Obama, Romney set sights on Ohio in last 2 weeks

October 24, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

DAYTON

President Barack Obama painted himself as a leader who has made difficult but right decisions and who voters can trust to continue to do so if elected to another four-year term.

Speaking to thousands gathered in Dayton on Tuesday, he listed his accomplishments — cutting taxes for families and small businesses, repealing the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and rescuing the American auto industry.

“It wasn’t popular when we did it,” he said of the latter, which has secured automobile manufacturing and supplier jobs throughout the state. “It wasn’t even popular in Michigan and Ohio. But it was necessary ... we went in and did what we thought was right.”

He contrasted his administration’s policies with those offered by his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, painting the former Massachusetts governor as a candidate who changes positions on issues depending on his audience and whose stances on issues won’t bring prosperity to the country.

“We know that Gov. Romney’s jobs plan doesn’t really create jobs,” he said.

But the Romney campaign retorted that Obama offered little of substance for Ohio voters.

“Instead of laying out a second-term agenda, or ideas for how we can stop a recent loss of Ohio manufacturing jobs, Barack Obama instead chose to resort to the same tired distortions and negative attacks which have come to define his campaign’s closing argument for reelection,” said Christopher Maloney, campaign spokesman, in a statement. “The president finds himself losing ground in Ohio because voters are looking for leadership, not four more years of higher taxes and debt that have ground our recovery to a halt.”

Romney was campaigning in Henderson, Nev. He will arrive in Cincinnati tonight and is expected to spend Thursday and part of Friday campaigning in Ohio. Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, is to deliver a speech on the economy today at Cleveland State University.

Upward of 9,500 people were on hand for Tuesday’s appearance of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who was in the middle of his own three-day swing through the state. It was their first joint appearance on Ohio’s campaign trail. Biden was scheduled to appear in Marion today, with Obama returning later in the week. Romney is making his own swing through the state in coming days.

Contributor: The Associated Press