Romney finds his issue; it’s the economy

By Brian Eckhouse

Friday, Jan. 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.

After losing the Republican Party’s primary in New Hampshire to John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney shifted his strategy in Michigan and championed himself as a savior of lost jobs. He won.

Will that message work in Nevada?

He arrived here Thursday to deliver it, telling dozens of supporters at the Claim Jumper restaurant in Henderson that a stimulus package is needed as a first step to reinvigorate the economy.

Later, he told hundreds of supporters and volunteers at Brady Industries on Lindell Road in Las Vegas, “People of that state (Michigan) said we do want a middle-income tax cut, and we want our border secure.”

In an interview after that event, Romney said, “The economy is still a story for the people of this country.”

“Anybody who talks about the economy in their presidential campaign will find themselves being very relevant in Nevada, so I’m sure that will play well for him,” said Steve Wark, communications director for the Republican Party caucus.

Indeed, it seems likely Romney will win the state’s caucus Saturday if only because his chief rivals, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, are 2,300 miles away in South Carolina, which holds its GOP primary Saturday, and Rudy Giuliani is working Florida.

But economic woes in Michigan don’t necessarily reflect economic woes in Nevada.

“Michigan is a manufacturing state and it’s unlikely that the jobs they’ve been losing are going to come back,” said Steve Miller, an economics professor at UNLV. Nevada, on the other hand, is growing.

Still, Nevadans worry about the economy.

“People are worried about their paychecks and ... higher gas prices, about government spending and taxes,” said Bernie Zadrowski, who was elected chairman of the Republican Party in Clark County this week.

Romney also is expected to draw from a natural base in the Silver State because he is Mormon.

“If he taps into the Mormon establishment, then he should be all right,” said Dave Damore, an associate professor of political science at UNLV.

Mormons represent less than 10 percent of the state’s population, Damore said, but he noted they typically vote in higher numbers than other demographic groups.