Mitt Romney’s primary prospects

>>> with us for more on politics with the michigan primary looming our political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd . understanding that these days a week is a year in politics, how vulnerable is mitt romney in michigan?

>> reporter: he's very vulnerable. because this is a home state and because there are so many questions among those in the so-called of what's left of the republican establishment about whether romney can get enthusiasm, can court conservatives. a loss here in what is considered one of romney 's home stat states, massachusetts being the other one, but michigan, a place he launched his presidential campaign from four years ago, a loss here would send shock waves through the party and would upend this republican race in a way that actually makes the phrase "brokered convention" something that would be realistic in a way i think all of us would have thought even two weeks ago was pie in the sky .

>> the romney campaign strongly protested our use of words last night. we misstated his position on the auto bailouts. we said he was willing to let the auto companies die. the campaign says that's not true. what is his position?

>> reporter: let's go through it. before president obama took office, romney argued the following against a government bailout of gm and chrysler. he said that if they received it, you could, quote, kiss the american automotive industry good-bye. romney was instead calling for a managed bankruptcy without federal tax dollars. he contends the obama administration eventually followed that advice, but the obama administration argues to this day the federal bailout was key because it was the only source of money available at the time to help because of the financial crisis . one thing you can know for sure, we are going to hear about the auto bailout a lot in this presidential campaign .

>> chuck todd in our d.c.