Is Michigan’s primary a real test? What do you think? [WITH POLL]

There must be a few happy members in the Michigan’s Democratic leadership today, now that even the stodgy Wall Street Journal has taken notice of Michigan’s primary.

Too bad, though, that the media is talking about the Republican Party.  As the WSJ points out,

Mike Murphy, a Republican campaign guru who cut his teeth in Michigan, says the state is the candidates’ first true test because of its demographics. Michigan is a quilt of inner city blacks, suburban businessmen, Reagan Democrats, religiously conservative reformers and liberal college towns.

Yup, Michigan’s primary is the first real test for Republicans.  It’s a make-or-break for Romney, say some media outlets; it’s a test of campaign finances for Giuliani, say others. But Murphy’s observation in the WSJ about the make-up of this state is spot-on. New Hampshire and Iowa are far less ethnically and culturally diverse than Michigan, making it a far greater challenge to win a critical mass of support. It’s surprising that the media’s talking heads haven’t looked more closely at differences in demographics as a possible factor in the disparate outcomes between New Hampshire’s and Iowa’s primaries — but they’re certainly aware of the difference between Michigan and its predecessors in the presidential race and the implications on the primary’s outcome.

Let’s scrap the pundits’ opinions; they’ve been proven out of touch by New Hampshire’s presidential primary anyhow. What do you think — is Michigan a real test of the Republicans’ campaigns, or no? Take the poll and let us know what you think.