Students walk past a political mural near Centre College in downtown Danville, Kentucky, where Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan face off Thursday, October 11.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, left, speaks with the Rev. Billy Graham during a visit to the Graham cabin in Montreat, North Carolina, on Thursday.
President Barack Obama greets supporters at a campaign rally at the University of Miami on Thursday.
Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talk with supporters at Buns Bakery and Restaurant in Delaware, Ohio, on Wednesday, October 10. Romney is campaigning in Ohio with less than a month to go before the general election.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, and Romney walk up to the stage at Ariel Corporation in Mount Vernon, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Centre College students Ben Boone, left, a stand-in for U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and Tommy Munoz, a stand-in for Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, wave during a rehearsal for the vice presidential debate in Danville, Kentucky, on Wednesday.
Members of the media watch as President Barack Obama arrives aboard Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, October 9, in Washington. The president was returning from a two-day campaign trip to California and Ohio.
Obama addresses supporters during a campaign event at The Ohio State University on Tuesday.
Two Obama supporters, one holding a Big Bird book and the other clutching a picture of the president, listen while he speaks at a rally at Ohio State on Tuesday.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney departs a Wendy's restaurant with his dinner order in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Tuesday.
Supporters cheer as Romney delivers remarks on the James Koch Farm in Van Meter, Iowa, on Tuesday.
Allan Banojakedjian, left, and Jesus Romero fill out their voter registration forms at the Miami-Dade Elections Department on the final day of registration for the upcoming presidential election.
Rain doesn't keep Romney from campaigning in Newport News, Virginia, on Monday, October 8.
Obama holds a campaign event Monday at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
Obama takes the stage at a campaign concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 7. The president has been on a three-day trip to California and Ohio.
Air Force One leaves a shadow as it passes over the Forum on approach to Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday.
Obama leaves the White House on Sunday to board Air Force One.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, greet workers at the Tin Fish restaurant following a rally Sunday in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Romney casts a shadow on a banner as he speaks during a campaign event in Apopka, Florida, on Saturday, October 6.
A supporter holds a photograph of Romney in Apopka on Saturday.
Jon Bon Jovi performs at an Obama for America event at the House of Blues in Las Vegas on Saturday. It was the last day people in Nevada could register to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
Romney speaks during a campaign event in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday, October 5.
Romney supporters listen during Friday's campaign event in St. Petersburg.
Obama smiles as he speaks during a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia on Friday.
Obama is assisted with putting on a raincoat onstage during a campaign rally at Cleveland State University on Friday.
Romney speaks in Fishersville, Virginia, as Secret Service members keep guard on Thursday, October 4. A day after the first presidential debate in Denver, Romney headed to Virginia to continue campaigning.
Romney supporters bow their heads in prayer during Thursday's event at the Augusta Expoland in Fishersville, Viriginia.
Obama addresses the crowd at the University of Wisconsin in Madison on Thursday.
Romney greets police officers before boarding his campaign plane in Denver on Thursday.
Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Denver on Thursday. He accused his Republican challenger of dishonesty over tax policy and other issues brought up in Wednesday night's presidential debate.
Audience members cheer as Obama makes his way onto the stage at Sloan's Lake Park in Denver on Thursday.
Reporters watch the final minutes of the debate between Romney and Obama in Denver on Wednesday, October 3. The first of four debates for the 2012 election -- three presidential and one vice-presidential -- was moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS.
A member of the U.S. Secret Service keeps watch from the top of a building as Obama takes part in a debate walk-through at the University of Denver on Wednesday.
A seat is assigned to first lady Michelle Obama prior to Wednesday's debate.
Obama stands at the podium as he speaks during the debate on Wednesday.
Michelle and Barack Obama, left, join Mitt Romney and his family at the conclusion of the first presidential debate.
University of Denver student Sam Garry sits at the moderator's desk before a presidential debate dress rehearsal at the University of Denver on Tuesday, October 2.
Volunteers sit in for on-air television reporters on Tuesday in preparation for the first presidential debate in the Ritchie Center at the University of Denver.
Romney greets a father and his daughter after having lunch Tuesday at a restaurant in Denver.
Obama stares at the Hoover Dam in Nevada during a visit Tuesday.
Romney boards his campaign plane in Bedford, Massachusetts, on Monday, October 1. The Republican candidate was heading to Denver for the first presidential debate on Wednesday.
Obama hugs Chasstiry Vazquez after she indroduced him at a campaign event at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas on Sunday, September 30.
