Romney rolls dice in home state fight

Washington – Mitt Romney lashed out yesterday at the government bailout that saved the American motor industry as he fought to shore up support in his home state of Michigan, where he had expected to stroll to victory in the Republican primary.

Only weeks ago Romney looked unstoppable in the state where he was born and where his father served as governor.

However, two weeks before the state picks its Republican presidential candidate, a flood of polling has swept Rick Santorum into the lead, bolstered by support from social conservatives.

Yesterday’s Detroit News poll put Santorum at 34 per cent to Romney’s 30, setting up the prospect of a devastating defeat for Romney in a state he has already counted in his ‘‘win’’ column.

‘‘The consequences of Romney losing Michigan are pretty dire,’’ Richard Czuba, who conducted the poll, told The Times.

‘‘Other states will look at Michigan and say, ‘Wow, you didn’t even choose your native son’.’’

Romney’s campaign has played heavily on his Michigan roots, with ads showing him driving around Detroit in the Americanbranded cars manufactured in the ‘‘Motor City’’ interspersed with old photographs of him as a child with his father, George.

Now, in a high-stakes strategy aimed at winning over fiscal conservatives, Romney condemned the bailout of the Detroit-based motor industry as a sop to union bosses, whom he said were the ultimate profiteers of the deal.

Pollsters say there is little evidence that the hometown message has resonated with voters so far.

‘‘The message that ‘I’m from Michigan’ doesn’t play to fiscal conservatives or social conservatives,’’ Czuba said. ‘‘But if Romney can’t win the state he so often claims he’s from, con-servatives will say, ‘We have a candidate’ and get behind Santorum.’’

Romney had been focused on Newt Gingrich as his rival.