doug schoen and john leboutillier are with us. doug used to advise president clinton. n former republican congressman from new york. doug, to you first. how does romney maintain this momentum? >> this is a challenge. it is a revival. it is not in any way a fundamental alteration in a race that's always been close. it is closer still, but he's in the in the lead -- but he's not in the lead. he needs to outline clearly where he's going to take america, what his vision is and how most importantly dagen his agenda will impact and improve the lives of ordinary americans. dagen: let's focus short run. what about the vice presidential debate? is it more about gaining wins at this point in that debate and the remaining two presidential debates or not making a mistake? >> well, i think that if i'm ryan, i'm going to try to go to biden, who i think can make a mistake. they are really preparing biden very heavily for this thing. i would try to make some news to reinforce the feeling that maybe obama and biden are two empty suits who really aren't up to the job after all. i think t

we have john boon boon, and -- we have john leboutillier and pa caddell and doug schoen. president biden and laughing and smirking. how does this come across? >> frankly as little but there was a method to the madness. that is, biden was trying to rally the democratic faithful, showing that the democratic party and the obama administration could fight back. i thought on substance he made good points but the 82 interruptions, plus the facial mannerisms and the ticks, to me, that made the performance far less effective. >>pat: he won points partly because ryan was being safe but he lost on style. ryan could have, i cannot get over ryan not knowing the moment and turning and saying, what are you laughing about? you are being disrespectful for the voters. they deserve better than this. >>gregg: he did say you are not helping by interrupting. >>pat: i would have gone right at him. >>gregg: who has the advantage in the townhall-style debate on tuesday? >> they both have different strategies. they will go about it differently. the president has a tough road to hoe. he has to not

now we will bring in john leboutillier, former republican congressman from new york, and pat caddell,er pollster for jimmy carter, and doug schoen, a former pollster if bill clinton. doug, the rasmussen poll is more accurate because it is strictly post debate? >>doug: gallup is seven days, scott rasmussen polls three days moving average so it is all post debate. he shows four points of movement in his national polling which puts obama from a narrow lead to a narrow deficit. effectively, though, this race is deadlocked. when we get to the swing states we will see that. >>gregg: people call this a bounce for romney. >> but a bounce does not last in >>pat: this could be the most significant debate in terms of impact other than reagan's debate against carter in affecting the race. debates usually do not move numbers. romney is getting real movement out of the debate. what it does and what has happened, romney's favorable rating has skyrocketed. we saw that among uncommitted voters in the cbs poll, after the debate, and we talked about this last week, 30 percent of the people say he cared

now our campaign insiders, a former republican congressman for new york, john leboutillier, and pat caddellbutor and former pollster for bill clinton. doug, where does the race stand? >>doug: first, the national popular vote, you look at average, 1.5 to 2 points for governor romney. there are eight daily national polls. the governor romney has been leading in five or six. the swing states, we will get do that in a second, they are deadlocked and the momentum we talked about last week, it continues to be ever-so-slightly in my judgment, for governor romney. >>gregg: and now the rasmussen poll, the national poll, governor romney is 50 and president obama at 47 and most of the national polls are showing governor romney with a lead. now, having said that, pat, talk about the president's declining job approval. >>pat: we have talked on the program, i said the most important number is the job approval. he is holding at 50. it took a real dip since last tuesday in the polling from 53 percent to 47 and the negative is up and also in rasmussen he dropped from 50 to 47. >>gregg: what does that mean?