Setting the stage for a close one in Ohio

WESTERVILLE, OHIO -- The Democratic presidential contenders fired salvos and roused voters Sunday at separate rallies fewer than 2 miles apart in a Republican-leaning suburb of Columbus.

"When it came to making the most important foreign policy decision of our generation, Sen. Clinton got it wrong," said Barack Obama, referring to Hillary Clinton's Iraq war vote, at a rally attended by several thousand in a high school gymnasium. "I don't know what all that experience got her."

Just down the street in another school gymnasium, Clinton told more than a thousand supporters that Obama is all talk, and she can solve Ohio's problems.

"Change is part of life," said the New York senator, chiding Obama's campaign theme. "The question is, 'Are we going to make progress together?'"

More Coverage Campaign journals Joseph Ryan from Ohio: Hot-button issues style="float:left; padding: 0 6px 0 6px" /> David Beery from Texas: Courting independence Stories In Texas, voters focus on Obama's, Clinton's military positions [03/03/08] Setting the stage for a close one in Ohio [03/03/08] Crunch time for Clinton [03/03/08] Obama fires back over foreign policy [03/03/08] Eyes will be on racial divide in Buckeye State [03/02/08] A fight to the finish in Ohio [03/02/08] No matter the choice, Texas voter turnout huge [03/02/08] Clinton does 'SNL,' but misses out on endorsement [03/02/08] Obama accuses Clinton of playing politics [03/02/08] In Ohio, the unions count [03/01/08] Texas Twist: State is #8230; complex [03/01/08] What makes the March 4 primary states tick [02/29/08] Clinton campaign raises concerns about Texas caucus [02/29/08] Video Ohio Voters Look for Economic Miracle Holding rallies in the Westerville area -- less than 48 hours before crucial primaries -- is like aiming to fire up Illinois' Democratic base by stumping in GOP-friendly Naperville or Barrington instead of in Chicago. Yet the area Clinton and Obama targeted Sunday is seen as must-win territory for the Democrats if their nominee is to take the White House in November. In a very visible way, many Democrats here are already plotting how to turn Ohio blue in November, regardless of who comes out on top Tuesday when this state as well as Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island cast primary election votes. At the same time, both candidates believe that if they win Ohio -- and suburbs like Westerville -- they deserve the nod from party stalwarts concerned about winning both independent and base voters in the general election. Many Democrats believe that if they can stop presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in this battleground state, they can win the nation. No Republican has ever won the presidency without first winning over Ohio voters. "Ohio is very closely divided," said David Davis, a political science professor at Toledo University. "We have very close races." Since the 2004 presidential election, political fortunes seem to have shifted from Republicans to Democrats statewide. Democrats now hold a majority of Ohio state offices for the first time in more than a decade and they also control the governor's seat for the first time in 16 years. Moving the middleDemocratic Gov. Ted Strickland is backing Clinton, and her camp has used that endorsement to show she can take the state not only on Tuesday, but in November as well. In his Ohio stump speech, former President Bill Clinton tells crowds that choosing Hillary Clinton because of her appeal to working families is the way to get their voices heard by the party. He said it is the same way Strickland won over Ohio voters. "You can send the message that this is the way to win the White House, nominate Hillary Clinton," he said Saturday to several hundred screaming supporters at a high school gymnasium in a Cleveland suburb. Bill Clinton won Ohio in 1992 and 1996. The state went for George W. Bush in the last two elections. Obama's camp says Illinois' junior senator is pulling in more independents and Republicans than the former first lady. Exit polls from primaries in several states bolster the argument. "Because of his crossover appeal, we feel we have the opportunity to reach some of these voters," said campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt at the Westerville rally. It's about jobsIn the end, winning Ohio in November may not be about the candidate, but the issues they are pushing. If that is the case, it will be all about "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!" -- as read a handmade poster at Clinton's rally Sunday. The last time Ohioans voted for president, those who thought the economy was poor favored Democratic Sen. John Kerry by a landslide 90 percent, according to exit polls. And those who saw the economy or jobs as the most important issues favored Kerry by 83 percent. But the economy was not as big of an issue in 2004 as it is likely to be this year following the housing collapse and continued erosion of manufacturing jobs. In 2004, for example, just 19 percent of exit poll respondents rated Ohio's economy as "poor" while 41 percent labeled it "good" or excellent." Recent national polls show a majority of Americans are pessimistic about the economy's future. The economy issue may prove to be an Achilles' heel for McCain in states like Ohio that are heavily union and tied to the manufacturing sector. The Arizona senator has been widely quoted as saying he doesn't understand economic issues as well as foreign policy, a potential misstep either Democratic contender is sure to exploit. "People are particularly concerned now about jobs and employment and the housing market here," said Judith Trent, a political communication professor at the University of Cincinnati. "These are major concerns." 512343Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton greets supporters in Austintown, Ohio, Sunday. Less than 48 hours before a critical primary election, both Clinton and her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, held rallies throughout Ohio.Associated Press