Romney says debates have ‘supercharged’ his campaign
HENDERSON, Nev. — With the last of the presidential debates behind him, Mitt Romney barnstormed across the West on Tuesday, telling a crowd in Nevada that the debates had “supercharged” his campaign and dismissing the president as a “status quo” candidate who had yet to reveal his agenda for the next four years.
More than 6,000 people crowded into an outdoor amphitheater in Henderson to see Romney and his running mate, Paul D. Ryan, who had just flown in from Grand Junction, Colo.
“These debates have supercharged our campaign, there’s no question about it,” Romney said. “We’re seeing more and more enthusiasm, more and more support.”
Over the course of four debates, Romney and Ryan argued that the American people had yet to hear an agenda from President Obama.
“That’s why his campaign is taking on water, and our campaign is full speed ahead,” Romney said on a brilliant fall afternoon here, as late-arriving supporters fanned out across the grass above the amphitheater, with some children entertaining themselves by rolling down the hill as the candidate spoke.
He mocked Obama for making fun of his plans to eliminate public funding for PBS — which the president has equated to going after Big Bird — and for coining the term “Romnesia” to describe the Republican’s position shifts over the years.
“He’s been reduced to try to defend characters on Sesame Street and word games of various kinds, and then misfired attacks,” Romney said. “You know, the truth is that attacks on me are not an agenda.”
Romney and Ryan were flying together on Romney’s plane to Colorado for a Tuesday evening rally at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Kid Rock, country star Rodney Atkins and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.
With his schedule picking up after several slow weeks in which he held few events, Romney urged his supporters to get out and vote early.
PHOTOS: Memorable presidential debate moments
“Over the next two weeks, Paul and I are going to work nonstop, crisscrossing the country to get people to get energized and get out and vote,” he said. “I need you to find a neighbor who voted for Barack Obama last time and remind them of the promises made and ask them how many of those promises were kept. And after you take them through that, they’re going to realize they’ve got to vote for real change, to get this economy going.”
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