US President Barack Obama greets supporters upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
President Barack Obama’s camp promised that the US public would see a more energized and visionary incumbent on Tuesday night as Obama tries to keep Republican challenger Mitt Romney at bay.
Romney’s campaign got a much-needed shot in the arm two weeks ago when the Republican came out swinging in the first matchup between the two candidates, while Obama appeared passive and tongue-tied at times.
The strong debate performance helped Romney reverse his slide in the polls, and recent surveys put the race for the White House at a virtual dead heat just three weeks ahead of the Nov. 6 election.
In a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll on Tuesday, Obama gained a bit more ground on Romney for the third straight day, leading 46 percent to 43 percent.
A Gallup/USA Today poll published on Tuesday showed Romney ahead of Obama by 4 percentage points among likely voters in the 12 battleground states.
Obama aides predicted a stronger showing in the second debate for the president, who hunkered down in Williamsburg, Virginia, for three full days of debate preparation.
«I think you’ll see somebody who will be strong, who will be passionate, who will be energetic, who will talk about … not just the last four years but what the agenda is for the future and how we continue to move … our economy forward,» Obama’s senior campaign adviser, Robert Gibbs, said on MSNBC.
The 90-minute debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, begins at 9 p.m. (0100 GMT Wednesday). Both candidates arrived in New York by midday for final preparation before the debate
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