Obama supporters cheer during Sunday's event in Las Vegas.
Romney leaves his campaign headquarters in Boston on Sunday.
A boy reaches out to shake hands with Obama on Sunday in Las Vegas. The president was in Nevada ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Denver.
Romney arrives at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belmont to attend Sunday services.
Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office on Friday, September 28.
Romney speaks during a rally at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania on Friday.
Romney talks to journalists aboard his campaign plane about his phone call with Netanyahu on Friday.
Cadets listen to Romney speak at a campaign rally Friday at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Romney addresses Friday's rally at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College.
Vice President Joe Biden hugs U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as he arrives for a campaign event Friday in Boca Raton, Florida.
Romney speaks at a Veterans for Romney campaign event in Springfield, Virginia, on Thursday, September 27.
Obama supporters cheer at a campaign rally Thursday in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Veterans at the American Legion Post 176 pray before Romney speaks Thursday in Springfield.
People listen to Obama speak at the Farm Bureau Live arena in Virginia Beach on Thursday.
Obama delivers remarks Thursday in Virginia Beach.
Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 26.
Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing at American Spring Wire in Bedford Heights, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Supporters wait to see Obama on Wednesday at Toledo Express Airport in Bowling Green, Ohio. Air For One aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio due to weather conditions.
Obama addresses supporters at Bowling Green State University on Wednesday.
Romney delivers remarks during a campaign rally Wednesday at Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio.
Former President Bill Clinton introduces Obama during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 25.
Supporters cheer during a Republican campaign rally Tuesday with Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio.
Ryan speaks Tuesday in Vandalia as Sen. Rand Paul, from left, Sen. Rob Portman and Romney listen.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hugs a waitress as they wait for Ryan's arrival during a campaign stop at a restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood on Saturday, September 22.
Supporters cheer as they listen to Romney speak during a Juntos Con Romney Rally at the Darwin Fuchs Pavilion on Wednesday, September 19, in Miami.
Romney shakes hands with supporters during the Juntos Con Romney Rally in Miami on Wednesday.
Obama and David Letterman speak during a break in the taping of the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Tuesday, September 18, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.
A crew member opens the door to Air Force One after the jet arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday.
From left to right: Romney, his wife Ann, and son Tagg watch one of Tagg's sons play soccer in Belmont, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 15.
Ryan arrives onstage to address the Family Research Council Action Values Voter Summit on Friday, September 14.
Supporters wait for Romney to speak at a campaign rally at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, on Friday, September 14.
Obama arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Thursday, September 13. Obama returned to Washington after a two-day campaign trip with events in Nevada and Colorado.
Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia, on Thursday.
An Obama supporter attends a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 12. Obama focused on economic policies during his two days of campaigning in Nevada and Colorado.
Former President Bill Clinton speaks in support of Obama during a campaign stop in Miami on Tuesday, September 11.
Obama is lifted up by Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant, during a visit to the restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Sunday, September 9. Obama was on a two-day bus tour across the state.
President Obama greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
Mitt Romney walks through the garage area during a rain delay before the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, in Richmond, Virginia.
Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, waves to the crowd before speaking at a rally in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, September 7.
Supporters try to stay dry in between rain showers while waiting for President Obama to speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. It was Obama's first day of campaigning after accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A girl listens to President Obama speak at the University of Iowa on Friday.
Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama and Biden's wife, Jill, wave after Friday's campaign event at the University of Iowa.
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
From the campaign trail
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Romney gets measurable bounce in post-debate polls
- New poll numbers suggest the presidential race has changed
- Focus shifts to VP debate on Thursday, second presidential debate on Tuesday
Danville, Kentucky (CNN) -- Need any more evidence that debates do matter in the presidential election? A slew of national polls and surveys from crucial swing states suggests that they do.
President Barack Obama maintained a narrow lead over GOP challenger Mitt Romney in most national polls through the summer and had the advantage in battleground states that will determine the outcome of the election.
But polls taken after Obama's lackluster performance in last week's first presidential debate indicate that Romney got a measurable bounce -- enough to put him in the lead in several national surveys and to tighten the race in some battlegrounds.
The question is how long Romney's bounce will last. Thursday's vice presidential debate and the second of three presidential debates next Tuesday could answer that question.
"It's possible, even reasonable, to quibble with the likely voter sample of any individual poll, but the overall direction of the surveys released since the debate is unmistakable: They all suggest that in that debate, Romney changed a critical dynamic in the race," CNN Senior Political Analyst and National Journal Editorial Director Ron Brownstein said.
