Democrats on Edge Amid Obama Debate Fallout

WASHINGTON (AP) - It's more than President Barack Obama's lackluster debate performance that has some Democrats on edge less than a month from Election Day.

Party loyalists fret that Obama's campaign has been slow to rebound after Republican Mitt Romney's commanding debate. They worry the Democratic ticket isn't aggressive enough in blocking Romney's post-debate pivot to the political center. And they fear Romney's new effort to show a softer side is giving the Republican nominee an opening with female voters.

Obama's campaign is seeking to reassure hand-wringing Democrats that key factors still favor the president. Most notably they say Obama appears to maintain a narrow lead in many battleground states and has more pathways than Romney to reach the 270 Electoral College votes required to win the White House.

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