It was back to the grind Tuesday, going from interview to interview with unemployed folks in Southwest Ohio and with American News Project producers David Murdock and Mike Fritz. Because Ohio is a crucial battleground election state, both the Obama and McCain campaigns are spending lots of time — and money — here.

Tuesday, Obama spent the day in the Toledo area preparing for Wednesday's debate while Joe Biden campaigned in Warren, Ohio, and other economically-depressed areas in Appalachia. Sarah Palin campaigned in St. Clairsville, Ohio, a small town near the West Virginia border.

The airwaves are full of political advertisements. A Barack Obama ad touting his concern for working-class Americans has been in heavy rotation. So has a McCain ad warning of tax cuts by Obama. The economy may dominate the headlines, but judging from conversations I've had, tonight's debate is must-see TV for a lot of people. I can see why the state is still in play politically. I talked with two unemployed guys who each supported a different candidate ... for very different reasons.

I'll tell you more about it in Thursday's story.