Romney needs support from white women
Polls disputed if not in campaign's favor
Strategy Session digs deep on politics
CNN Focus Group: Best moments
Facebook users grade the candidates
"Obama's widened lead in September depended in part on voters who were somewhat dissatisfied with his performance but were sticking with him because they did not view Romney as a viable alternative -- largely because they didn't believe he understood or cared about people like them," Brownstein added.
Numbers overload: Polling data hype sways voters
"What's clear is that at the first debate Romney crossed the threshold for an important share of those voters, who now do see him as a reasonable alternative to Obama," he added.
Let's start with the national surveys.
According to a CNN Poll of Polls that averages three new non-partisan, live-operator surveys released Monday and Tuesday, Romney has the support of 48% of likely voters, with Obama at 47%.
The surveys were from the Pew Research Center, which conducted its poll Thursday through Sunday (entirely after the debate); the American Research Group, which conducted its poll Friday through Monday (entirely after the debate); and the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll, which was conducted from last Tuesday through Monday (partially before and mostly after the debate).
National polls indicate dead heat in Obama-Romney battle
The Gallup daily tracking poll indicated Romney at 49% and Obama 47% among likely voters. This is Gallup's first release of a tracking poll of likely voters, so no comparison can be made to pre-debate surveys from Gallup.
The ARG poll indicates the former Massachusetts governor at 48%, with Obama at 47%. According to ARG's previous poll, conducted Sept. 27-30, the president was at 49% and Romney at 46%.
The Pew Poll indicates Romney with a 49%-45% advantage over Obama. In Pew's previous survey, conducted in mid-September, the president had a 51%-43% lead among likely voters.
While national polls serve as a barometer, the race for the White House is a battle for the states and their electoral votes, which is why surveys in the key swing states are more telling. And no state arguably is getting more attention from the presidential candidates and their campaigns than Ohio, where 18 electoral votes are up for grabs.
According to a CNN/ORC International poll, 51% of likely voters in the Buckeye State say they're backing Obama, with 47% supporting Romney. Obama's four-point advantage is within the poll's sampling error.
The survey, released Tuesday, was conducted from Friday through Monday. ARG also came out Tuesday with an Ohio poll conducted entirely after the debate that indicated Romney at 48% and Obama at 47% among likely voters.
Since non-partisan, live operator polls of likely voters in Ohio conducted prior to the debate indicated Obama with a seven- to 10-point advantage, the polls suggest that Romney got a post-debate bounce in Ohio, too.
"The new polls are a huge boost for Republicans, coming just a couple weeks after a string of polls made them wonder if there was any way to win without Ohio," says CNN Chief National Correspondent John King.
"There is clearly movement in Ohio similar to what we see nationally. You see it in our numbers. It's a very close race in Ohio and you feel it talking to people on the ground," King added.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman said he had expected to polls to tighten up in his home state.
"The poll numbers are showing some movement. But you know I've always thought this was going to be a very close race in Ohio," he told reporters on Tuesday.
Another tightening battleground: Pennsylvania
Portman is a leading Romney surrogate and a top adviser to his campaign. Portman is also playing the role of Obama in Romney's debate preparations. Asked if Romney is sensing enthusiasm, Portman said, "Yeah, I think so."
But earlier Tuesday, Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden cautioned that "this is a campaign that's never gotten too high when things are good, too low when things are bad," adding that "we still believe that this is going to be a campaign that's very close."
Polls show a similar bounce in other battlegrounds.
A new ARG poll in Colorado indicates Romney with a 50%-46% advantage. That's a switch from last month, when surveys in the Rocky Mountain battleground state indicated Obama with a slight edge.
Last month polls in Michigan indicated the president with a healthy lead but an EPIC-MRA survey released Monday showed his advantage had slipped to 48%-45%.
And new polls in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, where Obama held leads last month, now suggest much closer contests.
Poll: Obama lead in Michigan dwindles
With this week's vice presidential debate and two more showdowns between Obama and Romney still to come, the polls can quickly shift again. But the new numbers this week suggest the race has changed.
"The new polls don't mean Romney is going to win, or is even ahead today if it was possible to precisely measure that. But they do mean that we are returning to a race that reflects the country's near 50-50 division over Obama's performance and, as such, is likely to remain close and within reach for both men through November," Brownstein said.