Although the votes from all 50 states in the presidential election will be tallied on Tuesday, many feel the election comes down to one state: Ohio. The candidates’ spending shows that the Buckeye State is a major focus on Election Day. Team Obama and Team Romney have already spent a combined $128 million in TV ads in Ohio alone aimed to sway voters to their side.
A lot of people outside the state may wonder, “Why has Ohio been labeled the big swing state this year?” For Drew Lykins from Marysville, Ohio, the uncertainty is common practice.
“They’ve been a swing state ever since I’ve been alive,” said Lykins, a senior exercise science major. “They’ve just always been so divided, and it’s a big state being worth 18 electoral votes.”
For those who want to delve deeper into the topic, Emily Haas, a Cincinnati native, offered some insight.
“We have a lot of big cities,” said Haas, a double major in history and political science. “We’ve got Toledo, Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Larger cities tend to lean democratic. However, we also have a lot of rural area.”
All of the rural population is important to keep in mind, as farming along with manufacturing are two of the state’s major industries. Haas explained that the state’s farming residents tend to be more conservative.
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While Ohio may be evenly split politically, Lykins and Haas agreed that each candidate’s stance on economic issues will play a major role in the election.
“The economic downturn has hit Ohio pretty hard,” Lykins said, referencing the manufacturing that takes place.
“This election is very unique,” Haas said. “I don’t think it needs to focus on social issues as much as it needs to focus on financial issues, the budget and the war in the Middle East.”
“If we don’t have the financial stability in our homes, and if we don’t have a good core center, we’re not going to have the freedom to make social issues an important issue in future elections,” Haas continued.
This state is a true toss-up. When asked who they predicted would win the electoral votes from their state, the predictions were split. Lykins predicted that Obama would win Ohio’s electoral votes, while Haas said she felt Romney would come out on top.
First image courtesy of cnn.com