With the first presidential debate now behind them, President Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney are back on the campaign trail.
Both are holding a series of events and rallies in battleground states, but the two didn鈥檛 leave Colorado Thursday morning without making one last pitch to voters.
Rallying the Base
Speaking to a crowd of about 12,000 people in west Denver, President Obama unveiled a new line of attack accusing Mitt Romney of reversing many of his campaign positions during .
鈥淗e does not want to be held accountable for the real Mitt Romney鈥檚 decisions and what he鈥檚 been saying for the last year,鈥� Mr. Obama said.
Standing in the crowd, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) said it was important for the , even though it鈥檚 a solidly Democratic city.
鈥淲e want to make sure people are still fired up,鈥� Udall said. 鈥淲e want to make sure people don鈥檛 buy into the narrative out of the pundits that somehow last night鈥檚 debate was determinative in this election.鈥�
Udall and fellow Colorado Senator Michael Bennet launched a statewide tour immediately after the rally to encourage Obama supporters in other cities to register to vote ahead of next Tuesday's deadline.
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Surprise Visit
As the President was speaking at Sloan鈥檚 Lake Park, across town, , or CPAC meeting at a hotel near Denver International Airport.
Four of Mitt Romney鈥檚 sons were already on the speaking schedule there and when their Dad appeared unexpectedly from behind a curtain he got a thunderous welcome.
鈥淚 heard that the Colorado CPAC was meeting and we didn鈥檛 have this planned,鈥� Romney told the cheering crowd. 鈥淏ut we decided to stop by just to say hello, when I heard my boys were going to be here I couldn鈥檛 resist.鈥�
Mr. Romney went on to speak for a little under ten minutes. He said he needs to win Colorado, and if he does, Republicans will take back the White House.
鈥淔or that to happen you guys are going to have to cheer here and then go out and knock on doors and get people who voted for President Obama to see the light and come join our team,鈥� Romney said.
Romney knows he needs more than staunch conservatives to win Colorado. During he did seem to be speaking directly to independents 鈥� of which Colorado has a lot of - saying he supports parts of President Obama鈥檚 health care law and some new regulations on the financial markets.
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Conservative Cred
If some of the Republican base meeting here were put off by Romney鈥檚 pivot toward the center, it wasn鈥檛 too evident among other speakers and attendees who said they felt energized 鈥� and relieved 鈥� that , the campaign seemed to be getting back on track.
鈥淗e was not really my favorite candidate to begin with,鈥� said Marla Wayman of Aurora. But she added that every time she sees Romney, she warms to him, especially after this week.
鈥淟et鈥檚 just say he鈥檚 a lot more conservative than Obama,鈥� Wayman said.
Across the hall, retiree Chuck Gash of Littleton was checking out some of the exhibits near a phone bank.
鈥淚f this is the beginning, we have round one, we have two more to go,鈥� Gash said. 鈥淚f he continues and I hope he will, and I believe he will, then this will be a return to the wonderful country that we once knew.鈥�
The Horse Race
Back in the hotel鈥檚 main ballroom, there were more sports metaphors among speakers and Romney surrogates like Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota).
鈥淚t鈥檚 game on baby,鈥� Thune said. 鈥淲hat , Mitt Romney who had answers, and another candidate, President Obama, who made excuses.鈥�
Whether Mitt Romney can keep the momentum, or if President Obama can get it back in this crucial swing state, will become clearer in the coming weeks with the two remaining debates.
Indeed, some Democrats at the President鈥檚 Thursday rally at Sloan鈥檚 Lake said they were concerned that his campaign may suffer a set back after his .
Still, that didn鈥檛 keep supporter Lorraine Sandoval-Giron from coming away from the rally energized.
鈥淢y mom鈥檚 in a nursing home and I need Medicaid and Medicare to help with her and so Obama鈥檚 my man,鈥� Sandoval-Giron said.
