Romney says he is 'only chance' to defeat Obama

Mitt Romney on Friday declared himself the Republican presidential candidate with "the only chance" to defeat President Barack Obama as he seized on signs that rival Rick Santorum's grip on Michigan appears to be slipping.

Romney vowed to bring fundamental change to rebuild the US economy with fiscally conservative policies, a message he hopes will help him make a comeback in the hard-hit state where he was born and where Santorum is threatening to score an upset.

Romney told members of the Detroit Economic Club that if elected he would seek lower taxes, deep budget cuts, deficit reduction and entitlement reform which taken together would spur a burst in job growth.

He spoke from a podium on the 30-yard line of the Detroit Lions' Ford Field, with the crowd, mostly men in suits, seated in chairs set up on the artificial turf. It was an odd choice of venue as the huge stadium had an empty feel.

"I'm not promising that every day will be easy, or there won't be sacrifice. But I am promising that every day things will get better," Romney said.

Romney said he has the best chance among Republicans in what he acknowledged would be a difficult battle to topple President Barack Obama, who not only has the advantages of incumbency but has a well-funded re-election effort.

"I not only think I have the best chance - I think I have the only chance," he said.

Michigan and Arizona are the next battlegrounds in the state-by-state fight to pick a challenger to Obama in the Nov. 6 general election. They hold crucial nominating contests next Tuesday and will lay the foundation for the 10 states that vote on "Super Tuesday" March 6.

Michigan's widely watched Mitchell/Rosetta Stone poll showed Romney inching ahead of Santorum with 36 percent support to Santorum's 33 percent. Santorum had recently held a double-digit lead in the state in polls.

While the Romney campaign argues he could survive a loss in Michigan, Romney is desperate to avoid an embarrassment in the state where his father was a popular governor.

In his speech, he emphasized his Michigan roots and love for American-made cars produced by the state's car industry, pointing out he drives a Ford Mustang and Chevrolet pick-up truck and wife Ann "drives two Cadillacs, actually."