President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton will campaign jointly at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown on Monday, a visit that's being heralded as the ''Super Bowl of political appearances, the last game of the World Series of politics'' by the Democratic Party chairman in Mahoning County.
Playing a pre-game show of sorts will be Obama's former White House chief of staff and the mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel, who will campaign for the president Sunday, also in Youngstown.
''The people in the Mahoning Valley should feel very proud about how important this region is to the re-election of the president of the United States,'' Democrat party boss David Betras said. ''I think the campaign and president realize that and are honoring the area.''
Doors to the Covelli Centre open at 2:30 p.m. and the event will begin about 4 p.m.
The event is free, but tickets are needed to get inside. One ticket per person will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 1 p.m. today at the Covelli Centre Box Office and the Organizing for America offices in Warren and Boardman.
Obama and Clinton also will campaign together Monday in Orlando, Fla., and Prince William County, Va., the campaign announced.
More details for Emanuel's visit will be released later.
Monday's presidential visit, eight days before Election Day, comes exactly a week after the release of Quinnipiac University / CBS poll numbers that show Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is gaining ground in the Buckeye State.
The poll shows Obama ''riding a wave of strong support among women'' and holding a 50 percent to 45 percent edge over Romney among likely voters in Ohio.
Those numbers are down for Obama, who held a 53 percent to 43 percent advantage over Romney when Quinnipiac / CBS News / the New York Times surveyed likely voters on Sept. 26.
Betras downplayed the latest numbers, saying the visits are ''larger than poll numbers'' that could pay dividends in terms of economic development and jobs for the Valley.
''This election will come down to the state of Ohio, and the Mahoning Valley plays a role in who wins the state, period,'' Betras said.
Mahoning County GOP chairman Mark Munroe said the attention shows that Democrats are scared of numbers ''moving in Romney's favor for weeks now.''
''They are on the verge of losing Ohio and they know how important the state is,'' Munroe said. ''They are pulling out all the stops to prevent that, but it's not going to work.''
Romney's campaign said they could not confirm any future visits by the former Massachusetts governor or his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Romney last campaigned in the Mahoning Valley in March, a day before the primary election. Ryan stopped at the Hot Dog Shoppe in Warren on Aug. 16 after a rally in North Canton. More recently, Ryan campaigned at Youngstown State University on Oct. 13.
For Obama, the visit will be his second in the Mahoning Valley on his re-election campaign, and his fourth as president.
The most recent was a July 6 tour of a food manufacturer in Boardman and then an invitation-only speaking event at Dobbins Elementary School in Poland.
Before that, he toured and then spoke at V&M Star in Youngstown in May 2010 and before that, the president spoke at the General Motors Plant in Lordstown in September 2009.
Vice President Joe Biden campaigned in the Mahoning Valley on May 16 at M-7 Technolgies in Youngstown and then again on Aug. 30 for a rally at the UAW 1714 union hall in Lordstown and visits to the Mocha House in Warren and Canfield Fair.