5 things to watch for in tonight's debate

University of Denver student Sam Garry sits at the moderator's desk before a presidential debate dress rehearsal at the University of Denver on Tuesday, October 2. On Wednesday, President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will face off in the first presidential debate. Volunteers sit in for on-air television reporters on Tuesday in preparation for the first presidential debate in the Ritchie Center at the University of Denver. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney greets a father and his daughter after having lunch Tuesday at a restaurant in Denver. President Obama stares at the Hoover Dam in Nevada during a visit Tuesday. Mitt Romney boards his campaign plane in Bedford, Massachusetts, on Monday, October 1. Romney is heading to Denver for the first presidential debate on Wednesday. President Barack Obama hugs Chasstiry Vazquez after she indroduced him at a campaign event at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas on Sunday, September 30. Obama supporters cheer during Sunday's event in Las Vegas. Romney leaves his campaign headquarters in Boston on Sunday. A boy reaches out to shake hands with Obama on Sunday in Las Vegas. The president was in Nevada ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Denver. Romney arrives at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belmont to attend Sunday services. Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office on Friday, September 28. Romney speaks during a rally at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania on Friday. Romney talks to journalists aboard his campaign plane about his phone call with Netanyahu on Friday. Cadets listen to Romney speak at a campaign rally Friday at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Romney addresses Friday's rally at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Vice President Joe Biden hugs U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as he arrives for a campaign event Friday in Boca Raton, Florida. Romney speaks at a Veterans for Romney campaign event in Springfield, Virginia, on Thursday, September 27. Obama supporters 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 First test for both candidates is who looks like a president Obama could have vulnerability on Libya attack, but agenda is domestic Whose narrative on how to get the economy going will play best to voters? Follow Wednesday's presidential debate coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET on CNN TV, CNN.com and via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Web users can become video editors with a new clip-and-share feature that allows them to share favorite debate moments on Facebook and Twitter. Denver (CNN) -- President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney face off on Wednesday in the first of three presidential debates. While Obama holds a lead in several key battleground states, the race nationally has been locked in a dead heat for months. The debate offers an opportunity for Obama or Romney to gain some momentum and break the logjam. Here are five things to watch for on Wednesday: 1. Who's presidential? The first and most important test for the president and Romney in this opening debate is to act like they belong in the job. Comebacks, zingers can impact debates Obama, Romney prep debate face-off Debate body language speaks volumes Debates determine Super Pac spending? We've heard a lot of bickering on the campaign trail, and there's plenty of talk that zingers could decide who wins or loses the showdown in Denver. But to most Americans, this debate is really about which candidate has the composure and stature to serve in the Oval Office. What they stand for: Candidates at a glance "If either the president or Romney can't pass this test, the rest really don't matter. Big ideas from a small person won't make you president of the United States," says Republican strategist and CNN contributor Alex Castellanos. "When the moment comes, this is like proposing to your wife. This is a big moment." Thanks to already serving nearly four years in the White House, Obama starts with the advantage, but he can't afford to play it safe at the debate. John King: The debates are all about trust "Playing it safe allows Romney to dominate the agenda and put Obama on defense. Either you're on offense or defense, and defense loses," adds Castellanos, who was a senior adviser to Romney in 2008 election. By comparison, Romney has to do double duty: Stay on offense but also look presidential. What does Obama have to do? "Keep cool -- which comes naturally to him," says Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala. "Make it about the middle class, not himself or Romney." 