Maggie Haberman passes along the results of a recent focus group in Columbus, Ohio:
The first presidential debate gave these voters a reason to consider Governor Romney, and many of them express admiration for his business experience. But the bottom line is that, while the debate was important it was not determinative. Romney got the attention of people who largely had tuned him out. He was able to shake off the "frozen smile" that previously characterized him to so many. These Columbus swing voters are not ready to switch on the basis of one debate, but they are open to being persuaded if Romney continues to outshine Obama. The stakes are now even higher for the second debate.
The report also attempts to define Romney's other problem:
The bottom line for Romney is that when voters are asked what relative he would be in their family, he ends up as the "step dad": no blood kin, but someone who accepts you only because he has to. He has never been able to close that emotional linkage with the voters. The question ahead of him is whether he can gain the respect and success labels that would give voters a reason to support him.
The Dish 