Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan to make preconvention trip to Powell, Ohio

CINCINNATI - Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will make their first Ohio joint appearance in a Saturday morning rally, visiting the critical battleground state ahead of next week's Republican National Convention.

The campaign said Thursday they will be at the Village Green Park in Powell, in central Ohio.

Romney last came to Ohio on a bus tour Aug. 14, three days after announcing the Wisconsin congressman as his running mate. Ryan also campaigned separately last week in Ohio, visiting his alma mater Miami University in Oxford and Walsh University in North Canton.

Their campaign is offering a "once-in-a-lifetime chance" to personally join Romney and Ryan on the road in Ohio, asking a $3 donation for a chance to win.

A poll released Thursday indicated the addition of Ryan hasn't moved Ohio voters. The poll by Quinnipiac University, CBS News and The New York Times showed President Barack Obama holding steady with a 50-44 percent lead in the state, with a 2.8 percent plus-or-minus margin of error. The random telephone survey of 1,253 likely voters was conducted Aug. 15-21.

Romney passed over Ohio's Sen. Rob Portman among other contenders to be his running mate. Ohio voters surveyed showed the majority -- 56 percent -- said the Ryan choice made no difference in their voting plans. It also showed 32 percent had a favorable opinion of Ryan, 27 percent were unfavorable, and 40 percent hadn't heard enough about him.

Obama campaigned Tuesday in Columbus, stopping by Ohio State University and then Capital University.

Underlining the importance of Ohio, Obama had kicked off his re-election campaign with a May 5 rally at Ohio State. The Democrat won Ohio in 2008, after George W. Bush twice carried the state.

No Republican has won a presidential election without Ohio.