Defy Trump, cast your vote

First Lady Michelle Obama implored voters to troop to the polls as she stumped Thursday for Democrat Hillary Clinton, while the race suffered a scare when Donald Trump's running mate's plane skidded off the runway.

No one was reported hurt in the incident, in which the plane carrying Indiana Governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence came to rest in grass next to the runway after landing at New York's rain-soaked LaGuardia airport.

But with the mishap coming in the final throes of a combative campaign that will be decided November 8, several Twitter users described it as a metaphor for the 2016 race.

Trump, speaking in Ohio, said he was grateful that those on the plane avoided "grave, grave danger."

Clinton also expressed relief that no one was hurt.

The former first lady and secretary of state enlisted the current first lady, who enjoys sky-high support, in hammering Trump and making the case for a third straight Democratic term in the White House.

Obama earned thunderous roars of approval from a crowd of 11,000 as she took the stage with Clinton in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of the swing states in play, where they accused Trump of seeking to depress turnout.

Obama has emerged as a compelling force in the hard-fought campaign, delivering powerful arguments against the Republican billionaire and in support of Clinton's bid to become the first female US president.

"She is ready to be commander-in-chief on Day 1, and yes, she happens to be a woman," Obama said of Clinton, whom she called "my girl."

Trump's strategy was "to make this election so dirty and ugly that we don't want any part of it," she said.

"When you hear folks talking about a global conspiracy and saying that this election is 'rigged,' understand that they are trying to get you to stay home."

Clinton has basked in the results of new polls showing her with an impressive lead with just 12 days to go.

The latest rolling poll average compiled by tracker RealClearPolitics showed Clinton, who turned 69 on Wednesday, with a 5.4 point lead in a national race against Trump and two outsiders -- pointing to a likely electoral college victory for the Democrat.

As Clinton called on voters to rise above the nastiness of the race, new WikiLeaks disclosures threatened her campaign, notably an email in which aide Douglas Band detailed his own money-making efforts both on behalf of Bill Clinton personally and the foundation.

In the 2011 memo, Clinton aide Band said he personally provided the former president with more than 50 million dollars in "for profit" activities while he was leader of the foundation.

Band detailed his own moneymaking efforts both on behalf of Clinton personally, and of the foundation, in a network of activity he called "Bill Clinton Inc."

The latest disclosures have added to a drip-drip of WikiLeaks revelations plaguing Hillary Clinton in the final stretch of her run for the White House as the Democratic nominee.

Band wrote of helping the former president "secure and engage in for-profit activities -- including speeches, books, and advisory service engagements."