We all wish Robert Novak a full and speedy recovery. His excellent reporting, such as this story on Romney’s VP prospects, will be missed while he’s in the hospital. Novak writes that the reason Mitt Romney is at (or near) the top of McCain’s vice-presidential list is his ability to deliver Michigan:
The principal reason why former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has climbed to the top of Sen. John McCain’s practical wish list for vice president is the possibility that he could bring Michigan’s 17 electoral votes to the Republicans for the first time since 1988. Private polls show Romney could make all the difference in Michigan. A McCain-Romney ticket carries the state by a moderately comfortable margin. With any other running mate, McCain loses Michigan. George Romney, Mitt’s father, was a Detroit auto executive and the popular three-term governor of Michigan. The younger Romney won the 2008 primary in Michigan over McCain, who had won there in 2000 against George W. Bush.
Paul Maslin recently wrote about a few of the different paths to victory for Obama–assuming he wins Michigan:
1) Win Ohio, which takes him to 275; 2) win in the West — Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, for 274; 3) win the three N’s (Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire) for 269, plus one other state; or 4) win two of the three N’s and either Colorado or Virginia.
Without Michigan, Obama would be hard-pressed to make up those 17 electoral votes elsewhere.
