Springsteen Rocks the Campaign Trail

(CNN) -- Two very high profile surrogates will be campaigning for President Barack Obama in the crucial battleground state of Ohio next week.


The Obama campaign announced Saturday morning that former President Bill Clinton and rock star Bruce Springsteen will team up in Parma, Ohio on Thursday to stump for the president.

"Bruce Springsteen's values echo what the President and Vice President stand for: hard work, fairness, integrity," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement. "His appearances will help with our get out the vote effort in these critical swing states and we are thrilled with his ongoing support

Springsteen appeared, and performed, at rallies in 2004 for Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, that year's Democratic presidential nominee, and in 2008 for Obama. But he had said as late last month that he wouldn't be performing in the 2012 election.

The appearance of the former president is no surprise though. He's been a very high profile surrogate for Obama this year.

Both campaigns have been spending a lot of time and money battling for Ohio's 18 electoral votes.

Ohio was the state that put President George W. Bush over the top in his 2004 re-election. Four years later Obama carried the state by five points over Sen. John McCain. But the Republicans performed well in the Buckeye state in the 2010 midterm elections, winning back the governor's office and five House seats from the Democrats.

A new CNN Poll of Polls that averages the three non-partisan, live operator surveys in Ohio conducted entirely after the first presidential debate indicates a very close contest, with Obama at 50 percent among likely voters and Romney at 47 percent.



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