Romney: McCain’s Michigan Millstone?

Politico has a piece about how some PE pros are worried that a Romney nomination could subject the industry to another round of intense scrutiny. This is a pretty universal view, although most folks I speak with believe the pros (an industry-friendly & knowledgeable VP) far outweigh the negatives (bad PR, possible skeleton unearthing).

So let me offer a different hypothesis: Romney’s business experience could actually hurt McCain more than help him in Michigan – the one state where he would be expected to make a positive difference (his father was a popular governor).

Why? Because most Michigan voters have been inundated with news about Cerberus’ troubles with Chrysler – including the thousands of layoffs. Going from Romney to Feinberg is not a major mental leap, and certainly one the Obama folks would seek to exploit…