Candidates take battle to swing states

Fresh off an intently combative debate, President Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney and their running mates are taking their tuned-up fight to the precious few battleground states where the election is still up for grabs with just 19 days to go.

In the sprint to the Nov 6 election day, every aspect of the campaign seems to be taking on a fresh sense of urgency — the ads, the fundraising, the grassroots mobilising and the outreach to key voting blocs, particularly women. Romney quietly began airing a new TV ad suggesting he believes abortion “should be an option” in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at stake.

The ad is an appeal to women voters, who polls show have favoured Obama throughout the race, although Romney has been making gains among them. Romney supported abortion rights as Massachusetts governor but now says he opposes abortion with limited exceptions. His campaign didn’t announce the ad, but it began running on the debate night on stations that reach Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin.