The results of the Michigan Republican primary very closely resembled the vote distribution of Washtenaw County Republicans.
According to ABC 7 Action News, more than 29,000 Washtenaw County citizens came to the polls on Feb. 28, and 42.2 percent voted for Romney, 37.2 percent for Santorum and 12.6 percent for Ron Paul.
According to the Associated Press, statewide, Romney received 41.1 percent of the vote, Santorum got 37.9 percent and Ron Paul got 11.6 percent.
The Washtenaw County sector of the Grand Old Party said it was pleased with the turnout of voters, but expects more voters to cast their ballot this coming Fall in the General Elections.
The GOP of Washtenaw County supported Romney, Santorum and Ron Paul, each for different reasons.
According to the party’s public relations chair, Chase Ingersoll, Washtenaw County is home to a very diverse group of voters, so what they look for in a candidate varies. However, Ingersoll said voters are ultimately looking for a candidate that can beat Obama in the general election.
“Romney has the backing of the GOP members who are primarily motivated by economic issues and believe that a candidate with more moderate social views and a strong business background will have cross-over appeal with Independents and economically conservative Democrats,” explained Ingersoll.
Ingersoll compared Romney’s political views and tactics to Governor Rick Snyder, who is also a Republican and has a background in economics and business.
Ingersoll said Santorum, a Tea Party candidate, was popular because of his strong religious tones and socially conservative views.
“Santorum has the backing of a majority of Tea Party members who believe that reducing the size of the federal government is the first step to modernizing it,” he said. “This portion of the Tea Party tends to be conservative on social issues, specifically Right to Life and Defense of Marriage as an institution of a man and woman.”
Paul, the third candidate, had the backing of the Libertarian wing of the Republican Party. This sector of the GOP opposes a strong federal government and focuses more on state and individual rights and liberties.
With these diverse political standpoints represented by members of the GOP, Ingersoll is hoping it will attract
the college voter moreso than campaign ads.
“Obama’s mismanagement of the economy and inarticulate stammering when questioned at press conferences is far more convincing than anything that the GOP could say about [Obama], or any other critique that would always result in the GOP being accused of being racists,” Ingersoll said.
Ingersoll also believes the economy will be a big draw for college students. With the Republican view of big government and their economic policies, he thinks the Free Market aspect will be appealing.
“To achieve that free market, we must reduce the size of government, rather than bankrupting the government by giving everyone with a liberal arts degree a six figure government job,” Ingersoll said.
