Did past week’s events change Romney’s, Obama’s fortunes?

If you’re looking for an answer to the question of whether last week’s events — Mitt Romney’s strong debate performance in Denver and Friday’s jobs report that showed unemployment dropping to 7.8 percent — changes the trajectory of the presidential campaign, be patient and don’t rush to judgment. …

One thing worth watching is whether there is a coming confluence of national polls and battleground state polls — and whether it truly puts Romney in a position to win the election. This year, perhaps more than in any recent election, there have been two campaigns: the one that plays out nationally and the one waged in the handful of battleground states where most of the candidates’ time and money has been invested. [cont.]

Dan Balz, Washington Post