Michigan, the new blue

On November 4, Michigan's 17 electoral votes went to winner Barack Obama, as expected.  57.4% of the vote, or 2,867,680 votes, went to Obama and 40.9% of the vote, or 2,044,405 votes, went to McCain.  1.7% of the vote, or 81,414 votes, went to other candidates.  Michigan saw record voter turnout, topping 5 million for the first time in state history.  This was an increase to 68% eligible voter turnout, from 64.7% n 2004.  Higher turnout was actually predicted.  Michigan's most populous counties saw the highest turnout - Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, and Kalamazoo.

There are speculations that Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm might hold a position in Obama's administration.  Governor Granholm is currently sitting on Obama's advisory committee on the economy, ensuring Michigan's hard-hit state economy substantial attention.  Granholm and the Los Angeles mayor are the only elected officials on the committee.

Substantial Democratic gains were made at the state level.  However, the state Senate was not up for election this year and remains in Republican control.  Even with a Democratic governor, the Senate can still block unfavorable legislation.  Michigan also got its first female Muslim legislator.

Michigan Democrats tightened their grip Tuesday on the state House, defeated two incumbent Republican congressmen, ousted a conservative Supreme Court chief justice...

In Oakland County, a northern Detroit suburb, Democrats broke a weak GOP hold on the area.

Democrats helped give Sen. Barack Obama a 16-percentage point win in the county more known for its wealthy lakefront estates than liberal leanings and picked up a historically Republican Congressional seat and two county-wide seats, and nearly bumped off two well-entrenched Oakland County politicians.

Much of the Democrat's success in Oakland County is attributed to straight ticket voters.  Local Republican leaders also say that people "froze" after McCain pulled his campaign from the state, "it was a mess."  Democrats also secured overwhelming victories in Macomb County, part of the Detroit metropolitan are, winning 22 of 26 seats on a Charter Commission to create a city government.

As speculated, the economy dominated the election this year, favoring Barack Obama.  Obama's message of change and hope also resonated well, many voters reported that they were tired of partisan politics and embraced Obama's promises of putting the people before partisanship.

One day to go - Mich. will vote Obama

Tomorrow Michigan will vote for Obama.  It has become a blue state, no longer a battleground or even a state colored light blue on the electoral prediction maps.  On November 2, the Detroit Free Press reported that Obama's lead over McCain in Michigan has actually increased.  The Detroit Free Press/Local 4 Michigan Poll found that Obama leads with 53% support to McCain's 37%.

The number one issue of the economy has made this election in Michigan, and Obama's message of change has resonated well.  Michigan has a lot of moderate conservatives who voted for Bush on social value issues, and now they are more concerned about the economy and more persuaded by Barack Obama.  Michigan voters also perceive Obama as more likely to reform health care.  McCain's pull from Michigan on October 2 certainly didn't send a favorable message from him to supporters and potential supporters in the state, either.

Michigan's new status

The Detroit Free Press laments Michigan's new and seemingly less important status as a blue state.  The publication comments that that Michigan's votes have previously been a valuable and much-sought-after prize, but not so this election ever since McCain's pull from the state on October 2.  Could resentment be building for Obama in the last days of the election?  Not likely.  Entities like newspapers and opinion leaders surely notice the difference, and probably many voters as well, but the trend is a direct result of voters' views so the backlash against Obama should be minimal.

Tensions run high in Michigan

Tensions are certainly high in Michigan... In Grosse Pointe Farms, a woman refused Halloween candy to children who would not proclaim support for the McCain/Palin ticket or who had parents who support Obama.  Grosse Pointe Farms is an upscale, suburban community about 12 miles West of Detroit.  It is an area that fits the description or suburban areas that are turning increasing conservative.  A fellow Republican across the street denounced the woman's candy discrimination.

The Stop Obama Tour

The Our Country Deserves Better PAC is a conservative PAC that has been trying to fill the void left by the McCain campaign in Michigan for the past few days.  Their "Stop Obama Tour" travels on a bus decorated with images of McCain and Palin and gets voters riled up for the Republican ticket.  Unfortunately for this effort, Obama supporters are still very active in Michigan and are urging people in all parts of the state to vote Democratic.

Michigan expected to vote Obama in 10 days!