2. Can Romney get Libya into the discussion? The first debate is officially devoted to domestic policy. The listed topics, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates, are the economy, health care, the role of government and governing -- whatever that means. Matters of national security and foreign policy are being left to later debates, but Romney may not be content to wait that long with the drip-drip-drip of conflicting news continuing to emerge from Libya, where four Americans -- including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens -- were killed in an apparent terrorist attack last month. Serious questions have been raised for the Obama administration in the wake of the Libya attack: Was the American compound in Benghazi secure before the attack? Did U.S. officials fail to heed warnings or concerns about possible violence? Why has the president been so hesitant to describe the incident as a "terrorist attack"? Why is the scene still not secure, more than two weeks after the attack? House GOP wants State Dept. to answer for Libya security "We've seen a confused, slow, inconsistent response to what is now very clearly known as a terrorist act," Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan said on Monday. "It's really indicative of a broader failure of this administration's foreign policy and the crisis that is taking place across the Middle East." Polls indicate that the economy remains the top issue for voters, and Romney advisers in Boston believe the same. And when it comes to foreign policy, more voters trust Obama than Romney, polls show. But there are hints of vulnerability for the president on Libya crisis. In a recent Fox News poll, 43% of voters said they disapproved of Obama's performance on Libya, while 39% approved. With his campaign scrambling for traction and looking for any opportunity to shrink the trust gap between himself and the president, it won't be a shocker if Romney brings up the Middle East turmoil on Wednesday night and ties it to a broader critique of the president's leadership. Obama, Romney only met a few times 3. Who makes the case on the economy? In a debate focusing on domestic concerns, the economy is the issue that should dominate the debate. The economy remains the top issue on the minds of American voters and according to a new CNN/ORC International poll, likely voters are split on whether the president or the Republican nominee would do a better job fixing the economy over the next four years. Expect to hear two very different narratives on Wednesday night. The president will continue to argue that the country's making progress and that now is not the time to go back to the policies of the George W. Bush years that got us into the current mess. And he'll say that now's not the time to go back to helping the millionaires and Wall Street. Expect a very different narrative from Romney. In his year and a half long bid for the White House, one of the former Massachusetts governor's main arguments is that thanks to his business background, he can do a better job creating jobs than Obama has done over the past four years. The debate in Denver gives Romney a well-watched platform to make his case. Romney: Debates aren't about a win Romney "has to explain a rationale that he's offering change that would make things better over the next four years," says Castellanos. "This is his opportunity to present his counternarrative, that Obama's growing the wrong economy. He need say that Washington's economy is doing just fine, and ask how your economy's doing." Whichever candidate better presents and sells his economic narrative will go a long way toward determining who wins the debate, and more importantly, who wins the minds of undecided voters. 4. Can Obama get women and Latinos into the discussion? Romney carved out positions during the Republican primaries that have landed him in a deep hole with Hispanic and female voters. Remember the so-called "war on women"? In the course of trying to out-conservative his GOP rivals, Romney vowed to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood, came out against a law that mandates insurance companies cover contraception services and did not take a stand on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that Obama signed in 2009. He has also said he wants the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Romney also rankled Hispanics by calling elements of Arizona's tough immigration law a "model" for the nation, floating the notion of "self-deportation" and promising to veto the DREAM Act, which would offer a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants. Latino vote in Nevada up for grabs The Obama campaign has exploited these positions to great effect, pushing them to women and Hispanics in swing state campaign appearances, targeted e-mails and niche media efforts. (Don't know who Cristina Saralegui is? Google her.) Republicans have criticized those tactics as a cynical distraction from the sagging economy, but they're working. A Quinnipiac poll of Ohio likely voters released last week, for instance, showed Romney losing women to Obama by a staggering 25-point margin. Internal Romney polling, meanwhile, has him badly trailing Obama among Hispanics -- and it's been that way all year. With more than 50 million people expected to tune in Wednesday evening, don't expect the president to pass up a golden opportunity to keep female and Hispanic-oriented issues in the national spotlight. In debates, presidential candidates' tics and tells matter 5. Taking the zing out of zingers It was just one line in a New York Times story last weekend about each candidate's debate cram sessions, but it grabbed a lot of attention. "Mr. Romney's team has concluded that debates are about creating moments and has equipped him with a series of zingers that he has memorized and has been practicing on aides since August," reporters Ashley Parker and Peter Baker wrote in the paper. Obama: 'They're making me do my homework' Romney advisers are correct that voters are likely to walk away from the debate talking about