Ohio GOP do not believe poll numbers Obama looks for veteran support in Virginia
Virginia would be hit hard if steep proposed budget cuts aimed at reducing federal red ink take hold next year absent a deal by Congress to forestall or soften them. The state could lose more than 130,000 jobs if a spending deal is not reached, according to an industry study by George Mason University in July.
Describing the cuts as a "gun-to-your-head" approach originally proposed by the White House and passed by Congress, the Republican nominee told a "Veterans for Romney" event that the impact on Virginia would be "devastating."
Review military spending
He also cautioned the world was too "dangerous" to chip away at U.S. military power.
"I want a military so strong, nobody wants to test it," Romney said, evoking the words that underpinned Ronald Reagan's defense buildup in the 1980s - "peace through strength."
Romney said he would review excess military spending to make the Defense Department more efficient and add 100,000 active duty service members. He also pledged to use the money saved in the defense budget to care for veterans.
Obama vs. Romney: How they'd handle the $7 trillion fiscal cliff
Obama appeared near Virginia Beach, home of the Naval Air Station Oceana. He lost the city by one point in 2008 largely due to the support for John McCain, a former Navy pilot, famed war prisoner, and staunch supporter of military issues in Congress.
But Obama campaign aides believe they have a larger opening this election with veterans in light of the president's more muscular than expected foreign policy and Romney's widely noted omission of service-member related issues in his convention address.
"If you stand with me, and work with me, we'll win the Tidewater again. We'll win Virginia again," Obama told an enthusiastic crowd at an outdoor pavilion.
Neither Romney nor Obama served in the military.
Obama contrasted his economic plan outlined in a campaign ad airing in key battleground states.
Romney, Obama said, "Doubled-down on trickle down," policies that "created the crisis in the first place."
Obama said his plan focuses on tax cuts for the middle class and "growing the economy from the middle out."
The president also sought more mileage from Romney's controversial comments, made in May but just surfacing last week, that nearly half of Americans who don't pay income tax view themselves as "victims."
"I travel around a lot in Virginia and across this country, I don't meet a lot of victims," the president said. "I see a whole bunch of veterans who have served this country with bravery and distinction. And I see soldiers who defend our freedom every single day," he said.
Romney hammers Obama over sluggish GDP numbers
Though, the weak economy is the top issue for most Americans.
In a surprise, revised economic data released on Thursday showed slower second-quarter growth than originally thought.
Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic health, grew at an annual rate of 1.3% from April to June, the Commerce Department said, slower than the 1.7% rate last reported in August.
"This is a real challenge for us," Romney said. "And this is not just one quarter. This has been going on now for years."
Ryan shifting to economy
After spending time in Colorado yesterday, hammering away at the president on foreign policy, the Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, also shifted to the economy at a campaign fundraiser in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ryan said the president's economic policies cause uncertainty for businesses.
Virginia polls suggest race could be close
A string of recent polls suggest the president is maintaining a narrow lead over Romney and the Obama campaign is confident wins in both Ohio and Virginia will essentially foreclose any path Romney has to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.
But it is very close. In two out of three recent polls, the margin of error, coupled with the percentage of undecided voters, leaves Virginia up for grabs.
The latest, a Suffolk University/WWBT-Richmond survey, shows Obama with a 46%-44% edge among likely voters in Virginia. Two point margin is within the poll's sampling error. Seven percent are undecided.
Obama's 2008 victory made Virginia -- historically a Republican stronghold -- a battleground. No Democratic presidential candidate had won the state since Lyndon Johnson's landslide in 1964.
Fresh polls give Obama the advantage in four crucial battlegrounds
Voters in Iowa had their first chance to cast ballots in the presidential election Thursday, marking the first battleground state to begin in-person early voting. Idaho, South Dakota, New Jersey, Vermont and Maine all began in-person early voting earlier this month.
Big Soros donation
Separately, Democratic fundraisers got a boost with news that billionaire financier George Soros would commit $1 million to a super PAC backing Obama's reelection bid, Priorities USA Action. In May, Soros donated $1 million to the left-leaning super PAC American Bridge.
Priorities fundraising has lagged independent Republican groups like American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS, Restore Our Future, and Americans for Prosperity, which support Romney's campaign.
Romney and Obama square off in their first debate October 3 in Denver.
CNN's Kevin Liptak, Ashley Killough, Rachel Streitfeld, Peter Hamby, Mike Mount and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney speaks at a Veterans for Romney campaign event in Springfield, Virginia, on Thursday, September 27. 
Supporters of President Barack Obama cheer at a campaign rally Thursday in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 
Veterans at the American Legion Post 176 pray before Romney speaks Thursday in Springfield. 
People listen to Obama speak at the Farm Bureau Live arena in Virginia Beach on Thursday. 
Obama delivers remarks Thursday in Virginia Beach. 
Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 26. 
Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing at American Spring Wire in Bedford Heights, Ohio, on Wednesday. 
Supporters wait to see Obama on Wednesday at Toledo Express Airport in Bowling Green, Ohio. Air For One aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio due to weather conditions. 
Obama addresses supporters at Bowling Green State University on Wednesday. 
Romney delivers remarks during a campaign rally Wednesday at Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio. 
Former President Bill Clinton introduces Obama during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 25. 
Supporters cheer during a Republican campaign rally Tuesday with Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio. 
Ryan speaks Tuesday in Vandalia as Sen. Rand Paul, from left, Sen. Rob Portman and Romney listen. 
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hugs a waitress as they wait for Ryan's arrival during a campaign stop at a restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood on Saturday, September 22. 
Supporters cheer as they listen to Romney speak during a Juntos Con Romney Rally at the Darwin Fuchs Pavilion on Wednesday, September 19, in Miami. 
Romney shakes hands with supporters during the Juntos Con Romney Rally in Miami on Wednesday. 
Obama and David Letterman speak during a break in the taping of the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Tuesday, September 18, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. 
A crew member opens the door to Air Force One after the jet arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday. 
From left to right: Romney, his wife Ann, and son Tagg watch one of Tagg's sons play soccer in Belmont, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 15. 
Ryan arrives onstage to address the Family Research Council Action Values Voter Summit on Friday, September 14. 
Supporters wait for Romney to speak at a campaign rally at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, on Friday, September 14. 
Obama arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Thursday, September 13. Obama returned to Washington after a two-day campaign trip with events in Nevada and Colorado. 
Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia, on Thursday. 
An Obama supporter attends a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 12. Obama focused on economic policies during his two days of campaigning in Nevada and Colorado. 
Former President Bill Clinton speaks in support of Obama during a campaign stop in Miami on Tuesday, September 11. 
Obama is lifted up by Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant, during a visit to the restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Sunday, September 9. Obama was on a two-day bus tour across the state. 
President Obama greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. 
Mitt Romney walks through the garage area during a rain delay before the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, in Richmond, Virginia. 
Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, waves to the crowd before speaking at a rally in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, September 7. 
Supporters try to stay dry in between rain showers while waiting for President Obama to speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. It was Obama's first day of campaigning after accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
A girl listens to President Obama speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. 
Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama and Biden's wife, Jill, wave after Friday's campaign event at the University of Iowa. 
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