A new poll of Michigan from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling shows President Obama in command in Michigan at the moment, with a 14 point lead on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, 53 percent to 39 percent. Obama’s approval rating in the state is 53 percent approve versus 41 percent disapprove, while Romney struggles on favorability among state resident, as only 35 percent have a favorable view of him against a 57 percent unfavorable one.
Romney grew up in Michigan, where his father was an auto industry executive and later governor of the state. But neither of those facts seemed to help Romney in the poll: when asked whether voters considered him a “Michigander,” only 24 percent said yes, while 65 percent said no. A 55 percent majority also said President Obama, who pushed through a financial bailout of both General Motors and Crystler, would be better for the state’s crucial auto industry, while only 31 percent thought Romney would be better. Romney famous published an op ed in the New York Times headlined “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.”
The TPM Poll Average of Michigan shows Obama with a 9.2 point lead overall.
