Romney Helped by GOP Base in Michigan

Highlights from exit polling in Michigan's presidential primaries Tuesday for The Associated Press and television networks. All figures are final:

A REPUBLICAN PRIMARY AFTER ALL

In a state where any voter can vote in either party's primary, the GOP contest was dominated by Republicans, who accounted for two-thirds of the voters. Four in 10 Republicans favored Mitt Romney on Tuesday, while John McCain got a quarter of their votes. In Michigan's last contested GOP presidential primary in 2000, independents and Democrats were just more than half the voters and McCain won their support by huge margins. McCain led among both groups Tuesday, but got only about a third of independents and won only slightly more Democrats than Romney did. With most major Democratic candidates shunning their party's race in Michigan, Tuesday's GOP contest attracted about two-thirds of independents who voted, and about one in nine Democrats.

IT'S THE ECONOMY

Given four choices, just over half of Republican primary voters picked the economy as the top issue facing the nation. It also ranks as the major problem in several national polls. Romney got 42 percent of those most worried about the economy for a clear edge over McCain. With Michigan's ailing auto industry and the country's worst unemployment rate, about two-thirds said the nation's economy is in bad shape. McCain and Romney split their vote about evenly.

ICH BIN EIN MICHIGANDER

Romney all but mimicked President Kennedy's famous Cold War embrace of Berlin in citing his Michigan upbringing, and it may have paid off. Four in 10 said his Michigan ties were important in deciding their vote, and more than half of them picked Romney. McCain led among those who said Romney's background wasn't important.

HUCKABEE'S ARMY?

About four in 10 in Michigan's GOP contest called themselves born again or evangelical Christians, but unlike Iowa — where they carried Mike Huckabee to victory — Romney did best. Thirty-four percent of them backed him, five percentage points better than Huckabee. In New Hampshire last week, those voters split evenly among Huckabee, Romney and McCain.

ALSO ON THEIR MIND

Fewer than one in five in the GOP contest said the Iraq war was the country's main problem, and smaller numbers named illegal immigration and terrorism. McCain led with those who cited Iraq and was even with Romney on terrorism, Romney had a big edge with those worried about immigration.

THE GOP'S CORE

Just over half of voters in the Republican primary called themselves conservatives, a bit more than in the 2000 Michigan contest. About four in 10 of them backed Romney. McCain and Huckabee each got about one-fifth of conservatives' support. Moderates — one of McCain's strengths — accounted for about a third of the vote. Four in 10 backed McCain but Romney was not far behind. The two split the small liberal vote about evenly.

IF I COULD DESIGN A CANDIDATE

Asked which candidate qualities mattered most, more than four in 10 wanted one who shares their values. Romney got more than a third of their votes, besting Huckabee. About a quarter wanted authenticity, and McCain led that group. A smaller number were seeking experience, and Romney had about half their votes.

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT VOTE FOR MITT

Just over half of Republican primary voters were satisfied or enthusiastic about President Bush, and Romney had a healthy lead with them over McCain and Huckabee. He also led among the six in 10 who said they approve of the Iraq war and the three in 10 who said the economy is in good shape.

IF YOU'RE NOT SO HAPPY ...

...then McCain is your man, at least among Michigan Republicans. He led among those unhappy with Bush, including the nearly one in five angry about his administration, and those with the most negative views of the economy. He also led with those who disapprove of the Iraq war.

POCKETBOOK ISSUES

Nearly half in the GOP primary preferred tax cuts to deficit reduction, and they favored Romney by about two-to-one over McCain. McCain led by a slimmer margin among those who want to mop up red ink. Romney led among the three-quarters from non-union households, and shared the lead with McCain among union members.

THAT DEMOCRATIC NON-CONTEST

Barack Obama and John Edwards withdrew from the ballot amid a dispute over seating Michigan's Democratic delegates, leaving "uncommitted" as a way to show opposition to Hillary Rodham Clinton. She did well among women, whites, older and lower income voters, while blacks, independents, younger and better educated people were likelier than others to vote "uncommitted."

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Figures from exit poll by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and television networks. Samples in 40 precincts around Michigan of 1,362 voters in the Republican primary and 997 in the Democratic contest. Sampling error margin plus or minus 4 percentage points in GOP primary, 5 points in the Democratic contest.

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