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| Obama embraces positive strategy as he battles for votes in final stretch | Obama embraces positive strategy as he battles for votes in final stretch |
| (6 months later) | |
| Barack Obama attempted to seize back the political initiative on Tuesday by abruptly switching to a new, positive strategy for the final stretch of the White House campaign after dominating the third and final presidential debate. | Barack Obama attempted to seize back the political initiative on Tuesday by abruptly switching to a new, positive strategy for the final stretch of the White House campaign after dominating the third and final presidential debate. |
| After months of criticism for campaigning negatively – with a relentless and costly stream of ads since early summer aimed at undermining Mitt Romney's character – the Obama campaign is to emphasise what the president would do with another four years in office. | After months of criticism for campaigning negatively – with a relentless and costly stream of ads since early summer aimed at undermining Mitt Romney's character – the Obama campaign is to emphasise what the president would do with another four years in office. |
| Democrats and undecided voters have been pleading with him for months to set out in detail his second-term agenda – something on which he has been extremely vague so far. | Democrats and undecided voters have been pleading with him for months to set out in detail his second-term agenda – something on which he has been extremely vague so far. |
| The campaign is printing 3.5m copies of a 20-page leaflet to be distributed in the battlefield states setting out his proposed agenda for economic recovery, domestic-based energy, education, tax, healthcare and pensions. Obama was backing it up with a minute-long advert in nine battlefield states from Wednesday. | The campaign is printing 3.5m copies of a 20-page leaflet to be distributed in the battlefield states setting out his proposed agenda for economic recovery, domestic-based energy, education, tax, healthcare and pensions. Obama was backing it up with a minute-long advert in nine battlefield states from Wednesday. |
| Although it is an important strategic switch, there is little new in the leaflet, more a repackaging of vague plans set out by Obama over the last few months. In spite of the shift towards a more positive strategy, the Obama campaign will not completely abandon its attacks on Romney's character. | Although it is an important strategic switch, there is little new in the leaflet, more a repackaging of vague plans set out by Obama over the last few months. In spite of the shift towards a more positive strategy, the Obama campaign will not completely abandon its attacks on Romney's character. |
| With the debates behind them, Obama and Romney hit the campaign trail Tuesday, beginning a series of gruelling tours of the battlefield states. Obama spoke at a rally in Florida before heading to Ohio, while Romney held events in Nevada and Colorado. | With the debates behind them, Obama and Romney hit the campaign trail Tuesday, beginning a series of gruelling tours of the battlefield states. Obama spoke at a rally in Florida before heading to Ohio, while Romney held events in Nevada and Colorado. |
| The consensus in the US media was that Obama had dominated the 90-minute debate on foreign policy in Boca Raton, Florida, but had not done enough to change the course of the election. Although Obama had won last night and last week, these do not compensate for the debate that really mattered, the first one in Denver that allowed Romney back into the race. | The consensus in the US media was that Obama had dominated the 90-minute debate on foreign policy in Boca Raton, Florida, but had not done enough to change the course of the election. Although Obama had won last night and last week, these do not compensate for the debate that really mattered, the first one in Denver that allowed Romney back into the race. |
| A CBS instant poll after the Boca Raton debate awarded it to Obama, putting him on 53% to Romney's 23%. | A CBS instant poll after the Boca Raton debate awarded it to Obama, putting him on 53% to Romney's 23%. |
| Obama's main adviser, David Axelrod, in a conference call with reporters, described the debate as "a great springboard for the last two weeks". | Obama's main adviser, David Axelrod, in a conference call with reporters, described the debate as "a great springboard for the last two weeks". |
| Contrary to rumours that the campaign is abandoning North Carolina and Florida as already lost, Axelrod insisted this is untrue and it was not pulling out of these states. | Contrary to rumours that the campaign is abandoning North Carolina and Florida as already lost, Axelrod insisted this is untrue and it was not pulling out of these states. |
| "We'll know who's bluffing and who isn't in two weeks," Axelrod said. | "We'll know who's bluffing and who isn't in two weeks," Axelrod said. |
