Romney “Limping Into Michigan” Having Been Shut-Out in Midwest

From Michigan Democratic Party:

LANSING – With the Michigan Republican primary just three weeks away, Mitt Romney has now lost more nominating contests than he has won, and what was once supposed to be a coronation has now become a must-win situation for the Romney campaign.

“After losing all three contests on Tuesday, Mitt Romney will be limping into Michigan having won fewer states than Rick Santorum and being completely shut out in the Midwest. Once again, Republican turnout was way down, enthusiasm was nonexistent, and it was clear that the more voters learned about Romney, they more they disliked him,” said MDP Chair Mark Brewer. “Mitt Romney was counting on Michigan to seal his nomination, but with more than two-thirds of Michigan Republican voters preferring someone else, Romney will now be looking to keep his campaign alive.”

To date, Mitt Romney has lost five out of the first eight nominating contests – winning only Florida, New Hampshire, and Nevada – and he has not yet won a state in the Midwest. Rick Santorum has won in four states: Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri.

An Epic-MRA poll in late January showed that Romney’s support in Michigan had dropped sharply, and a new poll from MIRS released on Tuesday shows that 69% of Republican Primary voters in Michigan are not supporting Romney.

Republican enthusiasm has also suffered throughout the primary process. Turnout in the three contests on Tuesday was down significantly from 2008 levels. A national poll released today from Public Policy Polling shows that Democrats are more excited about the upcoming general election than Republicans – with 58% of Democrats reporting that they are ‘very excited’ to vote in the November election compared to 54% of Republicans.