distinctive moments -- audible sighs, body language, repeated use of phrases such as "lock box" -- rather than factoids about Medicare Advantage or sequestration. But zingers? The Obama team predictably pounced on that one. iReporters square off before the debate "We also saw in reports that Mitt Romney and his team have been working on zingers and special lines for months," Obama spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters over the weekend. "That's not what the president's focus is on. So if you're expecting that, that's probably not what he's going to deliver on." Romney delivered his lines with precision during the Republican primary debates and probably will again on Wednesday. But if it comes to pass that Romney jabs at Obama with a sharp attack or humorous quip, you can be sure the president's allies will be ready to mock Romney's reliance on prepared "zingers" to diminish his stature and performance. New national poll shows close race Complete coverage: CNN Fact Check

Veterans angle for overdue shout out during debate

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor A leading veterans group, seeking to muscle any mention of military issues into the first presidential debate, published an online voter guide Tuesday listing five criteria on which service members past and president can judge the two candidates and ultimately cast their votes.  Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonpartisan and nonprofit group with more than 200,000 members, released "Vote Smart For Vets" on its website with hopes that its five stated benchmarks — along with some mathematical prodding — will prompt Republican candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama to tangle on topics that include the military suicide epidemic or the high veteran unemployment rate.  "Our goal is to obviously make progress on these issues but also just to get the candidates talking about them," said Paul Rieckhoff, chief executive officer and founder of IAVA. "We get a lot of pandering. We get a lot of pleasantries. We get a lot of ceremony. But let's get down to specifics. "We're trying to force just a conversation of any kind (about veterans) when economic issues are front and center," added Rieckhoff, who served as a first lieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in Iraq during 2003 and 2004.  The five-point checklist drafted by the IAVA for veterans and vet-friendly voters "to evaluate your candidates' platforms" is placed in this order:   Ensuring Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have the tools they need to succeed in the civilian work force; Ensuring every veteran has the right to the education benefits they have earned; Improving mental health programs in the military and VA to prevent further suicides among troops and veterans; Modernizing the claims process at the VA so that veterans have access to the benefits and resources they have earned; Improving VA healthcare facilities and claims processes for female veterans.  How have Romney and Obama fared — in the eyes of veterans — in their attention to or work on those five points?  "The reality is that neither one has been judged on them yet because these issues really haven't been a focal point in the campaign," Rieckhoff said. "You're not hearing about plans to lower veteran unemployment." Related: NBC/WSJ poll: Obama holds lead over Romney in key battleground Ohio Partly due to the lagging U.S. economy, joblessness has dogged thousands of men and women who have returned after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. During 2011, the veteran unemployment rate was more than 12 percent — far above the national median. In August of this year, that number was 10.9 percent — still higher than the rest of the American work force.  "We view this as not just a social issue but an opportunity for investment. If you invest in these men and women coming home it's going to produce a tremendous return," Rieckhoff said. "This is might be the one thing  Romney and Obama could agree about on the stage. But we've got to force the questions. "Just one question about veterans during the debate makes everybody remember that we're out there," he added.  If either campaign needs more convincing that winning the military and veterans vote could tip the election, IAVA is armed with the sorts of stats that make pollsters drool.  More than 2.4 million veterans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Three battleground states are packed with veterans: 60,000-plus in Ohio, and more than 150,000 in both Virginia and Florida. The organization also reports that 90 percent of new veterans are registered to vote, and many remain undecided. In fact, according to a membership survey IAVA conducted last year, more than 40 the group's participants don't identify themselves as Republicans or Democrats. "If you look at the broader military and veterans population, that's an incredibly influential voting bloc. And not only are they strong in numbers and not only are they registered to vote in a high percentage, they're also very influential," Rieckhoff said. "They have an opportunity to be force multipliers — not only influencing their families but influencing their communities. "They're also incredibly nonpartisan," he added. "They're patriotic and pragmatic and they just want to see people who can get things done. They are much more dedicated to their country than they are their party. They are a political jump ball." More content from NBCNews.com: Report: Homeland Security 'fusion' centers spy on citizens, produce 'shoddy' work VA weeks, months late paying student veterans A week later, search still on for 73-year-old accused of killing daughter-in-law Video: Like hurricanes, winter storms to get names too Cell phone video shows cop striking woman after Philadelphia parade State Dept: Missing American journalist Austin Tice believed held by Syria regime Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Injured baseball player on big-league dreams: ‘I'm not done’

