Is Ohio still Clinton country? Tuesday may tell

COLUMBUS — Ohio has always been Clinton country.

And former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is counting on that history Tuesday. She leads Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, in every Ohio primary poll by as much as 20 percentage points. Ohio, the quintessential swing state, has traditionally favored centrist Democrats, like Clinton, over more progressive candidates, like Sanders.

In 2008, 54 percent of Ohio Democrats voted for Hillary Clinton over then-Sen. Barack Obama — a win by 10 percentage points in a competitive primary that Obama eventually won. Bill Clinton won both the primary and general elections in Ohio in 1992 and 1996.

Hillary Clinton is leading the delegate count nationwide: 1,231 to 576 as of Sunday. Her first focus at a Sunday night gathering of more than 3,000 Ohio Democrats wasn’t Sanders, but rather GOP front-runner Donald Trump. She called his bid a "cynical campaign of hate and fear."

“At our best, Americans have rejected demagogues and fear-mongers,” Clinton told the crowd at the Ohio Democratic Party's dinner. “You don’t make America great by getting rid of everything that made America great in the first place.”

Referring to her relatively cordial bout with Sanders, Clinton painted herself as the reasonable, moderate candidate. Clinton would support some trade deals versus Sanders's blanket disapproval. She voted as a U.S. senator for the auto bailout even though it was packaged with a bailout for financial institutions.

"We faced one of those hard choices that forces you to govern in reality," Clinton said in her 25-minute speech. "Now, that was not an easy vote, and I respect those who voted against it. ... I decided it was more important to save the auto industry and save our economy, and I am so glad we did."

Clinton's recent loss in Michigan will be fresh in Ohio Democrats' minds. Sanders has some Midwest momentum coming off that upset, beating Clinton despite polls that said she had locked up the state. Sanders is hoping his anti-trade message that gave him a boost in Michigan will resonate in Ohio, which is second only to Michigan in automotive manufacturing. Sanders voted against the auto bailout, but that didn't hurt him in Michigan.​

Sanders rattled off his campaign promises Sunday night to the cheers of Ohio voters: end the rigged economy that benefits billionaires, reform the criminal justice system to end institutional racism, raise minimum wage to $15 an hour and provide single-payer health care.

"What this campaign is about is creating a political revolution," Sanders said in a short, seven-minute speech.

Headlines on Tuesday will belong to the Republicans, where Trump is challenging Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Marco Rubio on their home turfs. Ohio and Florida are must-wins for the establishment-friendly candidates. If Trump wins both states, that would make him the presumptive nominee.

But don't forget the Democrats. The crowd Sunday was separated into Clinton and Sanders supporters, who chanted "I'm With Her" and "Feel the Bern" in competing refrains. The race Tuesday will say a lot about the direction Ohio Democrats want their party to take.

Trump & Kasich, Bernie & Hillary, protesters -- & an Ohio election like no other

Up for grabs are 143 delegates, which will be divided proportionally after voting Tuesday. Ohio also has 16 "superdelegates," who can choose either candidate but frequently go with the state's winner. Twelve have already committed to voting for Clinton.

The race could come down to demographics. Ohio has fewer African-American voters than Michigan, a group that typically supports Clinton. Women support Clinton over Sanders in Ohio, but Sanders trumps Clinton on younger voters and very liberal voters. Sanders sued Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to allow 17 year olds to vote in the presidential primary — underscoring the importance of that voting bloc to Sanders' campaign.

"The American people, working people, young people want in to the political process," Sanders said Sunday. "The Democratic Party has got to open the door and welcome those people in."

Both candidates have picked up important endorsements in Ohio. Former Secretary of State candidate Nina Turner supports Sanders while Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, former Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley support Clinton.

Even while supporting their own candidates, Democrats didn't miss an opportunity to contrast their civil debate with the vitriol and name-calling on the GOP side. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Sanders supporter, condemned Trump's language on protesters, saying it stimulates violence.

The GOP debates have gotten really hard to watch, agreed Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper, while also attacking Kasich's so-called moderate record in Ohio, bashing the GOP governor for helping to strip money from Planned Parenthood and fighting against same-sex marriage.

“While the Republicans seem to be busy arguing that wages are too high, and that our nation’s walls are too low, when they are debating about how big their hands are, we’re out there every day talking to people in the community and building the infrastructure we need to win in 2016 and 2018," Pepper said.