( CNN ) -- A day after losing the first presidential debate , President Barack Obama and his campaign accused his Republican challenger Mitt Romney of being dishonest about tax policy and other issues . `` If you want to be president , you owe the American people the truth , '' Obama said at a campaign rally Thursday in Denver . `` So here 's the truth : Governor Romney can not pay for his $ 5 trillion tax plan without blowing up the deficit or sticking it to the middle class . That 's the math . '' Romney 's pledge : No tax cut for the rich . The president 's top aides were even more blunt . `` Romney 's performance was one that 's probably unprecedented in its dishonesty , '' senior adviser David Plouffe told reporters . Still , senior campaign adviser David Axelrod acknowledged Obama will examine his debate strategy for the next two contests -- on October 16 in New York and October 22 in Florida . The president opted against `` serial fact-checking with Governor Romney , which can be a never-ending , exhausting pursuit , '' Axelrod said . `` Obviously , going forward , we 're going to have to look at this , and we 're going to have make some adjustments . '' What 's next : Can Obama recover or will Romney run up the score ? Meanwhile , Romney continued to push his debate theme that there 's been much federal spending under Obama , complaining of `` trickle-down government '' that has failed to solve the nation 's economic woes . `` Trickle-down government that the president proposes is one where he will raise taxes on small business , which will kill jobs '' he said in an unannounced visit Thursday to a conservative conference in Colorado . `` I instead want to keep taxes down on small business so we can create jobs . '' He and his vice presidential running mate , Paul Ryan , then appeared together Thursday night in Fisherville , in western Virginia . Ryan touted the National Rifle Association 's endorsement earlier in the day of the GOP ticket , adding that he 's looking forward to when `` after we elect Mitt Romney president , I can take my daughter deer hunting . '' Both the Wisconsin congressman and Romney , who followed him onstage , referenced the previous night 's debate as demonstrating `` a clear choice '' for voters . `` Last night was an important night for the country , because people got the chance to cut through all the attacks and the counterattacks and all the theatrics associated with the campaign , and instead they were able to listen to substance , '' said the former Massachusetts governor . Analysis : Five reason the president fumbled the debate . `` As a result ... , the American people recognize that ( Obama ) and I stand for something very different , '' he said , before vowing , `` I am going to help the American people get good jobs and a bright future . '' His supporters crowed about his debate performance , saying it reshaped a race that Romney had appeared in danger of losing . Sen . Rob Portman of Ohio , who played the role of the president in debate rehearsals for Romney , said the GOP candidate had a `` terrific night '' in discussing Obama 's record , talking about his own policies and setting `` the record straight on ... misleading ads . '' `` He did exactly what he had to do for the undecided voter in Ohio or around the country , '' Portman said . To Ed Gillespie , a senor adviser to Romney , the GOP challenger brought focus to the sharp contrast between the candidates by showing voters that `` we ca n't afford four more years like the last four years . '' While both sides were in full spin mode Thursday , it was widely felt that Romney won the debate itself . Analysis : Romney seizes the story . `` A week ago , people were saying this was over . We 've got a horse race , '' said CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen , who called the debate Romney 's best so far after the 22 the former Massachusetts governor took part in during the GOP primary campaign . Alex Castellanos , a Republican strategist and CNN contributor , expressed surprise at Romney 's strong performance , saying he `` rose to the moment '' and seemed to benefit from the multiple primary debates . `` It looked like Romney wanted to be there and President Obama did n't want to be there , '' noted Democratic strategist and CNN contributor James Carville . `` The president did n't bring his ' A ' game . '' The CNN/ORC International poll of 430 people who watched the debate showed 67 % thought Romney won , compared with 25 % for Obama . Obama joked Thursday that a different Romney appeared at the debate from the conservative candidate who won a grueling primary campaign to challenge him on November 6 . `` When I got on to the stage I met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be Mitt Romney , '' Obama said told the crowd of more than 12,000 at a Denver park . `` But it could n't have been Mitt Romney because the real Mitt Romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $ 5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy . The fellow on