(VOVworld) In the final stage of the US Presidential election campaign, US President Barak Obama and his rival, the Republican Senator Mitt Romney held their first televised debate on Thursday. The two candidates had prepared thoroughly for this first debate as well as for this final stage.

This televised debate on Thursday from Colorado was of decisive importance for the race. It will be followed by 3 more debates between the two Presidential candidates and one debate between the two Vice Presidential candidates. 60 million Americans are expected to watch this debate. The candidates have been busily preparing for the debate.

Last week in Massachusets, Republican candidate Mitt Romney spent time rehearsing his responses to American voters’ concerns with Republican Congressman Rob Portman, who stood in as Obama. Romney will focus on America’s slow economic growth, just 1.3% in the second quarter of this year. Romney insists this rate is unacceptable and says it’s time for the American people to elect someone with better economic policies that will restore the US to a rapid growth track. Romney has criticized the Obama administration’s plan to reduce the national defense budget by nearly 500 billion USD in the next ten years, claiming the cut will weaken the US military and damage national security.

President Obama has also been preparing for the debates. Senator John Kerry, standing in for Mitt Romney, met Obama at a resort in Henderson, Nevada for some debate preparation. Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas on September 30, Obama called for a serious discussion of how best to maintain the US economic growth and ensure the security of American citizens. The President said American voters are facing an important decision because they will choose not only a Democratic or Republican President but the country’s future.

A recent public polls show Obama is leading his rival by 5% nationwide and even more in the swing states, where some voters are still undecided. Romney’s support has weakened since a leaked video showed him calling 47% of Americans irresponsible and dependent upon government. Romney is now making all out effort to change American voters’ image of him.

Anh Huyen