Henderson, Nevada (CNN) – With the high-risk, high-reward debate season finally behind him, Mitt Romney projected an air of sunny confidence Tuesday, telling supporters the head-to-head match-ups with President Obama had "super-charged" his campaign.
"There's no question about it, we're seeing more and more enthusiasm, more and more support," after a series of widely-watched televised debates with the president, Romney told a cheering audience of about 6,000 outside Las Vegas.
– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
– Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
The GOP presidential nominee, who turned his campaign's summer doldrums into a surge in the polls following his first debate performance in early October, renewed his attack on Obama over the president's second-term agenda.
"He's been reduced to try to defend characters on Sesame Street and word games of various kinds, and then misfired attacks after one and another," Romney said. "You know the truth is that attacks on me are not an agenda."
Romney told the audience that after four debates, including a vice presidential sit-down, "we haven't heard an agenda from the president and that's why his campaign is taking on water and our campaign is full steam ahead."
Romney wrapped up his third debate with the president – this time focused on foreign policy – on Monday night. A CNN instant poll showed debate watchers gave Obama the edge in that meet-up, and Democrats quickly pointed to the areas in which Romney had seemed to agree with the president's policies.
A Romney senior adviser conceded there were some areas of agreement, but pointed to Romney's stance on China and on modernizing the Navy as standing out.
"Where there were differences in opinion and differences in policy, he did point them out," said Romney adviser Kevin Madden.
Still, the campaign clearly felt Romney had scored points with his debate-night criticism of the president's second-term agenda. Madden said the Obama campaign had punched "a glossy panic button" Tuesday morning when it released booklet of the president's policy proposals for the next four years.
In Henderson at the first of two joint rallies Tuesday, Romney's running mate Paul Ryan echoed the campaign's confident demeanor, telling the cheering audience of the president: "in 2 weeks from today, he is going to become former President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney is going to be the next President of the United States."
Then both Romney and Ryan repeatedly urged the Nevada audience to vote early. Polls show a tight race in Nevada, with Obama holding a slight edge.
President Obama planned to rally an audience in Las Vegas the following night.
–CNN Political Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help | CNN Newsource | License Footage
This is another case of the media setting the bar sooo long for Romney. To me, this was the weakest performance of the 3 debates. The 1st debate the president clearly didnt participate but he was still knowledgeable of the facts. This debate not only was Romney sweating, he looked upset, eyes were red as if he would cry and he abandoned his rhetoric by agreeing all of President's policies. The fact that this wasnt reported equally let's you know the media is hoping for a close race for ratings. I keep hearing this whole Romney "looked" presidential argument. Most older White males in a suit and hair groomed will "look" presidential. If that is the new threshold, then Americans are in decline. Romney offered nothing and is running to be the Commander in Chief!
This is another case of the media setting the bar sooo long for Romney. To me, this was the weakest performance of the 3 debates. The 1st debate the president clearly didnt participate but he was still knowledgeable of the facts. This debate not only was Romney sweating, he looked upset, eyes were red as if he would cry and he abandoned his rhetoric by agreeing all of President's policies. The fact that this wasnt reported equally let's you know the media is hoping for a close race for ratings. I keep hearing this whole Romney "looked" presidential argument. Most older White males in a suit and hair groomed will "look" presidential. If that's the new threshold, then Americans are in decline. Romney offered nothing and is running to be the Commander in Chief!
Romney offers absolutely no specifics on his "plan" – nothing. His vouchers would kill Medicare. He thinks 47% of Americans are useless parasites – including disabled veterans, seniors on Social Security and anybody who can't find work. Last night he looked like a complete fool regarding national defense and foreign affairs. Fact checkers always show both Romney and Lyin' Ryan to be pathological liars. Romney has flip-flopped on every issue. What a pathetic candidate.
America has a fever and Romney is the cure.
Romney is already a serial liar, and now he wants to play the "victim" card? What an absolutely pathetic, morally corrupt, spineless little loser Romney is. Shame on anyone who would waste a vote on the clown.
Please! That last debate DISQUALIFIED Romney! He knows NOTHING about foreign policy and we don't need a clueless President at this time!
