DETROIT (Reuters) - John Kerry has clashed with Michigan's auto industry and unions in the past but with the state's Democratic presidential contest just two days away his bandwagon has suddenly become king of the road.

Kerry has momentum from victories in seven of the nine contests so far to determine the party's nominee, the endorsement of popular Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and overwhelming support in polls.

Unlike in other states, where the airwaves have been saturated with political ads, the presidential campaigns have spent little money or time in Michigan reminding voters of Kerry's proposals that the auto industry warns would cost thousands of jobs. In fact, Kerry's opponents have all but conceded defeat in Michigan.

With 128 delegates at stake in a state best known for being the home of the American auto industry, Michigan is the biggest prize up for grabs in the race to find Democratic challenger to Republican President Bush until California and New York hold their primaries on March 2.

Detroit's major automakers teamed up with the powerful United Auto Workers union two years ago to lobby furiously to defeat a Kerry proposal to raise the fuel economy standards for trucks and sport utility vehicles.

"Kerry No Friend of Car Industry, State -- And His Record Shows it," the headline of a Detroit News column reminded voters in late January.

But a week later, Granholm endorsed Kerry, declaring him the best Democratic candidate to beat Bush in November and create more jobs for Michigan's beleaguered manufacturing industries.

"The bandwagon effect is having a big impact on where (Democrats) are going," said Steve Mitchell, chief executive of the polling firm Mitchell Research & Communications Inc. "No one has been pointing out the fact that Kerry's stand on (fuel economy standards) would be very damaging to the Michigan economy."

COMEBACK KID

Kerry holds a huge lead in Michigan and was favored by 47 percent of 600 likely voters in a Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby poll released on Thursday. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was favored by 10 percent, while North Carolina Sen. John Edwards placed third with 8 percent in the poll, which was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Less than a month ago, Kerry trailed far behind then front-runner Dean and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri.

In a state where about one-in-five workers is represented by a union, the UAW remained noncommittal and withheld any endorsement. The powerful Teamsters union backed Gephardt, but the Missouri Democrat withdrew after a disappointing showing in the Iowa caucuses last month.

Edwards is focusing his efforts on upcoming contests in Virginia, Tennessee and Wisconsin and has no plans to visit Michigan, said his state spokesman, Brad Anderson. "Those are the states where we feel like we are most competitive."

The Arab American News, which serves metropolitan Detroit's large Arab American community, has endorsed retired Gen. Wesley Clark in the race. But Clark has decided to bypass the Michigan contest and take a stand against Kerry in Tennessee, where campaign officials said they plan to spend at least $1 million in television advertisements.

Dean returned to Michigan on Thursday for his third visit in the past nine days, but admitted after losses in seven states on Tuesday that he has little chance of winning here. He said in a memo to supporters that he must win the Wisconsin primary on Feb. 17, or he would be out of the race.