Prolonged GOP primary would be good news for Team Obama What's the White House hoping for out of today's Republican voting in Michigan and Arizona? Whatever keeps the primary race going. The Republican primaries so far have taken a toll on the party's main candidates - driving up the percentage of voters who have unfavorable views of them and pulling them further to the right as they compete for the conservative voters who dominate the primary electorate. Their troubles have distracted attention from President Obama's main areas of continued weakness: Voter unhappiness with the country's direction has abated, but is still significant, with roughly six-in-ten saying the U.S. is on the wrong track, according to recent polls. And while Obama's approval ratings have risen, voters still disapprove of him on the issue they say they care most about - handling of the economy Those weaknesses make Obama vulnerable, but the need to talk almost exclusively to their party's most committed followers, not to swing voters, has prevented Republicans from taking advantage. The result can be seen not only in national polls, but in recent surveys in some battleground states where Obama leads each of the Republicans currently seeking to unseat him. Those include Wisconsin (Obama up by 11-15 points, depending on the opponent), Pennsylvania (Obama up by 8-13 points) and Virginia (Obama up by 6-8 points). Republicans believe those numbers will change once their party has a nominee who can begin laying out a consistent case against the incumbent and making a serious effort to win over unpersuaded voters. But for that to happen, as an increasing number of Republican leaders have been saying publicly, the party has to bring the race to a close. So far, the Republicans" theoretical front runner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has been unable to make that happen. Obama aides will be watching tonight and hoping that inability continues.