Obama and Romney Post Convention Speeches: What Do They Have to Say About the U.S. Economy?

Campaign season is in full swing, with both President Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney touring the US in an effort to win over key swing states. Although there was spike in President Obama's approval rating after the Democratic National Convention, this November promises to be a tight race.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama spoke in Las Vegas, noting the ineffectiveness of economic deregulation during the Bush Administration.

 "After all we've been through, does anybody actually believe rolling back regulations on Wall Street is actually going to help struggling small-business people here in Las Vegas?"

"We are not going back, we are going forward - we are going forward, Nevada - and that's why I'm running for a second term," he added.

On Thursday, Obama's visit to Colorado focused largely on the economy.

"We don't believe in a top-down, trickle-down economy that says to everybody you're on your own. We believe the economy grows from the middle class out, from the bottom up," said the President.

Obama attacked the GOP's approach to economics, and asserted, "I've cut taxes-for folks who need it."

"Tax cuts in good times, tax cuts in bad times, tax cuts when we're in peace, tax cuts when we're at war. Tax cuts to lose a few extra pounds...whatever ails you," he joked.

In FairFax, Virginia, Romney took a jab at President Obama, stating: "He's out of ideas, he's out of excuses, and we're going to make sure that in November you put him out of office."

Governor Romney riffed off of Obama's 2008 campaign, saying "we want real change and I'm going to bring real change to get America working again."

"We got to help people get the skills they need for jobs. We've got to make sure our schools are competitive in the world. We can't continue to have schools in the bottom third of the world. I want to make sure we put our kids, and the teachers and the parents first and put the unions behind us," he continued.

A strong theme in Romney's speech was the need for strong American leadership in the world.

"We're going to make sure we have the jobs that we need. America's going to remain strong and we're going to make sure we remain the hope of the earth."

"A strong America is essential to the world," Romney said. "It's essential to us and to our future but also to the world."