McCain, Meet Macomb

ON September 5, the day after John McCain accepted the Republican presidential nomination, he and Sarah Palin headed to a rally in Sterling Heights, Mich. “A little straight talk here,” said McCain. “I need Michigan to win.”

That’s not exactly true. President Bush proved that a Republican can lose the state and still prevail. If McCain and Palin do manage to flip Michigan from blue to red, however, they’ll probably guarantee themselves a victory in November. The location of their appearance-the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Macomb County-was well chosen. “This place is a bellwether,” says Harry Veryser, a longtime conservative activist in the area. “The way Macomb County goes, so goes the state.”

About the Author

John J. Miller

John J. Miller, a former national correspondent for National Review, is the director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. He is the author of A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America.

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Presidential Election

ON September 5, the day after John McCain accepted the Republican presidential nomination, he and Sarah Palin headed to a rally in Sterling Heights, Mich. “A little straight talk here,” said McCain. “I need Michigan to win.”

That’s not exactly true. President Bush proved that a Republican can lose the state and still prevail. If McCain and Palin do manage to flip Michigan from blue to red, however, they’ll probably guarantee themselves a victory in November. The location of their appearance-the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Macomb County-was well chosen. “This place is a bellwether,” says Harry Veryser, a longtime conservative activist in the area. “The way Macomb County goes, so goes the state.”

About the Author

John J. Miller

John J. Miller, a former national correspondent for National Review, is the director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. He is the author of A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America.