Gov. Rick Snyder told the Detroit News Nolan Finley in Tampa Monday that Mitt Romney could miss an opportunity if he doesn't move Michigan higher on the list of battleground states the Republican's campaign is targeting in the presidential election.
"Michigan should be seen as a bigger priority," Snyder told Finley in an interview at the Embassy Suite hotel, across from the site of the Republican National Convention. Romney "has a much better chance here than perhaps the campaign thinks."
Michigan is generally considered in the second tier of the 13 battleground states, the places Democrats and Republicans believe to be up for grabs and will receive the bulk of the campaign spending and candidate appearances. The top tier, according to GOP national sources, is Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and Colorado.
Snyder said he believes the Romney campaign is passing over Michigan because of its history of backing Democrats for president — a Republican hasn't won the state since 1988 — and because of its "reputation as a down-and-out state."
