Confirmed: Michigan is up for grabs

I can't tell you how exciting this news is for me:

Mitt Romney is within striking distance of Barack Obama in Michigan in the final days before the election, buoyed by more who are convinced the Republican is a viable alternative to the president, with the ability to turn around the economy.

Obama's lead over Romney has shrunk to just under 3 points, 47.7 percent to 45 percent, with 3.8 percent undecided, according to a new Detroit News/WDIV Local 4 poll of likely voters. Obama's lead was 6.7 points earlier this month and has eroded to within the poll's 4 percentage point margin of error. It's the smallest advantage for the Democratic president during the Michigan campaign.

"Mitt Romney's numbers … are where they would need to be if he hopes to pull off an upset next week," said Richard Czuba of Glengariff Group Inc., which conducted the poll. "But the question is: Is there enough for a final push?"

Here's a look at the Detroit News polling data -- while Obama holds the lead on issues like foreign affairs, Romney bests the president when it comes to solving our economy's crisis, which will be THE issue on the minds of voters next Tuesday:

Normally I'd write off polls like this -- Michigan hasn't been a red state since 1988.  But the Obama campaign is taking this news seriously and is now having to invest precious campaign capital in a state once thought to be solidly in the president's win column.  Today marks the first day since February that Obama campaign ads will run on Michigan televisions.

And while Mitt Romney may not pull off a Michigan victory in the end, every ad the Obama campaign runs in Michigan is one less ad run in battlegrounds like Ohio and Pennsylvania.