For a period of time Michigan saw an abundance of presidential staffers, volunteers, and offices, candidate appearances, media and more media.  But ever since John McCain pulled his campaign from Michigan, basically forfeiting the state's 17 electoral votes to Barack Obama, no presidential or vice presidential candidate has appeared there.  Michigan is now understood to be a strong Obama state, no longer a battleground.

This election, Michigan voters are most motivated by economic issues.  The state has faced massive manufacturing job loss and overall unemployment.  It has also had one of the highest rates of home foreclosures.  At the 50 day mark, this state was too close to call because the growing suburban population largely supported Bush in 2004.  Those voters were motivated by conservative social values.  However, in light of recent events the economy is overshadowing conservative values for Michigan voters and this is good for Obama.

A Big 10 Battleground poll from 10/19 through 10/22 puts Obama at 58% support to McCain's 36%.  This poll had a 562 sample size.  A less recent Quinnipiac/WSJ/WP poll with a larger sample size, 1043 eligible voters, also puts Obama significantly ahead with 545 to McCain's 38%.

The graph below, from Real Clear Politics, shows Obama's steady climb in Michigan polls.  You can see that Michigan is a strong Obama state with ten days to go until Election Day.

Detroit News Endorses McCain

The Detroit News endorsed John McCain today because they say we need "an experienced, proven leader."  Although they acknowledge that McCain has run an ineffective campaign, failing "to find his voice on the campaign trail, rarely revealing the appealing personal characteristics and refreshing political views that caused us to endorse him in Michigan's Republican primary in January," the publication argues that McCain still offers the stable and secure future for the country.

Democrats gain promise from GOP not to discriminate based on forclosures

A lawsuit against the Michigan Republican Party by the Democrats was dropped after a settlement was reached. The agreement states that if a person's address appears on a list of foreclosed homes that in no way limits their right to vote. The parties have now agreed in writing not to challenge anyone's eligibility to vote on that basis. The lawsuit was a result of an article published by the Michigan Messenger quoting a Michigan Republican official claiming the state GOP would use foreslosure lists to turn voters away at the polls.

Incumbent Democratic senator's seat is safe

Incumbent Democratic Senator Carl Levin is expected to coast to an easy victory in November.  His Republican opponent state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk has raised $147,298 compared to Levin's campaign funds of at least $7.6 million.  Levin has served in the U.S. Senate since 1979, is well respected, and is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  On the other hand, Hoogendyk is known by some as extremely conservative and not known at all by many.  He has not been financially supported buy the Republican National Committee.  The trends in this Senate race support a choice of Barack Obama for many Michigan voters.

Largest newspaper in Detroit endorses Obama

The Detroit Free Press endorsed Barack Obama today.  The decision is summed up in the first line of the article, "Good judgment makes good presidents."  The article discusses extensively Obama's basic philosophy and his qualifications for dealing with the some of the most important issues.  The Free Press writes that Obama's economic recovery plan acknowledges the reality of the situation, and that he has proved to be a more sophisticated thinker on foreign policy.  Furthermore, the paper expressed disappointment in McCain's campaign decisions, namely the selection of Sarah Palin for his vice presidential candidate and his impulsiveness on policy matters.  The publication explains its change from previous endorsements.

The Free Press has twice endorsed McCain for the Republican presidential nomination, in 2000 and this year. The McCain running against Obama in this general election has not been the same candidate; he has been nastier, less consistent and, since his acceptance speech at the GOP National Convention, frankly uninspiring.

One writer explains that the decision is truly based on perceptions of good judgement on Obama's part, not shared social and political values.

The Detroit Free Press is the largest newspaper in Detroit, Michigan.  It reaches up to 40% of Detroit adults on Sunday (today, the day of the endorsement).

Obama reducing Michigan staff

The Obama campaign is pulling some staff members from Michigan and sending them elsewhere with less than three weeks until the election.  Some say that the move is long overdue, since the Obama campaign is still leading with strong numbers in the state.  The campaign says that more than 200 Obama staffers will remain, with the 61st campaign office set to open this weekend.  The Detroit Free Press writes:

Political observers said they were surprised it took Obama so long to make the move. States are winner-take-all, so there’s no benefit to winning by a larger margin, but a huge benefit to winning by a hair.

