More than 1,600 Ohioans braved sweltering heat in Akron, a former rubber boom town fallen on hard times, to hear the former First Lady urge voters to support Mr Obama.

The New York senator was unstinting in her support for the Democratic nominee. "Barack and I may have started out on two separate paths, but we are on one pathway now, and with your help this journey will lead straight to the White House," she said.

Mr Obama lost the Ohio primary to Mrs Clinton by eight percentage points principally because he failed to connect with white working class voters. [Agencies]?

But the response to her remarks about him was relatively muted.

Unusually for a political rally, no signs were allowed, meaning that placards declaring "Hillary for President" and "Hillary in 2012" had to be left outside at the behest of Obama campaign staff, who were running the event.

"I still managed to get my Hillary t-shirt in here," said Marie O'Donnell, 47. "I waved it when she spoke and she signed it for me. She's my still candidate, my go-to girl. I'm just not sure about Obama and he hasn't treated Hillary well.

"I don't want to appear racist and it's nothing personal but I just don't know who he is. He seems kind of snobbish. I work at McDonald's and they're not too bright there so a lot won't vote for him because his name sounds like Osama bin Laden.

Mrs Clinton hailed "the grit, the courage and the resilience of the people of Ohio", a crucial swing state, which had kept her White House hopes alive with a crucial primary victory in March.

When she trumpeted "Mid-western values" and how "there will be times in your life when you get knocked down but you get back up and you keep going", she seemed to be talking not only about Ohioans but also about herself.

"I want to thank you for the support you gave me in the primary," she said, the applause from the crowd of mainly of older white women rising to a crescendo. "I am very, very grateful."

Sandy Wierzbicki, 62, was one of many in the crowd who said Mr Obama should have chosen Mrs Clinton to be his vice-presidential running mate. "I wish he would reconsider – he still has time to change his mind. He needs somebody like Hillary to step in if something happens.

"Obama scares me. There's too much we don't know about him. We don't know what we're getting. There are too many hidden issues."

Mr Obama lost the Ohio primary to Mrs Clinton by eight percentage points principally because he failed to connect with white working class voters, particularly women and especially the elderly.

A Quinnipiac University poll taken last week found that Mr Obama was leading John McCain, the Republican nominee, by four points overall in Ohio.

But his support among women had slipped since Mr McCain had named Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate and 28 per cent of former Clinton supporters in Ohio said they would vote for Mr McCain

Resistance to Mr Obama in the rust belt states of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania – which Mrs Clinton all won in the primaries – could hand the presidency to Mr McCain.

"Obama's too young and inexperienced," said Mary Jane Melchior, a retired teacher in her 70s. "I got my book signed by Hillary and I told her, 'In four years, I will be here for you'. She said, 'Thank you very much'.

"She had the know-how, the intelligence, the character and the relationships to get things done for us. Will I vote for Obama? I can't quite get those words to come out of my mouth but I'm a Democrat and I'll back the Democratic candidate."

She added that she was relieved Mrs Clinton hadn't become the vice-presidential candidate because being so closely identified with Mr Obama could have damaged her White House chances in 2012.

Paul Barry, 50, a shipping manager, said he would not vote for Mr Obama. "I'll probably stay at home. It's all a media love fest with Obama. It's like it's 'American Idol' to choose the president. I don't like all the mystical, transcendental stuff from him.

"Anyone can be in favour of change and brotherly love. Yes, he's inspirational. So why not give him his own show after Oprah? I'm into reality. I want to know the facts about what he'll get done. We need the meat and the potatoes, not just pie in the sky."

(Agencies via China Daily September 17, 2008)