<p>The morning after the first presidential debate between Republican nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, many voters said Romney performed well -- even if they didn't support the former Massachusetts governor.</p><br /><p>Republicans were quick to claim bragging rights after Mitt Romney's aggressive performance in the first presidential debate on Wednesday, while Democrats struggled to explain President Barack Obama's often flat showing.</p><br /><p>Obama delved into policy in great and rambling detail, but never reminded voters of two of his most effective attacks against his rival: Romney's experience at the Bain Capital private equity fund and the secretly recorded "47 percent" video showing Romney criticizing nearly half the electorate.</p><br /><p>Obama maintained an advantage in opinion polls prior to the debate. On Wednesday, he led Romney by 47 percent to 41 percent in the daily Reuters / IPSOS tracking poll, a margin that has held fairly steady since the middle of September. Other polls have shown the race to be a little closer. Obama holds clear leads in most of the politically divided states that are likely to decide the election.</p><br /><p>Polling data taken after the debate was not immediately available.</p><br /><p>With the November 6 election little more than a month away, Romney is running out of time to seize the lead.</p><br /><p>Voting has begun in some form or another in 35 states, and 6 percent of those have already cast their ballots, according to a Reuters/IPSOS poll released on Wednesday.</p>
