Do or die: Final campaign day dawns for Obama, Romney in presidential race

After a gruelling 18-month battle, the final US campaign day arrived on Monday for President Barack Obama and rival Mitt Romney, two men on a collision course for the world’s top job.

The candidates have attended hundreds of rallies, fundraisers and town halls, spent literally billions on attack advertisements, ground games, and get-out-the-vote efforts, and squared off in three intense debates.

Their running mates – Vice President Joe Biden and Republican congressman Paul Ryan – have laid out the rationales for their bosses’ aspirations; First Lady Michelle Obama, Romney’s wife Ann and countless surrogates on both sides have made the case.

Monday marks the final, last-ditch attempt by incumbent and challenger to convince the narrowing sliver of undecided voters that their policies, their platforms, their approach to leading America forward are the right ones come 2013.

And with polls showing that, for the most part, each has as equal a shot at the White House as the other, Obama and Romney will engage in unvarnished efforts to mobilise their core supporters.

“I need you, Ohio,” Obama admitted to a 20,000-strong crowd in Cincinnati, in a state for which both candidates are fighting tooth and nail. v“And if you’re willing to work with me, and knock on some doors with me, if you’re willing to early vote for me, make some phone calls for me, turn out for me, we’ll win Ohio. We will win this election,” the president said.