Is Rick Santorum the Jesse Jackson of 2012?

Rev. Jesse Jackson during his 1988 campaign for the presidency  (AP Photo/Frankie Ziths)

Written for theGrio.com

Reverend Jesse Jackson went into Michigan as the underdog in the 1988 Democratic primary race and emerged as an unlikely frontrunner for the party's nomination. It was during this primary that Jackson shook up the '88 campaign, pulling ahead in delegates, causing bothTIME and Newsweek to put him on the cover of their April issues that year. TIME's cover story captured the mood of the moment. It was entitled, "Taking Jesse Seriously."

Tonight, Rick Santorum is competing in a Michigan primary of his own with the potential to cement himself as a new leading contender in a race that seems to still be up for grabs -- despite the perception that Mitt Romney is the "inevitable nominee." The state could give him a boost similar to the one it gave Jackson nearly 24 years ago.

Michigan primaries have historically been "quirky." Segregationist George Wallace won the state in 1972, while Republican icon Ronald Reagan lost in Michigan -- twice. Even the significance of the primary has fluctuated.

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