More Election News

• FL: Three-Way Race a Problem for Dems
• FL-2: Of All Dems, Allen Boyd Should Be Safe, But He's Not
• CA: Whitman's $139 Million Could Turn Race
• NY: Half-Dozen Races in State May Help GOP Win House
• NY: Debate Verges on Farce
• PA: Race Will Test State's Blue Roots
• IL-10: Links to Obama at Play in Dold-Seals Race
• TX: Perry Plays It Safe While White Takes Aim at Rival
• WA: Bill Clinton Presses Case for Re-Electing Murray
• CO: GOP Fears Losing Majority Party Status
• NJ-3: Fake Tea Party Candidate, Property Taxes Heat Up Race
• IL: Giannoulias Touts Judgment but Passes the Buck
• OH: Ad War Escalates

For the first time since the 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made joint political appearances on Sunday. The president and First Lady teamed up on behalf of Democratic candidates in Ohio - a swing state that figures to be among the most important for his 2012 re-election bid.

In the afternoon, the Obamas appeared at a Cleveland area fundraiser for Ohio Democratic Governor Ted Strickland, who is locked in a tough re-election fight against former Republican Congressman John Kasich.

At the fundraiser, the president delivered a standard version of his stump speech but added some affectionate words for the first lady, who introduced him as "the love of my life, though he doesn't always think it, and more importantly, the president of the United States."

When Obama took the stage, he told the crowd of 350 people, who paid from $750 to $5,000 for tickets, "It is not true that more importantly I am the president of the United States. More importantly, I am Michelle Obama's husband, and Malia and Sasha's father, and Michelle has put up with me through thick and thin, and I'm grateful for her each and every day."

According to a CNN/Opinion Research poll released last week, 65 percent of Americans approve of the way the first lady is handling her job, while the president's job approval rating has hovered in the 40s.

Obama said that re-electing Strickland was "absolutely critical" and urged those gathered at the fundraiser to do everything they could over the last two weeks of the campaign.

"He's cut red tape, he's kept taxes low so that businesses locate here in Ohio, and he's a fighter," Obama said of Strickland. "He hasn't just been concerned about the next election - he's been thinking about the next generation. And his work is not yet done."

Later on Sunday, the president and first lady traveled to Columbus, where they attended a DNC fundraiser and spoke at a nighttime rally at Ohio State University.

The president's Ohio visit comes a day after he traveled to Boston to rally support for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's re-election bid against Republican Charles Baker and independent Tim Cahill.

Obama told the crowd of thousands gathered inside Boston's Hynes Convention Center, including Boston-born musician James Taylor, that Patrick's leadership "continues to inspire" him.

"At a time when too many folks bow to the politics of the moment, he represents the politics of conscience and conviction," Obama said. "In an age of too much cynicism, he has matched unbending optimism with unyielding effort to move Massachusetts forward."

Patrick has been maintaining a slim lead over Baker in recent polls, and Obama defended the governor's record in a manner designed to motivate his Democratic base to come out on Election Day.