With over a billion dollars spent, tons of mud slung andcountless campaign appearances, the US presidential election may well hinge ona few thousand Ohio voters like Cathy Lankford. She is an independent whosevote can be swayed in this key battleground state -- not particularly enthusedover either candidate for the nation's top job. No Republican has ever won theWhite House without taking Ohio and the last Democrat to do so was John FKennedy in 1960. Ohio was also the state which handed George W Bush a narrowvictory in the 2004 election.
While President Barack Obama and Republican rival MittRomney remain locked in a tight race just six weeks before polls close, it hasnarrowed to a few key swing states as they fight for the 270 electoral votesneeded to win. "If the president wins Ohio it will make it almostimpossible for Romney to win the White House," said Mack Mariani, apolitical science professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
So it's no wonder Romney was in Ohio this week for a bustour, or that Obama also visited the Buckeye state as he fights to hang ontohis four point lead in the polls.
There are just nine states currently considered toss-ups,which leaves 100 electoral votes up for grabs. Current polls show Obama has got247 electoral votes in his camp, while Romney is trailing with just 191,according to the latest RealClearPolitics tally. Without Ohio's 18 electoralvotes, Romney would have to either sweep every other battleground state to winor else capture states where Obama currently has a solid lead. Either is anunlikely scenario given that the Buckeye state is a microcosm of the nation.
Northern Ohio feels a lot like bordering Michigan because ofthe blue-collar influence of the auto industry. The southern end feels a lotlike neighboring Kentucky and West Virginia -- especially in the Appalachiancoal mining towns. There are several cities - including Cleveland, Columbus andCincinnati -- with the typical American mix of wealthy or middle class suburbs,troubled inner cities neighborhoods and young urbanites. Then there are largeswaths of rural counties with farmland for as far as the eye can see.
Ohio has plenty of die-hard Republicans and Democrats butthere is also a significant contingent of independents like Cathy Lankford, 62,whose votes can be swayed. Lankford voted reluctantly for Obama in 2008 becauseshe thought rival John McCain was too old for the job. She liked Bush buthasn't warmed to Romney, who she thinks is too rich to understand the troublesof average Americans." I haven't decided because there's pluses andminuses for both of them," the recently retired grocery store clerk said.
She doesn't think Obama's done a good job of handling theeconomy -- her husband has been out of work for nearly two years -- but she'snot sure Romney will do any better despite his background in corporateturnarounds. Health care is also a big concern as Lankford has to pay for herown insurance until her husband gets a job or she's eligible forgovernment-funded Medicare at age 65.
"I'm not sure what Obama's going to do is a good idea,but I don't like what Romney's going to do with a (Medicare) voucher," shesaid as she watched her grandson play at a shopping mall in Dayton, Ohio.
The power of the union vote in Ohio was shown last year whenvoters overwhelmingly defeated a Republican bill that would have stripped thestate's 350,000 public sector employees of most of their bargaining rights.
