Clinton, Romney Lead Latest Michigan Poll

According to the results of a new poll released Saturday night, voters planning to participate in the presidential primary election in Michigan on Tuesday favor Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mitt Romney.

In Detroit Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll, Romney led Senator John McCain 27% to 22% on the Republican side. The biggest concern for Republican voters here is the economy, and if these results pan out on Tuesday, Michigan could possibly give Romney his first major state victory after second place wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney's largest core area of support is in metro Detroit where he has a nice 2-1 advantage.

On the Democratic side, things are bit more complicated. Michigan violated national party rules by moving its primary before February 5, which inspired many of the Democratic candidates to stop campaigning in the state. Of the top three major contenders - Clinton, Obama, and Edwards - Sen. Hillary Clinton is the only one on the ballot. Obama and Edwards are urging their supporters to vote "uncommitted."

With that in mind, according to the poll, Clinton easily beats out "uncommitted", 56% to 30%. But even if Obama and Edwards were on the ballot, the poll shows that Clinton would still win with 46% of the vote. Obama would snag 23%, and Edwards would get a paltry 13%. The poll also showed that 42% of the current "uncommitted" vote would go to Obama.

On the issues, of the 40% who said the economy was their primary concern, Romney scored a 42% to 24% advantage over John McCain. For the 24% of Republican voters who said the Iraq War was their top concern, McCain beat out Romney by a very similar margin.

Pollsters warn that Romney could fall behind, depending on how undecided and uncommitted voters move over the next few days. 38% of those polled who indicated that they had a favorite said that they might change their mind on Tuesday, and another 22% hadn't even picked a candidate yet.

The poll was conducted by Ann Selzer, the only one to successfully project Obama's win over Clinton in Iowa. Selzer says, however, that the Michigan primary this year is "even quirkier than Iowa."

600 people were survey in the telephone poll, which was conducted between Wednesday and Friday of this week.