It sounds like a joke. Robo-calls being made to Democrats in the State of Michgan are coming from the campaign of one of the most conservative candidates the Republican presidential race has offered up for 2012: Rick Santorum. But the thought that Democrats may actually lend their support to the former Pennsylvania Senator in the Michigan primary is no laughing matter.
The way it's looking now, the person who wins in Michigan -- be it Santorum or former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney -- will most likely secure the Republican nomination at the RNC later this year. Now for the scary part: there are a lot of Democrats out there rooting for Santorum to take the Wolverine State. And they could make it happen.
Unlike other states, where only registered Republicans could weigh in on the candidate who will take on President Barack Obama in November, Michigan is a state with what is known as a "closed primary" for the presidential election. But any registered voter can cast their ballot -- provided they make a request in writing on the day of the primary that they want to vote Republican. That's not even binding -- they can change "back" to being a Democrat for a later vote.
So why would a long-time liberal bother going out this week to vote for Santorum? Easy. There are a lot of liberals -- friends of mine included -- who consider the conservative, anti-choice, anti-gay rights, anti-college, anti-common sense Santorum completely un-electable. It's a foolhardy notion.
As a woman and a social liberal, Rick Santorum scares me. But as a voter who has been disappointed by my fellow countrymen more often than I'd like to count (need we revisit 2004, really), I'm going to be realistic. Rick Santorum is more electable than I'd like to admit.
According to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released just yesterday, Santorum tops Obama 50%-45% in the swing states. Nationwide, his lead narrows, but he still leads our president 49%-46%. He actually fared better than Romney in that poll. Better. And it's hard to ignore the favor he's curried with Republicans in states like Missouri, Minnesota, and Colorado. The former Senator may not be good for our country, but that's not stopping people from voting for him.
It's time for Democrats to stop asking who they think President Obama can beat in November and ask who they'd prefer to see in the White House if President Obama can't make it back there. That's the "lesser of two evils" situation of the 2012 election.
Who do you see winning in Michigan?
Image via CafeLindsay/Flickr