ROMNEY LEADS IN MICHIGAN

That state's primary is this coming Tuesday. Mitt Romney's lead isn't unexpected; his father is a former Michigan governor. Also not unexpected: his deep need to win this primary. All his yammering about winning "two silvers" in Iowa and New Hampshire still means he lost those contests, despite his strategy to win both.

A new Detroit Free-Press poll delivers the good news for Romney:

Romney leads John McCain, 27%-22%, with Mike Huckabee in third at 16%, the poll showed. Romney’s core of support is in metro Detroit, where he has a 2-1 advantage. ...

Huckabee is a favorite among GOP voters motivated by faith. Thirty-eight percent said it matters if the next president is a devout Christian, the highest number among attributes.

Among that 38%, Huckabee leads Romney by a small margin. Voters who identify themselves as evangelical comprise 29% of the Republican primary vote, and they favor Huckabee almost 2-1 over Romney.

A potentially ginormous fly in the ointment is the limited Democratic primary. Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards aren't on the ballot:

Obama and Edwards took their names off because Michigan violated national party rules by moving its primary before Feb. 5.

It's not known how many Democrats who are unhappy with their choices will choose to vote on the Republican ballot. Obama and Edwards supporters are urging a vote for "uncommitted."

Mischief-minded Democrats, is Rep. Ron Paul in your future?