- NEW: Campaigns seek to lower expectations for debate performances
- First of three debates is scheduled for next Wednesday in Denver
- Obama camp believes he has opening with veterans in Virginia this time
- George Soros committing $1 million to super PAC backing Obama's reelection bid
(CNN) -- The Obama and Romney campaigns are seeking to manage -- and in some cases lower -- expectations for their candidate's performance in the first presidential debate.
CNN obtained a memo on Thursday circulated by Beth Myers, an adviser to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, that outlines several reasons why President Barack Obama may win the first of three scheduled encounters next Wednesday in Denver.
Obama, Myers wrote, "is a universally acclaimed public speaker and has substantial debate experience under his belt," referencing the Democrat's 2008 campaign against John McCain.
Myers also points to polls that showed Obama won those debates by "double-digit" margins and recent polls that show 25% of voters expect him to do better than Romney in their head-to-head meetings.
First on CNN: Romney memo seeks to lower debate expectations
Obama advisers threw out the first pitch in the expectations game on Sunday, with Robert Gibbs saying that Romney is primed for success following a string of debates during the rigorous campaign for the Republican nomination.
"Mitt Romney I think has an advantage, because he's been through 20 of these debates in the primaries over the last year," Gibbs said on Fox News. "He even bragged that he was declared the winner in 16 of those debates. So I think, in that sense, having been through this much more recently than President Obama, I think he starts with an advantage."
Traveling press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday on Air Force One that Romney has had more debate preparation "than any candidate in modern history."
"They've made clear that his performing well is a make-or-break piece for their campaign," Psaki said in an attempt to raise the stakes for Romney.
Both campaigns say they have the issues on their side.
"Based on the campaign he's run so far, it's clear that President Obama will use his ample rhetorical gifts and debating experience to one end: attacking Mitt Romney," Myers wrote. "Since he won't -- and can't -- talk about his record, he'll talk about Mitt Romney."
On the trail on Friday
After campaigning in the battlegrounds of Ohio and Virginia over the past two days, the campaigns diverged on Friday.
Romney was to speak at a rally at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania, while Obama was in Washington for several fundraisers.
Vice President Joe Biden began two days of campaigning in the battleground state of Florida on Friday while Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan had no public events scheduled.
Romney and Obama seek veterans' support in Virginia
Romney and Obama courted veterans on Thursday in Virginia, appearing in communities that illustrate the state's heavy military presence and its reliance on defense spending for jobs. Obama spoke near Virginia Beach while Romney rallied supporters in Springfield.
Obama and Romney both appealed to veterans and those connected with the defense industry as crucial voter groups in the state with 13 electoral votes. Virginia usually trends Republican but went for Obama last time and currently gives him a narrow lead in polls.
Virginia weathered the overall economic downturn better than most other states, partly due to its strong military association and contracting links. But cities and towns are now nervous about uncertainty surrounding defense spending in an era of soaring deficits.
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."
Defense budget a political football
Romney 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.
Romney hammers Obama over sluggish GDP numbers
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.
Obama-supporting super PAC gets big boost
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.
CNN's Peter Hamby, Ashley Killough, Kevin Liptak, Mike Mount, Paul Steinhauser and Rachel Streitfeld 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. 
No comments:
Post a Comment