DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Republican John McCain is returning to Ohio to mine for presidential support in two important lodes — undecided voters in Cincinnati and Hillary Clinton-friendly Trumbull County in the Mahoning Valley.

McCain also will raise money at fundraisers in Cincinnati on Thursday, June 26, and in Hunting Valley, a Cleveland suburb, on Friday, June 27.

McCain's trip comes after a Quinnipiac University poll released June 18 showed Democrat Barack Obama leading McCain, 48-42 percent in Ohio in the race for president.

McCain kicks off the two-day swing on Thursday with a noon town hall meeting at Xavier University in Cincinnati with undecided voters selected by Direct Response Group, a telephone marketing firm. The campaign pays the company from $8,000 to $10,000 per town meeting to select undecided voters.

The sample of undecideds for the Xavier meeting excluded backers of McCain and Obama and voters who said they were either "strong Democrats" or "strong Republicans," according to a memo from Sarah Simmons, McCain's director of strategy.

In a clear swipe at Obama, who packs in thousands for his large-hall rallies, Simmons said, "Rather than giving lofty speeches to the converted behind a teleprompter, John McCain will continue to participate in town hall meetings across the country in an effort to speak to undecided voters and raise the level of dialogue in the campaign."

House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, said undecided voters would see McCain as somebody who is "passionate about trying to solve the problems that face America."

Also, these voters will know that McCain is willing to sit down personally with them while Obama "hasn't been willing to show up," said Husted.

Obama's campaign declined McCain's invitation to participate in 10 or more joint town hall meetings this summer. Obama's campaign proposed a town hall meeting on the economy in July and a foreign policy debate in August, but the campaigns couldn't reach agreement.

"Apparently they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of our country," said David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manger.

Obama on June 13 met with a group of seniors in Columbus that included undecided voters. He spoke and answered questions.

On Friday, McCain will visit the GM plant in Lordstown in Trumbull County, a Democratic stronghold but a county where Hillary Clinton clobbered Obama in the March 4 Democratic primary, getting 62 percent of the vote.

"There are a lot of Democrats who didn't vote for Barack Obama who will vote for John McCain in the general election," said Husted. "... If you get to know what John McCain is about, he's one of the most patriotic, loyal Americans there is. ... He's willing to put America's interests ahead of his own."

Isaac Baker, Ohio spokesman for Obama, however, predicted McCain "is going to find a very frosty reception" in Lordstown. Baker, who worked for Clinton in the primary, said Democrats are unified going into the general election.

"I think the differences between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton pale in comparison to Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama," said Baker.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.