ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The race for the White House is in North Carolina this week.

Sen. Barack Obama spent the weekend in Asheville and Gov. Sarah Palin is set to visit Greenville.

In Asheville Sunday, Obama alluded to harsher tactics in a speech to thousands of people there.

John McCain and his aides, Obama said, "are gambling that he can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance. They'd rather try to tear our campaign down than lift this country up. It's what you do when you're out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time."

Noting the nation's serious economic problems, Obama said: "Yet instead of addressing these crises, Senator McCain's campaign has announced that they plan to turn the page on the discussion about our economy and spend the final weeks of this campaign launching Swiftboat-style attacks on me."

Palin will try to defend North Carolina from a push by the Obama campaign to turn that state blue for the first time since 1976.

Tuesday, Palin’s campaign trail will bring her to Greenville. She will hold a rally at East Carolina University, according to the McCain campaign’s Web site.

The veep candidate will also watch the second presidential debate from the Tar Heel State.