Is Obama truly devoted to winning the largest margin possible in Michigan?  It is more likely that he is taking nothing for granted.  Michigan may look good in the current polls and have a strong history of voting for Democratic presidential candidates, but the state also has a growing suburban, Republican-leaning population.  Recently, economic troubles have some people leaning toward Obama despite more conservative social values, but there is still time for the election to turn around.  It doesn't look likely, though, with national economic discussions changing from a focus on a few bad days to a recession.  This does not bode well for McCain.

Michigan has also gotten tied up in the ACORN controversy.  In Michigan, ACORN has registered over 200,000 new voters, and some new voter registration applications have been found to be false.  ACORN's chief organizer in Michigan, David Lagstein, says that it was a "partisan attack" that the McCain campaign released harsh criticism of Obama's relations with the group on the same day a former ACORN worker's arrest for falsifying registrations was announced.  However, Lagstein did not condemn the arrest.

Bush visits Republican stronghold in Michigan

President Bush visited Grand Rapids yesterday, October 15, for a fundraiser. Grand Rapids is a heavily Republican area that has strong ties to his administration (through Bush, Cheney, and past Republicans). Bush also surprised deli-goers and met with local business leaders. At this meeting Bush spoke with great confidence and optimism about the economy, perhaps in an effort to boost voters' view of the McCain campaign without really mentioning the Republican presidential candidate. McCain raised money successfully from the Grand Rapids area, but recently a McCain supporter and chair of his 2000 local campaign has said that he is displeased with the Republican's campaign and is not supporting either candidate. Disappointed Michigan Republicans say that McCain is no longer about straight talk and has not conducted a respectful campaign.

On another note, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was invited to tonight's debate at Hofstra University in New York by the Obama campaign and planned to attend. She was a Clinton supporter during the primaries and helped Senator Biden prepare for his debate against Governor Palin. McCain and Obama spoke only about domestic issues, mostly relating back to the country's current economic troubles. These domestic issues - the economy, jobs, healthcare, education - are what resonate the most with Michigan voters right now. Headlines seem to be declaring that McCain pressed Obama and put him on the defensive... but did McCain win on the issues? In Michigan, Obama has maintained a substantial lead since McCain's campaign left the state, and we will have to see if the polls change significantly in the next couple days.

Voting rights controversies

The Michigan Secretary of State's office has denied allegations in a New York Times article from today claiming that Michigan is one of several swing states that has removed many people, "tens of thousands of eligible voters," from the voter rolls in clumsy attempts to comply with federal law, the Help America Vote Act.  The removal of voters in this way in fact appears to be a breech of federal law.  The NYT printed that approximately 33,000 voters were removed from the rolls in Michigan, but a Secretary of State spokesperson has countered that number, and claims that the newspaper could not explain to them the methodology used to examine state records and Social Security data to arrive at that figure.  The spokesperson says that about 11,000 people have been removed for legitimate reasons such as moving out of state or passing away.  The New York Times notes in their article that since the Democratic campaign has been working so hard to register new voters that they will suffer the most from voters being removed from the rolls.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Messenger is fighting a defamation lawsuit over an article quoting James Carabelli, the Macomb County Republican Party Chairman, as saying the Republicans planned to use foreclosure lists to block people from voting.  The publication stands by its reporter and will not issue a retraction, although Carabelli claims that his words were changed or fabricated.  The Michigan Messenger's parent organization, the nonpartisan Center for Independent Media, also stands by the reporter's integrity.  The reporter claims to have notes that back up the quote from Carabelli.  It is interesting that the article in the Messenger article seems to have generated substantial reporting and outcry from bloggers and some political commentators, but not from a lot of mainstream media.  Nonetheless, enough of an outcry was raised that the Michigan GOP must respond in an action as forceful as a lawsuit.  If nothing else, this shows the upcoming influence of informal, Internet reporting.  It also highlights issues of accuracy with online reporting.

United Auto Workers advertise for Obama in swing states

The United Auto Workers union (UAW) has launched a $3 million advertising campaign in support of Barack Obama.  The ads feature UAW members talking about problems with healthcare and manufacturing jobs, and they will run on TV, radio, and the Internet in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  Although McCain has pulled his campaign from Michigan and the state has been turned blue on most electoral maps, Michigan is still in play as a key state for Obama to win in order to win the Presidency in November.  This as campaign is one of many signals that Michigan isn't being taken for granted by Obama or his supporters.  Nonetheless, a Detroit Free Press columnist lists "Pull your resources and staff out of Michigan to go campaign in Maine" as one step to losing a presidential election.

