Columbus lets Bill and Hillary Clinton make its case for the Democratic National Convention

Columbus makes DNC pitch

People cheer outside Nationwide Arena in Columbus last summer during a rally to welcome members of the technical advisory team from the Democratic National Committee. Columbus is among three finalists to host the Democratic National Convention in 2016.

(Jay LaPrete, The Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The latest message from Columbus as the city and its boosters make their case to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention?

Don't take our word for it.

A new 3-minute video blasted out through social media Tuesday features news clip after news clip of Democrats, Republicans and others emphasizing Ohio's battleground-state importance in presidential elections.

Not-so-subtly, two of the prominently featured stars of the video are former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state who is seen as the Democratic front-runner in 2016.

"I love Ohio," the former president is seen and heard gushing, in footage from his visit to Columbus last summer to headline an Ohio Democratic Party dinner.

"Thank you, Ohio!" the potential future president is seen and heard gushing, in footage that appears to be from her Democratic primary win here in 2008.

As the video continues, text such as "We elect presidents" and "Our political relevance is unrivaled" appear on the screen. The video opens with a CBS News reporter standing on West 6th Street in Cleveland's Warehouse District, noting that presidential candidates from both parties have been spending so much time in Ohio, "they could practically take up residence in this state."

And there's Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate from 2012, telling an audience: "Ohio, you're probably going to decide the next president of the United States."

Why take this tack? Republicans already have chosen Ohio as host for their 2016 convention -- with a summer date in Cleveland yet to be set.

Columbus remains one of three finalists for the Democratic gathering, along with New York City and Philadelphia. A decision is expected as soon as this month.

An extended clip of Bill Clinton's Columbus remarks summarizes the city's case.

"All eyes will be on you," he says, "because people really do believe that if you want to find a place in America that represents everybody and everything – a place with the largest, most geographically distributed group of big cities and a massive agricultural economy and lots of small towns with every kind of economic activity -- you can go to Ohio."

Watch the video below:

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