Finally, Romney is a native son that the natives don't remember. Sure, George Romney was an iconic figure in Michigan—but that was nearly a half century ago. Recent immigrants, or people who were born in the last 40 years, have no familiarity with the things that George Romney stood for—American Motors and the state's legacy of moderate Republicanism. If you were old enough to vote for George Romney in his last successful gubernatorial campaign, 1966, you'd be at least 62 today.

Romney is also running against recent history. In 2006, the Republican son of a wealthy iconic Michigander ran for statewide office, campaigning on a platform of tax cuts and right-wing social policy. Dick DeVos, the son of Richard DeVos, the billionaire founder of Amway, spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money as he ran for governor, and lost—badly.

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