Northeast Ohio is Shaping up to be the Bullseye of 2008

As Rubber City Radio and Akron News Now's Ed Esposito points out, Northeast Ohio will be inundated with candidates over the next 48 hours: "The big push of presidential politics surrounds Akron today with Obama's in Cleveland and Palin in Canton; tomorrow McCain/Palin include Lakewood, Cleveland and Columbus while Joe and Jill Biden hit Copley High School for a Monday night quickie."

Anyone that lived in Ohio in 2004 who wasn't in a cave with soundproofed walls and no TV knows the routine. The fact that all four candidates and their spouses will be in Northeast Ohio for much of their last-minute Ohio push demonstrates that this part of the state, a Democratic stronghold, will be a key to winning Ohio.

For Obama it will be about GOTV in the urban areas and activating voter groups that are harder to activate typically: African-Americans, young people and college students, and first time voters. Obama needs to overperform in Northeast Ohio to offset losses in red Western Ohio. McCain needs to perform well in places like the Mahoning Valley and rural, suburban, and exurban parts of Northeast Ohio that surroung the urban centers. we'll find out Wednesday which campaign had a better plan to win the Buckeye State.