(WEAU) -- Reaching out for the votes of union families, President Obama held a Labor Day rally for autoworkers in the swing state of Ohio.

Ohio's recovery is strong. In part, because of the Obama auto industry bailout.

"I believed in you, I bet on you, I'll make that bet any day of the week! And because of that bet, three years later, that bet is paying off for America," Obama said.

An hour north in Detroit, at a union rally, Vice President Joe Biden made the same point, and more.

"Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive," Biden said.

In Charlotte, Michelle Obama got a look at the stage she will be speaking on tomorrow during the opening of the convention.

Outside, democrats staged a street fair to get their convention week started, many saying the president ought to run on his record.

"Bin Laden and all this, on the health care trying to change it -- he stepped in a mess," said Gail Jones, a North Carolina voter.

"I think he needs to shoot holes in what Romney's going around mouthing off about," said Julie Tugele, a North Carolina voter.

Over to New Hampshire where Mitt Romney took the day off, spending time out on the boat. A new Gallup poll finds Romney got no boost with voters from his convention.

Meanwhile, Paul Ryan was in North Carolina at a big rally in another battle ground state. The president is trailing there in the latest poll.

"He can't tell you that you're better off. Simply put, the Jimmy Carter years look like the good ol' days compared to where we are right now," Ryan said.

Candidates in all corners, the start of what is the final countdown before Election Day.