It’s almost impossible to miss.

The signs and commercials are everywhere.

The 2012 election season is in full swing – in some states more than others.

Both presidential campaigns stopped in key swing states ahead of their conventions to rally supporters and gain a few more votes.

In New Hampshire, every candidate visited at least once.

On august second, sixteen hundred people packed the gymnasium at southern new Hampshire university in Manchester to hear a speech by first lady Michelle Obama.

“This election is a choice that our kids can go to college without a mountain of debt!”

The first lady spoke about many hot topics – including the cost of college.

“Let me share something with you, when Barack and I were just starting out, we were in love, we bought a house, and our monthly student loan bill was more than our mortgage. Who else can relate to that?

Two weeks later, on the 18th, the president made a pair of campaign stops in New Hampshire.

Starting in Windham, president Obama spoke to a crowd of 2300.

The president told voters he knew that the contest was heated.

“And part of the reason this election is so intense is because the choice we face in November could not be bigger. It’s not just a choice between two candidates or two political parties. It is a choice between two fundamentally different visions to take the nation.”

He also played up his knowledge of the struggles faced by the middle class, saying “we’ve been through some tough times…but it turns out we’re tougher than tough times.”

And the president also spoke about the cost of higher education, eliciting applause from the audience.

“i want colleges and universities to bring their tuition down!” He shouted.

Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan also campaigned in New Hampshire in august, appearing at Saint Anselm’s college in Manchester.

I spent several weeks trying to get a comment from the Romney campaign. However, none of my phone calls or emails were ever returned.