Bruce Springsteen follows Jay-Z in Michigan for Barack

Monday was the last day to register to vote in Michigan, and the Democrats worked tirelessly until the last minute to register new voters, hoping not only to boost support for Obama but also to help down ticket Democrats. Especially since McCain has pulled his campaign from Michigan, the state GOP has focused more on maintaining its current Republicans over registering new voters. On Monday, former University of Michigan football star Desmond Howard encouraged people to register on Obama's behalf in Detroit. Later in the day, Bruce Springsteen performed at Eastern Michigan University, also for the Democratic candidate (Springsteen's performace follows Jay-Z's performance on Saturday). The concert was free, and followed performances in Columbus, Ohio and Philadelphia over the weekend.

All this goes to show that the Obama campaign is taking nothing for granted in Michigan, with or without McCain campaigning there. They consider it worthwhile to engage in extensive voter registration and GOTV efforts there because they know that it could still be close in November. However, after McCain's move away from Michigan and the continuous if not increasing focus on domestic issues, things look alright for Obama in this state with an 8.9% unemployment rate. This voter's views reflect many in Michigan:

"I've been a Republican all my life, but right now I'm not sure,'' said Joyce Moynihan, a retired homemaker and member of St. Mark Catholic Church in Macomb County who's leaning toward Obama. "Of course, I'm anti-abortion, but you can battle this forever. The economy and the war have got to be addressed'' and
"something dramatic has to happen,'' she said.

Several people interviewed see Obama as the better candidate to deal with the economy, and that topic is extremely important to Michigan voters (it was even before the financial world came tumbling down in recent weeks). Michigan is struggling to transition from an industrial state to something else that they haven't figured out yet. They have lost 40,000 manufacturing jobs in the past year. With their future so uncertain, many see more potential for domestic stability in Democrat Barack Obama. Nonetheless, there are cries to the McCain campaign to return to Michigan. This blogger says Michigan voters are mavericks, too, and directs readers to sign a petition to ask for McCain's return.

Mich. Latinos might elect Barack, Palin wants to go back, and music

Quick update: Michigan's voter registration deadline is today, October 6.

On Saturday, Jay Z performed in support of Obama in Michigan. Tickets were free, and all attendees were given multiple opportunities to register to vote - the event was billed as "Operation Registration." The Obama campaign will continue to push voter registration until the Monday deadline.

A study from Michigan State University's Julian Samora Research Institute (JSRI) has predicted that the the Latino voter turnout will hit 80% this election. Furthermore, this study does not take into account those new citizens or state residents who likely participated in voter registration drives close to the Monday deadline and were not included in the number of Michigan Latino registered voters. Latinos tend to vote Democratic, especially in presidential elections. More good news for the Obama campaign in Michigan.

And Sarah Palin continues to question the McCain campaign pull from Michigan, either expressing genuine disagreement with the campaign decision-makers, or just fulfilling her role as the gutsy gal who openly disagrees with her running mate sometimes.

Palin wasn't part of the decision, thinks McCain should stay in Michigan

On Friday, October 3, Gov. Sarah Palin visited Dallas.  While here, she spoke with Fox News and revealed that she learned about the decision to pull the McCain campaign out of Michigan in the morning paper.  She was not phased by admitting that she had not been included in this decision, and simply said that she disagreed and would like to continue to speak with Michigan voters.  Her comments reinforced those from the debate the night before, that she and John McCain are "a team of mavericks" and can't agree all the time.  It is media moments like this that Sarah Palin manages to use to boost her image as an independent thinker, when they could be used to expose her limited role in the campaign.  She also always maintains her 'do what it takes' language, talking in terms of "people who are hurting" more so than polls and budgets.

Many have labeled McCain's change in state focus as a bad sign, including Fox News' Susan Estrich and the Michigan Republican Party.  On CNN, John King explored some potential consequences of McCain's decision, noting that Michigan's neighbor Wisconsin went to Dukakis in 1988.  He observed that Michigan could cause a domino effect in Obama's favor, particularly as economic issues continue to take the forefront of the debate.

