Obama, Romney hunker down for debate prep President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are hunkering down for intense preparations ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate, where the GOP nominee hopes to change the trajectory of the White House race. Obama is huddling with top advisers at a desert resort in Nevada. Romney has practice planned in Massachusetts, where he also spent most of the weekend working with his debate team. The Republican challenger then heads to Denver, the site of the first debate, later Monday for a rally and more preparation. Five weeks from Election Day, polls show Romney trailing Obama in many of the nine states that will determine the election. The debates give Romney one of his best opportunities to stem Obama's momentum and convince the public to back his vision for the nation's future.