“Unless we change course right away, we may be looking at another recession,” he said at a rally in Lynchburg, Va. “Tomorrow is a day to look into the future and imagine what we can do—put the last four years behind us.”
In a sign that the last days and hours of the campaign had come down to a numbers game, Romney also emphasized turnout with his parting words at the Lynchburg airport: “Make sure we get everyone we know out to vote on Election Day,” he said. “Every single vote.”
The race has been neck-and-neck ever since Romney stepped up to the challenge in the first debate. Obama, however, gained some significant boosts to his campaign over the fortnight. He received important endorsements: one from Republican Colin Powell, secretary of state under George W. Bush, and another from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Better-than-expected unemployment data last Friday and a well-perceived handling of the emergency following Hurricane Sandy also boosted Obama’s standing in the community, according to analysts from the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
“This has been a roller-coaster campaign, though very tight ever since Romney dramatically outshone Obama in the first debate in Denver on Oct. 3. Yet for a challenger to defeat an incumbent, the fates must be with the challenger again and again,” the Center’s political analysts wrote on its blog.
The Romney camp is not backing down, however, dismissing polls that show trends leaning toward Obama and highlighting the volatility of the electorate. The campaign has set its sights on voter turnout, announcing Monday that Romney will continue to campaign on Election Day, returning to critical swing state Ohio and also Pennsylvania.
“Close races are about turnout,” said Stuart Stevens, chief strategist for the Romney campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Psaki said that Obama’s Tuesday will also be full, as the president is booked for local and state media interviews in the morning as well as a daytime return to Chicago for some special events before election night.
“There is a tradition to play basketball with friends and close advisers on Election Day,” said Psaki. “That’s something that we’re working toward and could be in the cards.”
She added that Obama will also be looking to express his thanks to “the bread and butter of this campaign … the volunteers and the neighborhood team leaders and people who have made this journey possible.”
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