When Adam Greenberg walked to the plate for his first major league at-bat in seven years on Tuesday night, he saw it as the beginning rather than the end of an inspiring journey. The 31-year-old outfielder signed a one-day contract with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday and struck out on three pitches against New York Mets' R.A. Dickey. When Greenberg was a 24-year-old rookie with the Chicago Cubs in 2005, he was struck in the head by a 92-mile-per-hour fastball by a Marlins pitcher Valerio De Los Santos on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat. It took seven years and a viral online campaign, but Greenberg made his return to a standing ovation on Tuesday. Joined by Matt Liston, the filmmaker and Cubs fan whose "One At-Bat'' campaign helped persuade the Marlins to give him a second chance, Greenberg spoke with David Gregory on TODAY Wednesday. Greenberg doesn't plan on Tuesday night being his final big-league plate appearance. Story: Injured baseball player gets a second chance "I'm not done,'' Greenberg said. "This is just the start. Matt and the 'One At-Bat' campaign and everyone that supported me, last night was the start of my career again, and I'm not done. That was not for show. That was for me to start my career over.'' Greenberg  was left with migraine-like symptoms and other complications after taking a fastball to the head in 2005, and he ended up bouncing around the minor-league systems of three different major-league organizations. He has not been in a big-league organization since 2008 and most recently played with the Israeli team in the qualifying round of the World Baseball Classic. On Tuesday, Greenberg conducted a news conference and took batting practice with the team before the game, even knocking one over the fence as he warmed up. In the sixth inning, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen sent him to bat for outfielder Bryan Petersen as the crowd gave him a standing ovation in the Marlins' eventual 4-3 win over the Mets in 11 innings. More TODAY News Injured baseball player on big-league dreams: 'I'm not done' Expert predicts election winner using candidates' eyebrows Father's online 'shaming' of toddler: Cute or cruel? Soldier on life in Afghanistan: 'A good day for me is when I'm bored' Bobbi Brown on beauty: Best cosmetic is happiness "It was a chance to re-live my dream, and I soaked it all in,'' Greenberg said. "I just remember walking up to the plate and digging in and stepping out. When I stepped out, I heard the roar of the crowd, and I felt an energy that I've never felt or experienced in my entire life. It was what dreams are made of, and mine came true last night for that moment that I was in there. I had a blast.'' It also was a special moment for Liston, who was so moved by Greenberg's story that he decided to start an online petition and film a short video to help get Greenberg one more major-league at-bat. Liston watched Tuesday's game in the crowd with Greenberg's family. "When he just strolled up to the plate, you saw the No. 10 and 'Greenberg' on the back, and it was amazing,'' Liston told Gregory. "I'll never forget it. I've never been more excited for a single at-bat in my life. When he stepped up there, it was a great example for people to never give up on your dream, to continue to believe, and it was just an honor to be there to see him step up to the plate.'' Greenberg didn't have it easy in his one at-bat, either. Dickey, a Cy Young candidate who is second in the National League with 20 wins and a 2.73 earned run average, threw Greenberg three straight versions of his signature pitch, the knuckleball. Greenberg looked at the first one for a strike and then swung and missed at the next two. "(Dickey) is one of the best in the game right now,'' Greenberg said. "The first pitch he threw, I was geared up and ready. It dropped about three feet right before it got to home plate. The one thing I knew is that I was going to go up swinging, go down swinging, one way or another.'' "I wanted him to have his moment,'' Dickey told reporters after the game. "For sure, I tried to give him as much time as I felt like I could before I got on the rubber. I think the story far transcends the result of the at-bat. Just like I said before, that was important -- for him and me, I think -- for me to treat him like a big leaguer." Following the game, there was a party for Greenberg at Marlins Park for what he hopes is only the first step in his comeback and not the final one. "It was a magical moment for me that I'll cherish for the rest of my life,'' he told NBC News. "It was never about the result or the at-bat. It was just getting in the box. I was ready to play major-league baseball again, and I got that chance.'' © 2012 NBCNews.com  Reprints

How will billionaire change Georgia?