McCain forfeits Michigan, takes resources elsewhere

AP reports that McCain is abandoning campaign efforts in Michigan.  He is removing staff, limiting advertising, and canceling visits.  Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida have taken precedence as states that are more likely to go to McCain on November 4.  Barack Obama held his third event in Michigan in the past five days at Michigan State University, and did not reveal that he was at all aware of McCain's decision.

Earlier, a local news station reported that McCain canceled a trip to the state next week without explanation. Then, Democrats and Republicans who track the campaign's advertising said the Republican did not buy airtime for Michigan for next week, though he did so for every other state where he's been on the air. And, there was no indication that the Republican National Committee would continue running ads there either.

The McCain campaign originally targeted Michigan because of Obama's mediocre performance with white working class voters, but Obama is considered better qualified to help the economy and McCain is still tied to Bush in many people's minds.  It has proven a situation that is not worth the resources for McCain; he was spending $1 million a week there.  One thing is for sure, though, he did drive Obama to spend considerable resources in the state, make several visits and maintaining extensive staffed offices.  In the final stretch of the election, both candidates are narrowing their focus as much as they can.  Despite a 50-state strategy, Obama has also pulled his campaign from Alaska, Georgia, and North Dakota.

It will be interesting to see how Michigan voters respond to this change, and how the Obama campaign adjusts its presence in Michigan accordingly.  Will they minimize their presence, too?  Obama has yet to hint that he is aware of the change, although it is without doubt that the campaign is already planning a response.

Recent Appearances

Obama's rally topped a weekend of high profile campaigning in Michigan.  Michelle Obama, Senator Joe Biden, and his wife Jill Biden all accompanied Barack in Detroit today, while Hillary Clinton campaigned for her former rival yesterday in Grand Ledge.

“As Detroit goes, so goes the state of Michigan.”

Obama, accompanied by Michelle, Joe, and Jill, visited Detroit today and appeared with new mayor, Ken Cockrel Jr., at an open-air rally.  Cockrel took the stage first and reminded the audience of the state's problems with jobs and the auto industry.  Obama was introduced by Denise Ilitch, daughter of Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, and both Obamas and Bidens received Red Wings jerseys with their names on them.  Obama focused strongly on the economy during his speech, and heavily criticized McCain for past support of government deregulation.

Three Detroit residents spoke with the Detroit Free Press, and all reacted favorably to Obama's speech, specifically citing his economic plans and power to unite the people.

The economy is going to be the deciding factor with many voters, especially in Michigan.  The state has the highest unemployment rate at 8.9% and has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs.  The mortgage foreclosure rate is also among the highest in the country.

Obama and McCain are paying a lot of attention to Michigan, but Susan Demas, a self described "political junkie and policy wonk" from Lansing, says the focus on Michigan is wasted breath and that the "economically mutilated state that's been reliably blue since 1992" will not break form.

GOP accused of voter supression

Democracy Now! reports that the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign have filed a federal lawsuit in opposition to what they call a voter suppression project by the Republican Party in Michigan's battleground within a battleground, Macomb County.  The Michigan Messenger reported that the Macomb County Republican Party plans to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting on Election Day.  The effort would disproportionately affect African American voters (who tend to vote Democratic).

The Republican Party denies the accusation and even direct quotes from the article in the Michigan Messenger, but the publication is standing by its reporting.  The Michigan Messenger is part of the Center for Independent Media and refutes claims that they are working with the Obama campaign.

It is hard to tell what is actually going on in a lot of these cases, but it does draw attention to the huge importance of Michigan votes to both campaigns.  On both sides accusations are flying - the Democrats say that the GOP has a history of disenfranchising voters, while the Republicans are saying that both sides will be using voter caging to limit voters at the polls.  These lawsuits and accusations are indicators of both the importance of the Michigan race specifically and the African American vote in general.

ACLU becomes active in voting rights case

The Detroit Free Press reports that the ACLU and the United States Student Association have filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land to stop two voter purging programs.  The advocacy groups claim that hundreds of thousands of voters could be disenfranchised before the November election.

