国际英语新闻:Obama, Romney launch final full day of campaigning to brace for Election Day

CHICAGO, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S.President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Monday both spent their final full day of campaigning with packed schedule across eight swing states before returning to headquarters in Chicago and Boston respectively for the Election Day.

Obama spent his Monday with a full-scheduled blitz in three key swing states serving as his Midwestern firewall, including all-important Ohio, as well as Wisconsin and Iowa. Some of those events featured musicians Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z.

The incumbent hopes to put these states where he currently leads over Romney by a slight margin in polls into his column to secure a path to 270 electoral votes and a second term. A Romney win of Ohio would put Obama in the defensive.

"Tomorrow you have a choice to make. And it' s not just a choice between two candidates or two parties. It is a choice between two different visions for America. It' s a choice between returning to the top-down policies that crashed our economy, or a future that' s built on providing opportunity to everybody and growing a strong middle class," said Obama in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Obama campaign selected to conclude the final day of campaigning in Iowa, the state where Obama saw his first major victory in 2008 presidential bid to beat then Democratic candidates including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Obama will return to his hometown Chicago, Illinois late Monday night and stay in the state through Tuesday to take a series of interviews and prepare for the Election Night rally in the city, said Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki aboard Air Force One enroute Columbus, Ohio.

She also said Obama will follow his tradition to play basketball with friends and close advisors on the Election Day.

Obama has already cast his ballot early in Chicago on Oct. 25, the first time a sitting U.S. president early voting in person.

Other than Ohio, Romney also brought up with his final push in Virginia and Florida on Monday, the two states where recent polls suggest he has an advantage over Obama.

"Tomorrow we begin a new tomorrow. Tomorrow we begin a better tomorrow," said the challenger in Florida. "This nation is going to begin to make a change for the better tomorrow."

Florida, which has 29 electoral votes, is a must-win state for Romney. His loss in the state would practically mean Obama's reelection, even without Ohio.

Romney will return to New Hampshire Monday night, the place where he announced he would join the 2012 presidential bid in June, 2011.

The Romney campaign also announced that Romney would make an extended dash in Ohio and Pennsylvania on Tuesday, an unusual step from the tradition of staying off the campaign trail on the Election Day.

ABC News reported that Romney would first vote in Boston before departing for the new addition of events, and would return to Boston for his Tuesday election night rally.

The newly added events may suggest Romney wants more push to win Ohio or to broaden the playing field to Pennsylvania.

"I will say it' s no surprise that Mitt Romney is headed to Ohio, or reportedly headed to Ohio tomorrow. Without that state it' s a rocky road for them to victory -- an insurmountable road, I would say," said Psaki.

She stressed the confidence of Obama campaign holding "a superior ground game and a superior campaign" advantage in the state of Ohio which could lead to Obama's victory.

The two candidates are currently still tied up nationwide. A latest Gallup poll released Monday found that Romney led over Obama by 49 percent to 48 percent among likely voters, with the edge narrowing down. But Obama heads into Election Day with an edge in the battleground states which could likely decide the winner of the election.