In a span of 44 hours, both John McCain and Barack Obama will appear in downtown Columbus.
McCain is scheduled to campaign Friday at a rally in Nationwide Arena with Califorinia Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Doors open at 3 p.m. for the rally. McCain and Schwarzenegger are scheduled to appear atabout 5 p.m., 10TV News reported.
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"This is what's going to make the difference," said National Republican Committee co-chair JoAnnDavidson.
Davidson said that while recent polls do not look good for McCain, Ohio can make the difference,10TV's Tracy Townsend reported.
"In 2004 we thought we were going to lose Ohio and everybody kept saying, 'It's all up toOhio,'" Davidson said. "That victory felt great."
Obama's campaign announced that the Democratic nominee will appear at a Sunday rally at the OhioStatehouse with his wife, Michelle.
According to the campaign, Obama will make the closing argument for the ticket and ask Ohiovoters to choose hope over fear, unity over division and the promise of change over the power ofthe status quo
The Obama rally is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the west side of the Statehouse. Gates willopen at 11 a.m.
Joe Biden, Obama's running mate, began a two-day campaign swing in Ohio on Friday. He planned tovisit Kettering on Friday and will stop in Marion and Bowling Green on Saturday, 10TV Newsreported.
"Sen. Obama's economic policy is from the far left of American politics and ours is in thecenter," McCain said on Friday morning. "He wants to raise people's taxes - that's clear."
Obama maintains that families making under $250,000 a year and individuals under $200,000annually would not see any tax increase if he were president.
McCain was scheduled to campaign Friday in Hanoverton, Ohio, before the Columbus stop.
Obama was set to spend the day on a campaign crush across the Midwest, with a quick stop home inChicago to see his kids. He makes his first stop back where his run began, in Des Moines, Iowa,where he upset Hillary Rodham Clinton in the campaign's first contest.
Independent polling in Iowa shows Obama consistently ahead in the race for the state's sevenelectoral votes, but McCain's campaign maintains the race is actually tighter than it appears.
After stopping at home for Halloween, Obama heads for a rally in Highland, Ind., a town inDemocratic-dominated Lake County where Obama hopes to run up the vote to offset Republicandomination elsewhere in Indiana.
Sprinting into the weekend, Obama was headed to the West, hoping to claim Colorado and maybemore. McCain was flying to Virginia, usually friendly country for the GOP but another place wherepolls give Obama the edge. McCain aides said the Arizona senator was likely to swing west also, toplay to his base. A recent poll from McCain's home state showed the two candidates in a statisticaldead heat.
There was nothing complicated about their closing arguments to voters, with the economy the topconcern. Obama focused Thursday on linking McCain to Bush and blaming both for the nation'seconomic woes.
"John McCain has been right next to George Bush," Obama argued. "He's been sitting there in thepassenger seat ready to take over every step of the way."
McCain had hoped the election would turn on issues like the Iraq war, where he could use hismilitary background to convince voters he's the best choice as commander in chief. But heeffectively has conceded that it's all about the economy and people's financial struggles.
"Ohio is hurting," McCain said. "People in Ohio are having trouble staying in their homes,keeping their jobs. We have to get this economy out of the ditch."
McCain was missing few tricks, campaigning with Joe the Plumber, the Ohio man McCain has madecentral to his stump speech since he asked Obama about his tax plans. The plumber, Joe Wurzelbacherof Toledo, Ohio, has joined McCain for the final push - though he missed one rally, leaving McCainto ask: "Joe, where are you? Where is Joe? Is Joe here with us today? Joe, I thought you were heretoday."
When he appeared at a later event, Wurzelbacher told the crowd: "Vote for a real American- John McCain."
Obama has an edge in most polling, both nationally and in key states. His closing schedulereflected that, including a swing through Missouri and another full day in Ohio on Sunday. Ohio
provided the margin of victory four years ago, giving Bush a second term.
Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for continuing Campaign 2008 coverage.
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