DETROIT -- The battle for Michigan votes is coming down to affluent Oakland County, which was once a Republican stomping ground, but has grown more Democratic recently, according to an article in Time magazine.

Despite Oakland's wealth, it has felt the pinch of the tough economic times in Michigan and the economy is the No. 1 thing on voter's minds. The most recent round of auto-industry cuts put white-collar engineers and researchers who call Oakland their home county in a bind and the for-sale and foreclosure signs all over the neighborhoods are distressing residents.

On paper, Sen. John McCain would be a shoe-in. "A lot of people still have an affinity for John McCain," Oakland University political scientist David Dulio told Time. "They voted for him once, and he might be able to take advantage of that."

However, McCain's approach to the economy may deplete his unwavering support. In a recent campaign stopover, McCain had to explain to GM workers why one of his closest advisors said the economy was just a "mental recession."

Obama has his own Michigan hurdles. Blue-collar workers did not take a liking to Obama's idea of raising fuel-efficiency standards.

However, Obama is gaining support from affluent independents or Republicans who have been crossing over to vote for Democratic in recent years.

The other challenge Obama faces is wildly unpopular Michigan Democrats. According to Time, Michigan's Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm has an approval rating of only 20 percent. Meanwhile, superdelegate and Detroit's embattled Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick faces 10 felonies in two separate cases. Kilpatrick's bond conditions and an electronic tether make it unlikely he'll be able to attend this week's Democratic National Convention.

Obama spokesman Brent Colburn said earlier in the month that Kilpatrick would be a distraction if he goes as a superdelegate.

Colburn said in an e-mail that the focus of the convention "should be on Barack Obama" and not on "the troubles of one individual."

That may explain why Obama and his wife, Michelle, have been back to the state five times and visited Oakland more than any other part of the state since he sealed the Democratic nomination.

In McCain's six visits to Michigan since March, he stopped in Oakland only once.

Both candidates have hit a high-note with possible Oakland voters with their talks of shifting to greener economy and developing biofuels and electric cars. As the Big Three slowly move in that direction, it could mean more jobs for Oakland's engineers and researchers and fewer jobs for Macomb and Wayne counties.

Macomb County was pivotal to Ronald Reagan's election nearly 30 years ago, but now Oakland holds the key to Michigan.

Obama has a two-point lead over McCain, according to a recent Michigan poll.

An EPIC-MRA poll released Sunday by The Detroit News and television stations WXYZ, WILX, WOOD and WJRT shows 43 percent of those polled would vote for or lean toward Democratic Obama, and 41 percent would opt for Republican McCain.

To read Time Magazine's full article, click here .