Air Force One helicopter that carried President Obama to Athens, Ohio (courtesy of e-reporter Ryan Gambill)

UPDATE : 10/17/12 @ 10 p.m.
ATHENS, Ohio (WSAZ) -- Coming off Tuesday night's debate with Republican Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama's campaign made its way into our region.

The president spoke to an estimated crowd of 14 thousand Wednesday evening on the College Green at Ohio University.

Obama talked about what he perceived as weaknesses in Romney's debate performance on women's rights, tax cuts, and foreign policy.

"I've seen too much pain and struggle here in Ohio and all across the country to let us go down that path again," he said.

Obama discussed inclusion of cleaner-coal technology in his mix of policies designed to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Ohio freshman Corissa Marespence says she likes what she’s seen the last four years, and she believes the president has helped make it easier for college students to pay for their education.

"He's going to be able to keep me here in college and keep the prices down," she said.

“The first thing he passed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, so he's clearly said women and college students are something he cares about," Ohio junior Caitlin Roberts said.

This was the first visit Ohio University has had from a sitting president since Lyndon Johnson in the '60s.

Barbara Hemsworth made the drive from Nelsonville for the campaign stop.

"I turned 80 early this month, and I've never seen a live, sitting president," Hemsworth said.

"He's inherited a mess,” Howard Varner from Cutler, Ohio said. “He had cures for the mess, but he was blocked at every turn."

This visit marked Obama's third trip to Ohio so far this month, but this was his first stop of the campaign to the southeast part of the state.

Obama won 68 percent of the Athens County vote in 2008, but Republican John McCain won nearly every adjacent county.

President Obama will speak to students and supporters at College Green located on the Ohio University campus.

This is President Obama's fourth campus visit during his campaign.

The event begins at 6 p.m.

According to Athens Fire Chief Robert Troxel, the crowd count at the event is about 14,000 people.

We have a crew at Ohio University.

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