Trump takes fight for presidency to streets of US

In so many ways, this has been an election like no other.

Of course, there's been the explosive, often offensive, rhetoric of Donald Trump, and the scandals which have stalled the Clinton campaign, but way behind the headlines the change has been evident, too.

Gone are the old rules of combat, where two sets of political scientists pored over statistics and algorithms in an effort to drill down into the records and pinpoint their target electorate. The Democrats are still employing that tactic, but the Trump campaign has taken the fight away from the laptops and onto the streets.

It's the most basic form of campaigning, politics in the raw, standing on the roadside, waving placards and making a noise. But it seems to be working.

"These hoots you hear, they're the real polls," said one campaigner as passing cars and lorries blasted their horns behind him in response to a "honk for Trump" placard.

Another told me they're tearing up the rule book, politics as we know it doesn't feature here.

There's little choreography in any of this, not even a social media campaign. Many among this blue collar army don't use the internet or smartphones, but there is a brimming well of passion and anger.

These rookie activists, many taking an interest in politics for the first time, shouldn't be able to lay a glove on the Clinton political machine, but they're landing blows all over the place.

Here in Ohio, the Democrats are on the ropes. Counties they've controlled for decades are falling to Trump and they're at a loss as to how they can stop it.

The polls are too tight to reliably call a winner here, but if Trump does take this swing state, he'll have an unlikely crew of campaigners to thank.