stage last night said he did n't know anything about that . '' In Denver and later in Wisconsin , Obama also went after Romney 's pledge during the debate to cut funding for public broadcasting , referring specifically to the popular Sesame Street character Big Bird . `` He 'll get rid of regulations on Wall Street , but he 's going to crack down on Sesame Street , '' Obama joked about Romney 's pledge to repeal the Dodd-Frank Act that reforms the financial sector . `` Thank goodness somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird , '' Obama added . `` It 's about time . We did n't know that Big Bird was driving the federal deficit . '' 5 things we learned from the presidential debate . During Wednesday 's 90-minute debate , neither presidential candidate scored dramatic blows that will make future highlight reels , and neither veered from campaign themes and policies to date . Moderator Jim Lehrer of PBS had trouble keeping the duo within time limits for responses , especially Obama , who ended up speaking four minutes longer than Romney . Romney criticized Obama 's record and depicted the president 's vision as one of big government , while the Democratic incumbent defended his achievements and challenged his rival 's prescriptions as unworkable . But Romney came off as the more energized candidate overall by repeatedly attacking Obama on red-meat issues for Republicans such as health care reform and higher taxes , while the president began with lengthy explanations and only later focused more on what his opponent was saying . The former governor 's strongest moments came in criticizing Obama 's record , saying the nation 's high unemployment and sluggish economic recovery showed the president 's policies have n't worked . Complete coverage of CNN fact-checking the candidates . `` There 's no question in my mind if the president is re-elected , you 'll continue to see a middle-class squeeze , '' Romney said , adding that another term for Obama also will mean the 2010 Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare , `` will be fully installed . '' At another point , he noted how $ 90 billion spent on programs and policies to develop alternative energy sources could have been devoted to hiring teachers or other needs that would bring down unemployment . Obama argued his policies were working to bring America back from the financial and economic crisis he inherited , and that Romney refused to divulge specifics about his proposed tax plans and replacements for the health care law and Wall Street reform that the Republican has pledged to repeal . At crossroads of economic crisis , debate disappoints . In one of his strongest lines of the night , Obama said Romney lacked the important leadership quality of being able to say `` no '' when necessary . `` I 've got to tell you , Governor Romney , when it comes to his own party during the course of this campaign , has not displayed that willingness to say no to some of the more extreme parts of his party , '' Obama said in reference to his challenger 's swing to the right during the primaries to appeal to the GOP 's conservative base . Romney rejected Obama 's characterization of his tax plan , insisting it wo n't add to the deficit , and criticized the president 's call to allow tax rates on income over $ 250,000 for families and $ 200,000 for individuals to return to higher 1990s rates as a job-snuffing tax hike on small business . Romney repeatedly went after Obama on the health care reform bill , criticizing the president for focusing so strongly on a measure that passed with no Republican support instead of devoting more attention to creating jobs . `` I just do n't know how the president could have come into office , facing 23 million people out of work , rising unemployment , an economic crisis at the -- at the kitchen table , and spend his energy and passion for two years fighting for Obamacare instead of fighting for jobs for the American people , '' Romney said . `` The right answer is not to have the federal government take over health care , '' Romney added , quickly noting his plan would include popular provisions of Obamacare such as allowing children up to age 26 stay on family plans and preventing insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . Read a transcript of the debate . With polls narrowing less than five weeks before Election Day , Obama and Romney launched a new phase in a bitter race dominated so far by negative advertising as both camps try to frame the election to their advantage . Whether it matters is itself a topic of debate . According to an analysis by Gallup , televised debates have affected the outcome of only two elections in the past half century -- Nixon-Kennedy in 1960 and Bush-Gore in 2000 . 25 funniest tweets about the debate .
NEW : Ryan , Romney say debate offered voters a clear choice . The Obama campaign says Mitt Romney was dishonest . Republicans crow about the first debate ; Democrats downplay it . Analysts and a snap poll say Mitt Romney won the opening round .