President Barack Obama has begun his campaign for re-election in the November 2012 presidential elections.

Obama started off his rally at Ohio, the place which has an excellent track record of deciding who enters the White House. He was accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama.

"This is not just another election, this is a make or break moment for the middle class. We have been through too much to turn back now," said Obama addressing thousands of supporters, quoted the BBC.

"That's the choice in this election and that is why I am running for a second term as President of the United States," Obama added.

Keeping his main focus on the recovering economy, Obama said the country was fighting back during the tough times of recession.

Polls also suggest that the presidential election will be close.

Obama acknowledged the fact that the upcoming elections will be a close call between him and his rival Mitt Romney.

The Guardian quoted the US president as saying: "We have been through too much to turn back now. We have to move forward to the future we imagined in 2008 where everyone gets a fair shot and everyone does their share."

Hitting out at his opponent, Obama said Romney had learnt wrong lessons from being a CEO.

Romney on Friday pointed out that the Obama administration failed to stop the growing jobless figures.

"I recognise, of course, as do all Americans, that you inherited an economic crisis. But you've now had three years to turn things around.

The record of those three years is clear. Your policies have failed, not only in Ohio, but across the nation," Romney wrote in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, reported the BBC.

Obama retorted that Romney is a good family man and a businessman but his policies will benefit only the rich.

Ohio's lower unemployment compared to the national average will give Obama a huge advantage over his rival in the campaign, suggest experts.

"That gives the Democrats a fabulous one-liner to use against Romney," the Guardian quoted Melissa Miller, a political scientist at Bowling Green State University, as saying.

"The Obama administration really needs to pray. If the unemployment rate starts to grow again then in Ohio that will change everything," Miller added.

Obama will be addressing the supporters in Virginia later.

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