candidates are talking about the auto industry and caring about its future."

Close Romney-McCain race

The Republican race is more competitive, but no less clear. A half-dozen public polls released since Saturday gave few clues beyond indicating a close race between McCain and Romney for the top spot; results ranged from an 8 percentage point lead for Romney to a 3-point edge for McCain.

Huckabee appears to be in a solid third place, though a challenge to the top two was not out of reach.

It's a fitting situation in a Republican campaign as wide open as any in decades. A Romney win in Michigan would give the GOP three different winners in its first three major contests.

A loss in Michigan -- where Romney was born and his father a popular governor in the 1960s -- would badly damage his campaign, but analyst Denise DeCook said today's results may not clarify the race much. Each of the major contenders can continue despite losing here, she said, and the winner still will face significant challenges in the states that follow, she said.

"I don't know if it's a watershed for any candidate," DeCook said.

Auto industry in spotlight

Auto news dominated the day, beginning with Romney's noon speech to the Economic Club -- a plea for Washington to offer aid to a domestic auto industry hemorrhaging dollars and jobs.

"I hear people from time to time say, 'Well, that's Michigan's problem.' Or, they say something like, 'Well, it's the car companies. They just brought it on themselves,' " Romney said.

"But that's where they're wrong. What Michigan is feeling will be felt by the entire nation unless we win the economic battle here."

Later, at a dinner of Oakland County Republicans, Romney said if he reaches the White House, he'll think of Michigan "every day" and "draw on the values I learned in Oakland County." Romney, the son of late Gov. George Romney, was raised in Oakland County.

McCain flew from Grand Rapids to Detroit just to put in an auto show appearance. He was accompanied by state Attorney General Mike Cox -- who had endorsed McCain, then split publicly with the campaign in September, only to re-embrace McCain in the days before the primary.

McCain heaped praise on the domestic industry -- "the workers of Michigan and Detroit who are the most productive and efficient in the world" -- but stuck by his contention that many traditional auto jobs are gone for good. "Anybody who says those old jobs are coming back is either naive or not being straight with the people of Michigan and America," he said.

Huckabee, McCain and Romney all met with a stream of auto executives, including Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli, Chevrolet chief Ed Peper, top Ford lobbyist Bruce Andrews and GM sales chief Mark La Nave. "We need to educate our customers and we need educate Washington about all the good things we are doing," La Nave said.

Huckabee made his own automotive tour, stopping at Lansing's Demmer Corp., a maker of military vehicles, and touring GM's Willow Run transmission plant in Ypsilanti Township, where the company is laying off 200 workers.

He also took up a line of criticism against McCain that Romney has been hitting since Thursday, rapping the Arizona senator for his statement that some of Michigan's old-industry jobs aren't coming back.

"Some candidates are saying Michigan has lost jobs and they'll never see them again," he said at an early-morning rally in Augusta, near Battle Creek. "I say let's change policies so we do see them again."

Detroit News Staff Writers David Shepardson, Deb Price, Charlie Cain and Mark Hornbeck contributed to this report. You can reach Gordon Trowbridge at (202) 662-8738 or gtrowbridge@detnews.com

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