| As the two campaigns set out on the final two-week slog, the Romney team seemed to be the jauntier of the two, hoping that the momentum that began in Denver will carry them through to November 6. | As the two campaigns set out on the final two-week slog, the Romney team seemed to be the jauntier of the two, hoping that the momentum that began in Denver will carry them through to November 6. |
| Stuart Stevens, one of Romney's main advisers, said: "We came in [to the Monday debate] in a strong position and left in an even stronger one." He identified Ohio as a pivotal battlefield state. "He will be in Ohio a lot," Stevens said. | Stuart Stevens, one of Romney's main advisers, said: "We came in [to the Monday debate] in a strong position and left in an even stronger one." He identified Ohio as a pivotal battlefield state. "He will be in Ohio a lot," Stevens said. |
| The Romney campaign is staying negative, issuing an ad picking up on a line from the debate in which Romney accused Obama of having gone early in his presidency on an 'apology tour' of the Middle East. | The Romney campaign is staying negative, issuing an ad picking up on a line from the debate in which Romney accused Obama of having gone early in his presidency on an 'apology tour' of the Middle East. |
| One of the Republican Super Pacs, Restore Our Future, began a $17.7m ad blitz for Romney. | One of the Republican Super Pacs, Restore Our Future, began a $17.7m ad blitz for Romney. |
| In the debate, Obama repeatedly portrayed Romney as "all over the map" on foreign policy. He described his opponent twice as "wrong and reckless". | In the debate, Obama repeatedly portrayed Romney as "all over the map" on foreign policy. He described his opponent twice as "wrong and reckless". |
| The president worked through a list of issues on which he said Romney had been wrong, from support for the 2003 Iraq invasion through to opposing setting a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan. | The president worked through a list of issues on which he said Romney had been wrong, from support for the 2003 Iraq invasion through to opposing setting a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan. |
| On issue after issue, from Iranian sanctions to withdrawal from Afghanistan, there was little difference between Romney's position and that of the administration, but Romney insisted he would have projected American strength more effectively. Continuing his shift into a more moderate, centrist position, he insisted to war-weary Americans that, in spite of past bellicose statements, he was not looking to engage in another war. | On issue after issue, from Iranian sanctions to withdrawal from Afghanistan, there was little difference between Romney's position and that of the administration, but Romney insisted he would have projected American strength more effectively. Continuing his shift into a more moderate, centrist position, he insisted to war-weary Americans that, in spite of past bellicose statements, he was not looking to engage in another war. |
| One of the most telling moments came when Obama lectured Romney on military developments as if he was a child. Responding to a pledge by Romney to increase military spending and a complaint that the navy had fewer ships, Obama resorted to heavy sarcasm. | One of the most telling moments came when Obama lectured Romney on military developments as if he was a child. Responding to a pledge by Romney to increase military spending and a complaint that the navy had fewer ships, Obama resorted to heavy sarcasm. |
| "You mentioned the navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1917. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater – nuclear submarines," Obama said. | "You mentioned the navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1917. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater – nuclear submarines," Obama said. |
| But Romney did not crumple, and recovered in the second half of the debate, in particular when he managed to drag the subject on to domestic economic concerns. | But Romney did not crumple, and recovered in the second half of the debate, in particular when he managed to drag the subject on to domestic economic concerns. |
| On the Middle East, Romney said an attack on Iran would be a last resort and that he was against direct US military involvement in Syria. He sought to neutralise the advantage Obama enjoys thanks to the killing of Osama bin Laden by insisting that his own policy was about more than "going after the bad guys". | On the Middle East, Romney said an attack on Iran would be a last resort and that he was against direct US military involvement in Syria. He sought to neutralise the advantage Obama enjoys thanks to the killing of Osama bin Laden by insisting that his own policy was about more than "going after the bad guys". |
| "We can't just kill our way out of this mess," Romney said. | "We can't just kill our way out of this mess," Romney said. |
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