Georgia's triumphant opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili speaks at his campaign headquarters in Tbilisi. For the first time, power is set to be transferred by free and fair elections instead of revolution Prime minister-elect Bidzina Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia during the 1990s During a bitter election campaign, government officials accused him of wanting to return Georgia to Russia's sphere of influence Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has welcomed the election result (CNN) -- It is a momentous day for Georgian democracy -- but a painful one for the man who has led the former Soviet republic for nearly a decade. For the first time in the strategically important former Soviet state, power is set to be transferred by free and fair elections instead of revolution. As the results became clear, President Mikheil Saakashvili, a larger-than-life figure who was swept to power in 2003, appeared on national television to accept defeat. After summing up the preliminary election results it is evident that the Georgian Dream coalition has achieved the advantage, he said, pledging not to hold up the process. Opposition win rocks Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili on his historic win But it must be a painful political blow to a man swept to power nine years ago in the popular Rose Revolution. Bogged down and damaged by accusations of authoritarianism and human rights abuse, including appalling images that emerged last month of prison inmates being physically and sexually abused in a Georgian jail, his once popular support appears to have slid away. Ambitions of Georgian membership into the European Union and the NATO military alliance tormented Russia with whom Georgia fought a brief war in 2008. They may be less of a priority for the new government now. The prime minister-elect, who will take the reigns of power from Saakashvili next year, is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a controversial 56-year-old billionaire who made his fortune in Russia during the 1990s. With interests in iron ore, banks, pharmaceuticals and real estate, Ivanishvili grew up in Georgia's rural west. He is now estimated by Forbes magazine to be the 153rd richest man in the world, with assets worth more than half of tiny Georgia¹s GDP. His eccentric tastes include a number of pet penguins he keeps in a private zoo, along with a zebra and other exotic beasts. A multi-million dollar art collection, including works by Picasso, Gilbert & George and Roy Lichtenstein, is mainly housed in secure vaults in London, while he displays exact reproductions in his towering, James Bond-style glass palace in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. During a bitter election campaign, government officials accused him of wanting to turn his back on Europe, NATO and the United States, to return Georgia to Russia's sphere of influence. More darkly, critics accused him of being part of a Kremlin conspiracy to topple Georgia's pro-Western leadership. But that is an accusation he adamantly denies, telling CNN he merely wants to repair shattered links with Moscow and has no intention of turning his back on the West. "Restoring relations with the Kremlin is one of our main tasks, and we will strive in every way to do this," he said. "First, we have to convince the Kremlin that our strategy towards NATO and Europe is not harmful to and does not contradict Russian interests," he added. For its part, the Kremlin -- whose tanks still occupy two breakaway regions of Georgia that Moscow recognizes as independent countries -- remained tight-lipped throughout the Georgian campaign. Only now has there been comment from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. "If these results will become a reality, then [the] Georgian political landscape will be more diverse," he told Russian media. "It should be welcome because it probably means that more responsible and constructive forces are coming to the parliament," he said. If that means Russia and Georgia can rebuild ties without sacrificing the achievements of the past decade, this may be a momentous day in Georgian democracy indeed.