Though Michigan voters are skeptical of President Bush's handling of the economy, they still back him in a head-to-head race against the Democratic presidential frontrunner Howard Dean, according to a poll published today by the Daily Oakland (Mich.) Press:

Concerning the coming presidential election, respondents were evenly split - 45 percent each - over whether they were likely to vote for Bush or for the Democratic challenger.

But against three of the leading Democratic challengers, Bush showed a comfortable lead. He outpaced former Vermont Gov. Dean 51 percent to 44 percent and held bigger leads over U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts (51 percent-41 percent) and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut (52 percent-39 percent).

Michigan is a particularly strategic state for the eventual Democratic presidential nominee. In the razor-close 2000 election, then-Vice President Al Gore took the state and it's 18 electoral votes. The state will have 17 electoral votes in 2004.