For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.





The Clinton campaign woke up with a big case of the I-told-you-so’s.

A Michigan poll from Lansing-based polling outfit EPIC-MRA shows 78 percent of Michigan voters think the country is on the wrong track, 42 percent think the economy is the most important issue in the election, 75 of the country has a negative estimation of how the President has performed, and oh yeah, eight to ten percent plan to vote for Nader.

The polls shows these general election match-up results:

McCain 46%, Clinton 37%, Nader 10%

Obama 43%, McCain 41%, Nader 8%

Michigan is a battleground in November, and the Dems can’t afford to lose eight to ten percent to Nader. In 2000, Nader took two percent in Michigan. In 2004, it was one percent. It’s possible that voter dissatisfaction with the Democrats, who do not plan on using the results of the Michigan primary, will push McCain over the edge. Especially if homestater Mitt Romney is his VP pick.

Michigan’s 17 electoral votes aren’t a foregone conclusion, of course. Obama beats McCain in the poll, and a lot of angry Democrats will “come home” to the Democratic nominee before election day. But if the Democrats aren’t going to heed the Clinton campaign’s (admittedly self-serving) advice to hold a do-over in Michigan, the nominee is going to have to do a lot of make-up work there.