DAYTON, Ohio -- Basketball fan-in-chief President Barack Obama gave British Prime Minister David Cameron a front-row seat to March Madness on Tuesday, taking his European partner to an election swing state for an NCAA tournament basketball game.
The two leaders sat near one end of the court at the University of Dayton Arena for a "First Four" matchup between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky, a gesture of goodwill during Cameron's official visit to the United States and a way for an incumbent president to reach sports fans in an election year.
The setting created the image of two buddies, dressed in casual clothes, eating hot dogs and enjoying the NCAA tournament, one of America's premier sporting events.
Cameron, who enjoys tennis and cricket but had never been to a basketball game before, said during a halftime interview on truTV that Obama was "giving me some tips. He's going to help me fill out my (NCAA tournament) bracket." Obama replied, "And he's going to teach me cricket."
Cameron marveled at the speed of the game and, in the end, got to see a spirited encounter. Mississippi Valley State had pulled away but Western Kentucky made a valiant comeback, winning in the final seconds 59-58.
Obama's quick trip to Ohio gives him a chance to connect with basketball fans and generate attention in Ohio, which he carried in the 2008 election and is considered one of the top toss-up states in 2012. The trip comes one week after Republican front-runner Mitt Romney captured Ohio's GOP primary.
The high-profile appearance also gave Obama a chance to project his image on a night when Republicans were awaiting primary results in Alabama and Mississippi, continuing a practice of grabbing some of the spotlight on Republican contest days.
In a courtside interview with sportscaster Clark Kellogg, Obama said he wanted to take Cameron to "the great state of Ohio," noting that many foreign leaders only get the opportunity to visit coastal cities like New York, Washington and Los Angeles. "The heartland is what it's all about," Obama said.
The White House said the trip to the NCAA tournament game was intended to showcase the special relationship between the two key allies during Cameron's three-day visit. Obama and Cameron will discuss the upcoming NATO and G-8 summits on Wednesday, followed by a state dinner at the White House.
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