From 'Ohio of India' to the real one for political lessons

Eight political professionals from "the Ohio of India" are working at campaign offices in the American bellwether state as part of an international fellowship program.

Liberians and Brazilians will arrive soon.

They're all University of Akron International Campaign Fellows. It's a new program that allows students to swap campaign lessons with the battleground state.

The fellows are high-ranking professionals at home — political scientists, communications specialists and strategists from India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh (OOT'-uhr pruh-DEHSH').

U.P. is nicknamed "the Ohio of India" because the large number of legislators it sends to the national Parliament gives it huge sway in who becomes prime minister.

No Republican has won the White House without Ohio, and the last Democrat who did was John F. Kennedy in 1960.