* Christie predicts meeting will turn race ‘upside down’
* Romney running mate Ryan admits campaign missteps
By Samuel P. Jacobs
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Three days before the first
U.S. presidential debate, allies of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
debated on Sunday how the encounter between the White House
contenders will influence the U.S. election.
In typical straight-talking fashion, New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie predicted fellow Republican Romney’s performance
at Wednesday’s debate would alter the course of the campaign,
weeks before the Nov. 6 vote.
“This whole race is going to turn upside down come Thursday
morning,” Christie told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
His comments strayed from the script of both campaigns,
which have tried to play down their own candidate’s chances at
the debate in Denver and talk up their opponent, thus making it
easier to claim victory or explain a defeat on Wednesday.
“I think what we need is a big and bold performance on
Wednesday night, and that’s what he’s going to give us,”
Christie said of Romney on ABC’s “This Week.”
Romney comes into the first of three presidential debates
with poor poll figures in important battleground states as he
seeks to recover from a leaked video where the former private
equity executive described nearly half of Americans as dependent
upon government and who view themselves as victims.
“We’ve had some missteps, but at the end of the day the
choice is really clear,” Romney’s vice presidential running mate
Paul Ryan told “Fox News Sunday.”
Ryan tried to lower the stakes for Romney’s debate
performance. “I don’t think any one event is going to make or
break this campaign,” he said.
Obama departed for Nevada, where he will hunker down with
aides in a “debate camp.”
Obama was not focused only on scoring points or coming up
with zingers to use against his rival, his advisers said.
“The president and Mitt Romney clearly view the debates as a
very different opportunity. The President sees this as an
opportunity to continue his conversation with the American
people as he been doing over the last several months,” campaign
spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Air Force One.
GUARDING AGAINST COMPLACENCY
“He wants to speak directly to the families – the people who
are on their couches at home, having snacks, drinking a beer,
drinking soda, whatever it is, and tuning in for the first time
– and that’s who he’s speaking directly to.”
Obama was joined on Air Force One by White House adviser
David Plouffe, campaign strategist David Axelrod, chief of staff
Jack Lew, economic adviser Gene Sperling and speechwriter Jon
Favreau.
The White House and Obama’s campaign are guarding against
complacency, with polls showing the Democrat ahead nationally by
around 5 points, and much more in some swing states.
“We’re not going to win battleground states by 10 or 12
points. This race is going to tighten.
“We’ve built a presidential campaign with a belief that it’s
going to come down to a few votes in a few states,” Plouffe said
on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Romney remained in Boston for private meetings, including
debate preparation, at his campaign headquarters.
Not all of Romney’s hours have been devoted to studying and
sparring with his debate partner, U.S. Senator Rob Portman.
Romney attended a party Saturday evening at the Wellesley,
Massachusetts, home of his finance chairman, Spencer Zwick.
With a stretched Hummer limousine blaring party music and
several school buses parked outside the home, chants of “Mitt!”
could be heard from within. Romney departs for Denver on Monday.
His wife, Ann, will campaign in Nevada and Ryan will embark
on a bus tour of eastern Iowa on Monday.
Both are swing states, critical victories on the path to
presidency.
