Voters Step Right Up in Battleground State of Ohio

Forget questions about Clinton's health or Trump's temperament. On the whole, folks wanted to talk about policy issues: immigration, the economy, violence in inner cities (ironic in a town of 4,050?), and a sense of disunity -- racial and political -- pervasive in the county.

Watch our full video here:

One woman who said she was likely voting for Trump spun our wheel and landed on this question: "What is the most outrageous thing you've heard this campaign cycle?" Her answer, “Why are we so focused on Hillary's illnesses and well-being, instead of focusing on the issues that are out there?”

Another gentleman, who said he was a farmer and heavy machinist, joked while spinning the wheel, “I don’t care if it's spun to the left or spun to the right, because, much like the election, I don't care if it's spun to the left or spun to the right, I care where we end up.”

In the last presidential election, in 2012, Romney outperformed Obama in this part of the state, though he lost Ohio on the whole. Today the area was dominated today by Trump signs and fans.

Mike McCann, the mayor of Defiance, Ohio, said he believed Trump would take the buckeye state. “We are trying to reinvent ourselves, moving away from manufacturing, showing more of an interest in technology,” McCann said. “I think Donald Trump would be good for helping the exodus of jobs from Ohio to Mexico.

“As far as what the voters are telling me, they would like to get back to some of the old values that my generation grew up with and I think that's what they are after,” McCann went on. “I think we have had 8 years of President Obama and here in Ohio we don't like what we are seeing.”

Another man echoed this idea of returning to a bygone time, and said the country needed to look at reinstating school prayer. Asked what the most important issue was for the next president to address on day one, he said illegal immigration.

Still, a lone representative from the county democrats committee said he thought Clinton had a chance to take the state. He called himself an "anomaly" in this redder area, and got emotional talking about all he felt Clinton had done for the world. When asked (via our wheel) what was the one thing he disliked most about Clinton, he talked about the relationship between her and her foundation.

“One thing I think is challenging for her is separating herself from the foundation and her presidency run and I know that tends to be a problem and I understand in the future she plans to separate herself from the foundation but I see that being a challenge,” John Engler said.

An incredible first day talking to thoughtful voters. And yes, we also had a little fun....

...And we're off.

With 56 days until the 2016 presidential election, ABC News is hitting the road and talking to voters in the battleground state of Ohio.

Watch it all live here: http://ift.tt/PUCDX6

Over the next five days, our plan is to drive more than 800 miles and visit six Ohio counties -- stopping at coffee clubs, college campuses and county fairs along the way. The goal is simple: to hear from voters. (ok and maybe ride some rides and try Lerch's donuts... can't wait!)

Four years ago, Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney here by less than 2 percentage points. Last week, a Quinnipiac poll had Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in a dead heat in the must-win state: Trump 46 – Clinton 45. It's anyone's game.

"Step Right Up" is the name of our game. Check out our wheel:

We hope people won’t be shy, but will spin the wheel and answer the random questions: "If you could pick anyone to be the next president, who would it be?", "What is the first thing the next president should do after taking office?", "What's the most outrageous thing you've heard this campaign?" (Who doesn’t have opinions about that?)

It has been a roller coaster of an election and we’re going to keep talking about all of it – hopefully, at some point, from an actual roller coaster.

Updates to come.

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