BOARDMAN, OHIO — Calling voters every day last week for Republican John McCain's presidential campaign, Jean Centofani, a retired office worker, heard not one complaint about the upheavals that have rocked the nation's economy.
"Nope, not at all," she said. "Most people I know don't have money invested in stocks."
In nearby Canfield, Anoop Bal, an 18-year-old student, made calls every night for Democrat Barack Obama. "People are concerned about their homes and jobs, not Wall Street," he agreed.
The faltering economy is issue No. 1 in this battleground state. But lunch-bucket concerns -- falling home prices and rising fuel costs -- still overshadow the shock of federal bailouts, stock-market gyrations and turmoil in the credit markets. Economic trauma is nothing new in eastern Ohio's Rust Belt.
Both candidates have battled to convince voters that they offer the best solutions to lead an anxious nation out of the worst financial crisis in decades. But by all accounts, the tumult in Washington and New York has produced no clear political gain, or even a noticeable shift in tactics, in a state that both campaigns consider a "must-win."
With polls showing the race a dead heat in Ohio, Obama now has 70 field offices and McCain has 40.
Americans in most states rarely see presidential contestants except on TV. But no Republican has ever captured the White House without winning Ohio, as McCain reminds audiences here. And Obama is determined to deny McCain the state's 20 electoral votes.
As a result, the candidates regularly crisscross the state, while radio and TV airwaves sizzle with searing attacks and counterattacks, especially on the economy. Canvassers fan out every night and weekend to register voters and hand out leaflets. Unions and other politically active groups are flooding the state with mailings.
McCain pointedly chose Dayton as the place to introduce his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, less than a month ago. Since then, the pair have returned to the state four times, and McCain will fly to Cleveland on Monday, marking his 19th visit to Ohio since he effectively secured his party's nomination in March.
Obama has visited nine times since spring, four since he accepted his party's nomination. His running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, returned alone last week, topping off a two-day bus tour with a rally in Youngstown.
