normal rate. many in washington, d.c., are debating whether president obama s bailout of the auto industry is saving plants like the one behind me. but for real families in flint, michigan, and cities just like it, this is bigger than a debate, it s about real life. i really don t see a middle class. i mean, because everyone right now is struggling. reporter: henry boon moved here for better opportunities. he s been a gm employee for 36 years. an obama supporter, he believes the president s bailout plan was a move to help protect the shrinking middle class. gm could have made it out even leaner, even stronger, but then the quality of life for these towns, we definitely needed somebody who understands that the economy should be working for the people, not the people for the economy. reporter: the economy, a key issue in michigan s primary election, weighing especially heavy on the minds of auto
reelected, particularly if his goal is how we restore the middle class, how we respore restore middle class income and jobs. that s the direction he needs to go. fairness for sure is an issue that works for him because that s something he hits on and speaks very eloquently about. he s right on fairness, but the starting point is middle class. more than anything else. people think this is a country where the middle class succeeds. that s what we have to restore. they have been smashed by this crisis in the past decades of economic stagnation for middle income people. and that s where they say, that s where they say they want him to fight. and it s a big choice with the republicans. they refuse to raise taxes on the wealthy and that raises the fairness argument for family. that s a big choice that works for the president. i m always fascinated, though, by the sort of balance between style and substance, because stylistically, on the republican side, rick santorum has done well beca
about. well, a new poll shows that argument could produce disastrous results in this year s election. we have the co-founder of democracy course, stanley, good morning. thank you, chris. delighted to be here. what did you learn with the poll? why is the president sending the wrong message about the economy when saying america is back? i should understood score the president has been seconding the right message on the economy and centered over and over on the middle class. i have no doubt today that his speech with the uaw will focus on how the bring back america as a country where the middle class can succeed. but there are a couple strands in the president s economic argument. on the one hand, he s talking about the future of the middle class and making america a fair country. on the other hand, he s talking about the jobs numbers. and the america being back, but the country is not there yet. i mean, this is still a struggle for people month by month. and they believe in him.
the president also will talk about steps to make the economic recovery last. economic equality in the economy and preserving the middle class is something you ll really hear the president touch on. because the unions are really key to his re-election. it s funny how this coincidence happened. and it is interesting talking to voters of the polling places how much this bailout situation and mitt romney, not only speaks so forcefully, but writing the campaign and defending to defend his position and what this will have on the eventual outcome? i think in the presidential outcome rick santorum has the same position he does. santorum has been consistent about this all the way through saying they should have gone through bankruptcy and he s against bailouts, trying to make romney look like he s closer to president obama s position be. new a general election, especially like mid romney,