With polls showing a tight race in Ohio, Sen. Barack Obama today plans to make another appeal to voters as to why they should cast their vote for him and not rival Sen. John McCain.
With just eight days to go, Obama and McCain are in a tough battle for battleground states Ohio, which has 20 electoral votes, and Pennyslvania, which has 21 electoral votes. A recent Reuters/Zogby poll has Obama leading Mccain 50-45 in Ohio. In Pennsylvania, the gap is wider, with the Democrat leading 53 to 41, according to a SurveyUSA poll.
Obama is giving what his campaign is calling the “closing argument” of his presidential bid in Ohio.
According to prepared excerpts of his speech, which were released by the campaign, Obama is expected to say:
“In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street.
“In one week, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy from the bottom-up so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor.
“In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.
“In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.
McCain spoke earlier about the economy today in Cleveland and also plans campaign stops in Pennsylvania later today. In a message to undeceided voters, McCain said that electing Obama would give Democrats, who are on track to increase their congressional majorities, complete control of the government. Such a situation would inevitably lead to more government and higher taxes that would deepen the nation’s economic woes, according to the Associated Press.
“My opponent is out there working out the details with Speaker Pelosi and (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid, their plans to raise your taxes, increase spending and concede defeat in Iraq,” McCain said in Cleveland. “We’re not going to let that happen.”
Democrats, meanwhile, argued that a one-party government could set the economy on the right track faster than one split between warring Republicans and Democrats.
Obama lost Ohio to Sen. Hillary Clinton in their heated primary race. He understands the importance of the state because no Democratic contender for the presidency has won without Ohio’s support in nearly 50 years. John F. Kennedy was the last Democrat to win in 1960.
For his speech in Canton, Obama is sticking to his theme of linking McCain to President george W. Bush, who McCain is trying