Chelsea Clinton In Cincinnati: Low Key In Packed Downtown Bar

CINCINNATI (TBD) -- Chelsea Clinton campaigned for her mom across Ohio today, visiting Ohio State University and Ohio Wesleyan before finishing the night at a packed meet-and-greet in a dowtown Cincinnati pub. She didn't make a speech in the bar, but worked the crowd and took questions from all comers. She invited people in Sully's Bar and Grill to step up, shake hands, and share a brief political chat. It was low key and personal. She's scheduled to do more campus stops in NE Ohio Thursday. The crowd in the pub was mostly young professsionals.

Chelsea said she wanted to speak with those who hadn't made up their minds whether to vote for Hillary or Obama. She had a sales pitch to make. She said she wants Ohioans on the fence "to please come up and talk to me."

One of her selling points was universal healthcare for all Americans. She said her mom put the issue on the national agenda in the 1990s:

"I'm proud of my mom. I'm proud that she stood up for it. I'm proud that Democrats can now take it for granted" -- meaning that the party has united around the idea despite differences in how to write national legislation that would extend coverage to all Americans.

Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper, who has endorsed Hillary and is a chief organizer in her campaign's SW Ohio operation, said he's energized by the prospect of a tough March 4 contest against Obama in Ohio.

"Our job is to win Ohio. We've been waiting a long time to have this opportunity. I think he's got a lot of support, he's got great support. But we're going to win. I've been in enough elections, and I don't want to ever answer that it won't be tough. This will be tough."