COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are pitching to college students and working-class voters in Ohio less than a week before early voting kicks off in the critical Midwestern state.
Fresh off a high-stakes address before world leaders at the United Nations, Obama is set to address rallies Wednesday at two state universities, hoping to generate the kind of enthusiasm among young voters that helped fuel his victory four years ago.
Romney plans three stops in major metropolitan areas as part of a bus tour geared toward drawing a contrast with Obama on middle-class economic issues.
Both candidates recognize how important Ohio's 18 electoral votes will be this fall. Losing in Ohio would dramatically narrow Romney's paths to the 270 electoral college votes required to win the White House.
