ALBION, Mich. -- If Mitt Romney avoids a humiliating defeat in his native Michigan in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary, he'll owe his victory not just to his superior campaign organization and fundraising but to his chief rival's frequent focus on volatile social issues that do nothing to address the ailing economy that most concerns voters.
Romney just weeks ago was trailing former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum by 15 percentage points in Michigan, a worrisome development given that Romney was born and raised in here and his father, George, was a popular three-term governor in the 1960s. Only recently was Romney able to close that gap and gain a slight lead.
The Romney camp and the "super-PAC" supporting him helped the former Massachusetts governor overcome Santorum's lead by saturating Michigan's airwaves with advertisements portraying Santorum as a Washington insider who cashed in on his congressional experience by becoming a lobbyist.
It's a charge Romney leveled against all of his opponents during campaign stops Monday, though his other rivals, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, are trailing far behind Romney and Santorum.
"They've worked for companies and lobbying firms in Washington, or as elected officials in Washington and that is what they know," Romney told a crowd at an Albion machine shop. "I've worked 25 years in business. That is what I know."
Santorum, meanwhile has created problems for himself by ignoring advice from supportive conservative pundits and getting involved in debates with the media about contraception and the separation between church and state. That has helped rally conservative primary voters, but because such social issues do nothing to improve Michigan's 9.3 percent unemployment rate, analysts say Santorum risks appearing irrelevant to a broader cross section of voters.
Santorum tried to remain focused on the economy on the eve of Tuesday's primary, but he defended his social agenda, including his belief that President Obama is waging a war on religion.
"I'm talking about freedom," Santorum told the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.
Santorum penned an piece in Monday's Wall Street Journal about his plan to cut taxes and stimulate the economy, but that didn't stop Romney from seizing on Santorum's weekend detour on social issues.
"I'm glad he recognizes this has got to be a campaign about the economy," Romney said during one of three stops Monday.
Romney's laser-focus on the economy has resonated with voters here, some of whom fondly remember his father's tenure as governor and others who believe Romney's experience as a former Massachusetts governor and successful business executive make him the best candidate in troubled economic times.
"I don't care what his views are on religion or abortion," said Sue Drake, of Rives Junction. "I want someone who is going to fix our country."
But there remain legions of voters here who see Santorum as the more passionate, committed conservative, a candidate whose positions on abortion, gun control and health care reform, unlike Romney's, have never changed.
That enthusiasm gap has already forced Romney to play catch-up in his native state, which he carried in the 2008 presidential campaign, and continues to threaten his path to the GOP nomination.
"This is about a fundamental belief in an individual's liberty and Santorum embodies that quite a bit more than Romney," Dave Simon, of Grand Blanc, said.
