President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney focused their final arguments on the political battlegrounds of the upper Midwest today, a region likely to make the difference in a tight White House race.
In duelling campaign appearances in the swing states of Ohio and Wisconsin, the two contenders battled over the economy on a day when the jobless rate ticked up to 7.9 per cent but employers stepped up their hiring rates.
In Wisconsin, where polls show Mr Romney trailing Mr Obama, the Republican laid out the case for his election and said the October jobs report was more evidence of the president's failing leadership.
"The question of this election comes down to this: do you want more of the same or do you want real change?" Mr Romney said in a suburb of Milwaukee after getting the endorsement of former Green Bay Packers star quarterback Bart Starr.
On a stop in Ohio, the most heavily contested swing state and a crucial cog in the electoral math for both candidates, Mr Obama said the jobs report was evidence "we have made real progress".
Mr Obama, whose federal rescue of the auto industry has been popular in a state where one in eight jobs is auto-related, hammered Mr Romney for a recent statement that Chrysler planned to move Jeep production to China.
Chrysler has refuted this, noting it was adding workers to build more Jeeps in Ohio, and the two campaigns have aired advertisements over the issue.
Mr Obama said Romney was trying to scare workers in a desperate bid to make up ground in Ohio. "I know we're close to an election, but this isn't a game. These are people's jobs, these are people's lives," Mr Obama said. "You don't scare up hard-working Americans just to scare up some votes."
While campaigning in the Midwestern heartland, Mr Obama's team was no doubt casting an eye on the northeast, where New York-area motorists were scrambling for gasoline on a third day of panic buying after superstorm Sandy devastated the area.
Mr Obama won plaudits for turning his attention to storm relief earlier this week, but growing frustration among victims could hinder the Democrat if the federal response is deemed unsatisfactory.
With four days left until Tuesday's election, Mr Obama and Mr Romney are essentially tied in national polls, but the president holds a slight edge in the battleground states that will decide who gains the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
A variety of state polls show Mr Obama still has slight leads in four states - Ohio, Iowa, Nevada and Wisconsin - that would give him 277 electoral votes, barring any surprises elsewhere.
Mr Obama plans to visit Ohio each of the next three days, and will close the campaign on Monday with a swing through his Midwestern safety net of Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa.
Mr Romney needs a breakthrough in one of those Midwestern states, or an upset in another state where Mr Obama is more heavily favoured, to have a shot at making his electoral math work.
Mr Romney is within striking distance of Mr Obama in four other states with a combined 55 electoral votes - Florida, Virginia, Colorado and New Hampshire.
A series of Reuters/Ipsos online state polls found Mr Obama led Mr Romney among likely voters by a narrow margin of 3 percentage points in Virginia and 2 points in Ohio and Florida. They were tied in Colorado.
The Romney campaign launched ads this week in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota - Democratic-leaning states where Mr Obama's lead has dwindled in recent weeks - in an effort to expand the playing field, and Mr Romney will visit Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Republicans say the move is a sign of momentum, while Democrats call it a sign of desperation.
"By every metric, the Obama campaign is doing far worse than they were four years ago. They will continue playing defence on turf they once took for granted - Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania," Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer said.
Mr Romney's visit to Wisconsin, the home of his running mate Paul Ryan, was his first stop there since August. The state has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984.
Mr Romney urged supporters in Wisconsin not to settle for Mr Obama, saying he would still be unable to work with Congress or break the gridlock in Washington.
"We're four days from a fresh start, four days away from a new beginning," he said.
Reuters