Will Romney's anti-bailout stance hurt his chances in Michigan?

Reuters:

Now, with Romney desperate for a win in Michigan's primary on February 28, he will have to explain to voters why later in 2008, he called for the U.S. government to stand aside as auto companies at the brink of insolvency begged for help.

Obama's side:

Obama and top administration officials have made frequent trips to Michigan to tout the revitalization, arguably their top economic accomplishment. "It's good to remember the fact that there were some folks who were willing to let this industry die," Obama said last week, in an apparent jab at Romney.

Romney's side:

The Romney campaign has stuck to its guns, arguing that the administration would have saved billions of dollars if it had followed Romney's advice. "Events have proved Governor Romney exactly right," campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said. "It is unfortunate that the government first attempted a bailout, which was precisely as unsuccessful as he predicted, cost taxpayers billions, and left the government improperly entangled in the private sector."

Pawlenty's endorsement of Romney turned out to be worthless

The Corner:

His endorsement delivered nothing. Romney finished third in Minnesota — a distant third, no less. So if Romney wins the nomination, will anybody say that choosing Pawlenty for veep will turn Minnesota from Democratic blue to Republican red? Not after what just happened.

I still think Pawlenty is Romney's logical number-one choice. I never said it would be a winning ticket.

Should Romney open up about his religion?

CBS News advises:

What ought to interest us about Romney's faith are not the vagaries of Mormon theology, fascinating as they are, but how he understands that theology, how his faith informs the way he lives, his sense of responsibility toward others and how that might affect the way he governs.

Granted, there are relevant political questions peculiar to Mormon teaching. The Latter-day Saints, for example, teach that the United States Constitution is divinely inspired. It's fair to ask Romney how that affects his understanding of the Constitution. Although Mormons are hardly the only group that claims to be the "true" religion, how does that teaching inflect Romney's notions about pluralism and toleration? But the more pertinent question applies to all presidential candidates who make declarations of faith: How does religion shape your policies? Unfortunately, Romney has remained studiously tight-lipped about all matters of faith, referring only vaguely to "my church."

Obama has more small-check donors

Reuters reports:

Financial disclosures last week showed Obama's campaign in 2011 raised 60 percent of funds, or $58.5 million, from donors who gave less than $200. The average listed donation to the Obama campaign in the last three months of the year was between $100 and $200, according to a Reuters analysis of the Federal Election Commission filings.

Compare to Rommey:

The campaign of the Republican front-runner Mitt Romney in 2011 raised only 9 percent of its total funds, or $5.2 million, from donors who gave less than $200, FEC filings show. The average listed donation was between $900 and $1,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the Reuters analysis.

How will Romney respond to an improving economy?

MySanAntonio:

And it presents Mitt Romney, the perceived front-runner for the Republican nomination, with a difficult choice: whether to embrace a new optimism about jobs or to continue waging a campaign based on the premise that angry voters will blame Obama for a sinking economy.