Inside Pitch

President Obama's Wednesday rally in Cincinnati will be at the Duke Energy Convention Center downtown, with the doors opening at 8 a.m., according to the Obama-Biden campaign.

Tickets for the event are available at https://mybarackobama.com/page/s/obama-cincinnati-oct-31.  Tickets are also available on Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., downtown or at the Organizing for America office at 1240 W. Kemper Rd. in Forest Park.

President Obama's Wednesday rally in Cincinnati will be at the Duke Energy Convention Center downtown, with the doors opening at 8 a.m., according to the Obama-Biden campaign.

Tickets for the event are available at https://mybarackobama.com/page/s/obama-cincinnati-oct-31.  Tickets are also available on Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., downtown or at the Organizing for America office at 1240 W. Kemper Rd. in Forest Park.

President Obama will be back in Cincinnati Wednesday for what the campaign is describing as a "grassroots event."

His opponent, Mitt Romney, was in Cincinnati Thursday; and the president's return to the Buckeye State - and particularly heavily-contested Hamilton County - are indications of how Ohio and its 18 electoral votes are crucial to both candidates.

No details have been released on the Cincinnati visit, but it will be followed later in the day by a campaign event in Akron. Obama appeared at a rally of supporters in Cleveland Thursday.

Cincinnati Fire Department officials estimated the crowd at Jet Machine at about 4,000.

Most were in the warehouse where Romney is to speak momentarily; others were in an overflow room next door.

Sen. Rob Portman, who was considered as Romney's running mate, is introducing Romney to the crowd now.

Portman made a pitch for early voting.

"They're open for business now,'' Portman said. "What do you say that after this, we all get in our cars and go down to Broadway (the location of county board of elections) and cast our ballots."