Four new national polls show Rick Santorum in a statistical tie with Mitt Romney, so the former Pennsylvania senator is now shifting his campaign strategy away from a focus on social issues as he seeks to become the GOP front-runner.
As he prepares to battle Romney in the recession-plagued state of Michigan next week, the New York Times reports that Santorum is refocusing his campaign on the economy.
Until now, Santorum has been fueled by evangelical and Tea Party support in Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. But, as he attempts to pull-off a major upset and defeat Romney in the state where Mitt's father, George Romney, served as governor, Santorum is reversing course. On Thursday, Santorum is set to address the Detroit Economic Club, where he will present a broad plan for promoting growth and bringing back jobs.
“The economy and jobs and unemployment are all that anybody talks about in Michigan, and Santorum needs to talk about them, too,” said Bill Ballenger, editor of a political newsletter called Inside Michigan Politics.
As he campaigns in Michigan, Santorum will likely emphasize his blue-collar roots, which he believes will help him with blue-collar voters in Michigan. Santorum wants to revive the nation’s manufacturing base by eliminating taxes on American-based manufacturers and on profits gained from overseas if they are reinvested on plants and equipment in the United States.
But defeating Romney by running on his economic record will be no easy task for Santorum. Romney has staked his entire campaign on his business experience and ability to manage the economy. Romney also leads in the delegate fight, has more money to spend, and has more organizational strength than Santorum. Santorum's campaign plans to start advertising on Michigan television this week, but his super PAC "Red, White, and Blue" has yet to decide how much to spend there.
Romney is also coming off a mini-momentum boost over the weekend, with a victory in Maine and at the unofficial CPAC straw poll in Washington, D.C.
As Santorum's influence grows on the national stage, he'll be forced to face questions about his social and cultural positions. He has drawn opposition over statements he made last week opposing women serving in combat. On Sunday, he faced more questions about a book he wrote in 2005 saying that "radical feminists" devalue women who choose motherhood.
As he has grown in stature, Santorum walks a fine like between rallying the evangelical and Tea Party base of the Republican party, while also appealing to moderates and independents by focusing on economic issues. Will he be able to successfully navigate that tension? Michigan will be a real first test.
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