State of the Race By Mark Halperin

One Obama-Romney debate down, two more to go. This just got interesting

By Mark Halperin Monday, Oct. 22, 2012

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    In the next debate, on Oct. 16, he must more convincingly defend his first term and explain to voters why he deserves a second one. Obama's aides rightly say they still have more routes to an Electoral College victory than their rival. But they expect a tight race and a close finish. As one put it, "We're going to do what we have to do to get to 270."

    7 What does Romney do now?

    He already sounds like a new man on the stump: relaxed, colloquial, appealing. His campaign is mulling other big policy speeches to follow his Oct. 8 address on foreign policy; if he can bring his Denver game to a high-profile talk on the economy, he could close very strong. But he had better be ready for the next debate, in which a different Barack Obama will almost certainly appear. Romney proved in their first meeting that he knows how to throw a punch. In their second, on Long Island, New York, he'll need to show he can parry and counterpunch--skills voters expect in their Presidents as well.

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