The first program cancels the registration of voters who receive driver's licenses in other states and the second nullifies the registrations of new voters when their voter ID cards are returned as undeliverable.  The lawsuit holds that these programs are not in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The ACLU of Michigan links the case to the growing importance of Michigan and its voters in the presidential election.  They hold that the voter purging programs will disproportionately affect students and low-income families that tend to be transient.  This lawsuit is part of the ACLU Voting Rights Project.

If these programs could remove 210,000 individuals from the voting rolls, as the lawsuit claims, then they could certainly have a large impact of the election, especially if those affected are students and low-income families.  High voter turnout generally favors Democrats, but we can only speculate if Republican Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has such villainous intentions as to limit Democratic turnout.  We will have to watch and see if the case is even resolved by the election.

Appearances

Joe Biden held rallies in St. Clair Shores and Flat Rock, Michigan today. NPR reports that Biden's tone was harsh on the McCain campaign, accusing McCain of Karl Rove/Bush-style campaigning. He emphasized McCain's supposed changed character from his former friend to the new candidate with false and low-life attacks. Biden spoke in subirban Detroit.

On Wednesday McCain and Palin will hold a town hall meeting in Grand Rapids.

McCain, Obama use different strategies...

A Lansing State Journal article reports on the battle for the Detroit area and, more than anything, its suburbs.

Of McCain's 14 current offices in the state, 7 are located in or near the Detroit metro area. McCain is fighting specifically for Macomb County which contains part of the Detroit area, although the city proper is not in Macomb. The campaign has plans of opening more offices within the week, planning on 30 total.

The Obama campaign, on the other hand, is fighting for votes in every part of the state. Obama has 34 campaign offices in the state, all but one in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula. The campaign has plans of opening 5 more offices soon.

The Obama campaign is targeting young voters and working the Michigan streets, while the McCain campaign is focusing on male, older, wealthier voters. The campaigns have broken the state down to extremely local battleground locations.

Fifty days to go and Michigan is somewhere in between.

The New York Times and Pollster.com both call Michigan a toss up, and it is indeed too close to call.

A recent Zogby poll gives Obama a lead of 49% to 43% and a Rasmussen poll give Obama 51% to 46%.  On the other hand, a recent InsiderAdvantage poll give McCain a slight 44% to 45%.

In the past elections, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004, Michigan has voted Democratic.  It also has a Democratic governor and two Democratic U.S. Senators.  However, it has nine U.S. representatives to six Democrats.  Although Michigan has a fairly strong Democratic history, it has experienced enormous growth in the conservative Outstate, or suburban areas.  In 2004, Joh Kerry carried the three-county metro-Detroit area, and Bush carried the rest of the state, which now casts 61% of the vote.  The Upper Peninsula, historically Democratic, also voted for Bush.

Because of these dueling dynamics Michigan is too close to call.  The issue that will play a huge role in the outcome in this state is the economy.  Michigan has been facing economic trouble since 2000 and voters will be sensitive to Obama and McCain's stances on how to pick up the economy.  It is also questionable whether they will be more responsive to Joe Biden or Sarah Palin, both of whom are meant to reach out to working and middle class America.  The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is launching a major ad campaign in battleground states, including Michigan, highlighting the importance of economic issues.  This effort comes as the Republican Party becomes especially energized in support of Sarah Palin's vice presidential nominee.

Detroit, the usual solid Democratic voting block, has also been facing the turmoil of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's scandals, felony charges, and resignation.  This may or may not have an effect of presidential voting.  It has not received large amounts of national coverage, but it has marred the reputation of the Michigan Democrats, even though Kilpatrick has not always enjoyed the full support of the state Democratic Party and the labor establishment.

Intoduction to Michigan politics and recent polling

Michigan is known for its industrial economy, namely the auto industry in Detroit, the states most populous city. The auto industry brought about a labor movement in Detroit in the 1930s with the formation of the United Auto Workers (UAW). In later years, autoworkers became a heavily Democratic voting bloc. The Michigan government has historically been generous to the poor and unemployed, as well to students, but this tradition was interrupted by the collapse of the domestic auto industry after the 1970s. It was after this point in time that Michigan became more experimental with its politics and less solidly Democratic.

Michigan is now an important battleground state with respect to presidential politics. The CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation Poll from September 9 puts Obama and McCain in a dead heat in Michigan, with Obama at 49% and McCain at 45%.

Michigan has 17 electoral votes.