The president's opponents want to make sure their message isn't lost to local voters as the Democratic National Convention kicks into high gear.
Eyewitness News was there as buses rolled into Gastonia Tuesday on separate tours. People on both hope to rally support for the president's challengers.
Locals cheered loudly during a political rally in the parking lot of Franklin Square this Tuesday morning. Gastonia resident Terry Battles was among them.
“I worked for a company for 23 years, and in 2009 I lost my job and had to start over. So I want a bigger future,” he said.
Battles attended the Americans for Prosperity stop to support their cause. AFP calls it the "Obama's Failing Agenda Tour."
Jennifer Stepp, a tea party volunteer, brought her home-schooled children to meet the tour bus.
"I see us at a fiscal cliff about to go over," she said.
The enormous images on the tour bus blame the president for issues important to the group.
Organizers are touring the area to give their response to the DNC. Dallas Woodhouse is the state director for AFP. He told the crowd at a recent stop a man brought exotic animals for visitors. When the man pulled out snakes, he joked it wouldn't be the only snake in Charlotte this week.
"There are a lot of snakes in Charlotte this weekend," he told the crowd of about 50 people. "And they are snakes that want to take your money, your liberty and your freedom."
Woodhouse later said, "We think we are going hear a lot of smoke and mirrors coming out of Charlotte this weekend."
He said he wants the focus on issues posted on their tour bus: months of unemployment over 8 percent and trillions in debt.
"We're having people sign petitions against that agenda,” he said.
The petition will be sent to the White House. AFP is trying to mobilize volunteers to make calls and go door-to-door delivering their message.
Minutes after they left Gastonia, the tour bus that has taken challenger Mitt Romney around the Southeast pulled into the city. There were no speakers on board, but organizers hope visitors get the message.
Victory campaign field director Margaret Beveridge said, "I would hope that they get energized about the Romney-Ryan ticket and that they come out and help to volunteer and do some door-to-door efforts."
The supporters who met the bus at City Hall, across the street from Republican headquarters, got to sit in Romney's favorite seat when he is on tour and see his favorite snack, a peanut butter sandwich with honey.
David Masters took a picture in the tour bus briefing room with leather seats and a hardwood table. Masters said it was important that the bus stopped there.
"It means that we mean something and that our votes do count,” he said.
The groups with the buses say they are not working together. But they both want a change in the White House.