Oh, and the outright LIEING, misleading and misrepresenting his position is also disqualifying. WHERE IS THE MEDIA IN ALL THIS. Why are they allowing this clown to bamboozle the AMERICAN PEOPLE!
Kevin Madden must have missed the debate. Romney was pathetic. He was sweating and smirking and looked as if he might not be able to make it to the restroom. He showed his lack of understanding on foreign policy except when the was piggybacking on what Obama said. I still cannot fathom how anyone can vote for this pandering flip flopper. Ask the people of Massachusetts about his governorship or google his record. The economy is improving and President Obama has us on the right track and is keeping us safe. We cannot afford to go back. Mitt Romney is not worthy of my trust or my vote. He has no core.
The debates have supercharged Romneys ability to lie, and if it was not for his new lies he would have nothing new. The bottom line is Romney has a huge unpaid for tax break to offer just like GW Bush did and he has just learned several new ways to lie about it.
Morph romney!
Romney sweated and stammered during the last debate and showed his inability to read a map. That doesn't seem like much of a victory.
Romney: debates have 'super-charged' his campaign –
How?
Hispanics are not stupid and they're going to show both these dummies the door. Right out of Nevada and back into the wilderness and cult from which they came.
Willard's debate performance was embarassing and he knows it. Last night, the Romney's didn't seem to portray the confidence and arrogance they usually do. Instead, they looked as though the entire family had come together in a Mormon pr(e)yer and dealt with the possiblity of defeat. Ann displayed a side she's never shown before. She appeared to have other "things" on her mind after Nov. 6th and I'm willing to bet you the Romney's have already planned a LONG vacation on Nov. 7th because they know IT'S OVER. Willard Romney was DEFEATED last night and I say good riddance to the entire family.
Have a great vacation without government paid secret service protection.
Signed,
One of the 47% who dislikes you and is FORCED to pay for your protection.
Romney didn't do well last night. He couldn't defend his signature tax cut plan and how he was going to pay for it. I think that shows he is at a loss.
Seriously? It seems to me that since Romney agreed with the President on so much during that last debate, there's not much reason to change presidents. After all, we know what President Obama is all about. As to Romney, we only have his promise, with no details, that things will get better. Think I'll stick with the known.
Good luck with that ,I. Thing lyin Ryan the seven term sponge of the tax payers money is worse then Romney the tax cheat ,actually the whole gop sucks !!!!!!
Which Romney will we see tomorrow? I actually think the man is quite deranged.
I hope it supercharged it staraight to the dumpster on election day. What a joke of a canidate, tells how Obama is so wrong on foreign policy, but at the debate he basicly endorsed his foreign policy. Does this clown stand for anything? He's the king of flip flopping. The only he stands for is to cut taxes for the rich, and screw the poor and middle class to death. Wake up American public, he says one thing then another, he can't keep his lies straight. He's only for the 1% like himself. The rest of us are low life's in his book. He has been caught on tape, behind closed doors talking negatively about what he calls 47% of Americans. I'm a union member, and Romney wants to roll back union rights. Why does he want to do this? To put more money in the rich guys like himselfs pockets. If he only knew, and had a clue what a good union does for its members, and knew the higher work ethics and quality we are held to would he just be at the tip of the iceberg. But he's to out of touch with the middle class.
He still going to win
After Obama spent a year, plus 150 million dollars, trying to demonize Mitt Romney ... in the debates, the American people discovered what an honorable, intelligent, decent man Romney actually is.
I'll be glad when this is over in two weeks and Mitt can go back to planning his car elevator.
Where's the tea party who stood up to big corporations now? Where's occupy Wall Street?
It's members are about to vote in the poster child for Wall Street. How funny is that?
America when you go into the voting booth on November 6, ask yourself, who do I trust with my family's life? Easy answer, President Obama. He is steadfast, honest and trustworthy. Mitt Romney does not care if he lies in public. God save us from this Mad Man.
That's exactly what Romney is funny, he says funny things, looks funny and probably smells funny.
If we need a change from the past 4 years of econimic failure the option is clear, vote Romney.