On Wednesday, President Obama said in an interview previewing Thursday's vice presidential debate that "Joe just needs to be Joe."

Last night, Joe was Joe. The question is whether Vice President Biden was effective in convincing undecided voters to favor the Democratic ticket. This morning, Democrats argue that Vice President Biden reinvigorated their base, which was left startled by the President's debut performance against Governor Mitt Romney. But Republicans are making hay of the laughs and grins and exasperation that Biden showed during last night's debate in Kentucky.

A CNN/ORC post-debate snap poll suggests that 48 percent of likely voters think Rep. Paul Ryan won the debate last night, while 44 percent give the night to Vice President Biden. CBS News conducted a similar poll of undecided voters and reached a very different conclusion, with 50 percent casting Biden the winner, and only 31 percent saying the same for Ryan.

You've had a night's sleep to think about it - who won last night's debate? Let us know @NowWithAlex

Magid CPI: VP Debate: A Debate With Clarity and Fervor; Polls: In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold; EU wins 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, despite debt crisis 

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Twitter: Nobel Peace Prize; #vpdebate; Libya

Twitter Political Index: Obama 26 (-3)/Romney 20 (+0)

YouTube: Please Move The Deer Crossing

YouTube Politics: Joe Biden: 'Stuff' has same meaning as 'malarkey'

Billboard (Hot 100): One More Night – Maroon 5; Gangnam Style – PSY; Live While We’re Young – One Direction

Billboard (Ringtones): Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen; No Lie – 2 Chainz Featuring Drake; Pontoon – Little Big Town

Over the last couple of days, national polls have hit us like whiplash, with Governor Romney leading one day and President Obama leading the next. 

Today, more head-spinning data came out--this time from the swing states that will determine the outcome of the election. The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist surveys from Florida and Virginia show a tightening race, with President Obama and Governor Romney locked in a statistical tie. In Ohio--the state that could really determine the election--the President maintains a small lead.

One of most interesting points in the polls is this: an overwhelming majority of people surveyed had made up their minds before the debate.

This morning, as the Vice Presidential nominees put the finishing touches on their debate prep, a new NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll underscores the importance of their face-off and the tightening of this race.

Our new "FLOHVA"poll - surveying key battlegrounds that could very well determine the outcome of the election - illustrates the momentum Governor Mitt Romney has gained since he debated President Obama last week. In Ohio, the President leads Governor Romney 51-45 percent, up from 51-43 since Oct. 1. In Florida, the race remains a statistical dead heat: President Obama tops Governor Romney 48-47 percent, the same 1-point spread we saw at the beginning of the month (47-46). And in Virginia, a 3-point reversal, with Governor Romney ahead of the President 48-47 percent, up from 48-46 in the Oct. 1 survey.

This latest poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percent and was taken Oct. 7-9. It confirms the trend seen in other recent polls (reported here on this blog). Interestingly, 90% of respondents to the NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll said that the first presidential debate did not influence their decision.

For anyone who hasn't seen Frontline's "The Choice 2012," it's highly recommended (and features many familiar faces to the NOW audience).

Magid CPI: Romney Campaign: Voters Give Romney Better Grades for Leadership, Polls in 3 States Find; Obama campaign: Obama Vows 'Determined' Performance at Next Debate; USADA report slams Lance Armstrong 

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Twitter Political Index: Obama 29 (-4)/Romney 20 (+0)

YouTube: "Eye Of The Sparrow" — A Bad Lip Reading of the First 2012

YouTube Politics: FRONTLINE | "The Choice 2012" (full episode, English) | PBS

Billboard (Hot 100): One More Night – Maroon 5; Gangnam Style – PSY; Some Nights – fun.

Billboard (Ringtones): Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen; No Lie – 2 Chainz Featuring Drake; Pontoon – Little Big Town

The etch-a-sketch may be broken -- worn down from wear. The white board is stained -- erased too many times. Yesterday, Governor Mitt Romney told the Des Moines Register, "There's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda." The remarkable part of this statement is not that it runs counter to the position he's held for this entire campaign, but rather that it aligns with the view he espoused more than a decade ago when he was running for a different office. Step right up and punch your ticket for the Merry-go-Mitt. If you don't like what he's saying at this moment, inevitably he will pivot to a view you agree with.

For nearly a week now, Governor Romney's beef with Big Bird has dominated the news cycle, obscuring the larger issue at hand: education.

Under Romney's plan, the federal government would likely play a much smaller role in the classroom. Privately, he has promised to reduce the size of the Department of Education. Publicly, he has proposed a voucher-like system that would take billions of dollars in Title 1 and IDEA funding now given to schools and direct it to students so they can take it with them to the public or private institution of their choice. The idea is untested, but it is popular with his conservative base, which wants the federal government to stay out of the curriculum and testing business. 

Alex and the panel took a short break from the presidential race to take a closer look at some of the more interesting down-ballot contests that could determine which party holds the majority in the 113th Congress. The "Sage of Capitol Hill" Luke Russert lent his expertise to the discussion, explaining that while President Obama will no doubt help down-ballot Democrats in blue states like Connecticut and Massachusetts, many other Senate races -- as well as the majority of House races -- will be fought and won based on local issues unrelated to the goings-on at the top of the ticket.

The Cook Political Report currently forecasts the House of Representatives staying in Republican hands, though the GOP's current 25-seat advantage may be culled by 1-10 seats. A Republican takeover in the Senate -- seen as inevitable earlier in the cycle due to the political climate and the sheer number of Democrats (23) being forced to defend their seats compared to Republicans (10) -- is no longer a sure thing, though Cook still expects the GOP to pick up 2-4 seats.

AP

Governor Mitt Romney's recent rise in the polls following his debate performance last week has triggered a new conversation, focusing on the emergence of a softer, more centrist candidate. Perhaps not surprisingly, that's provoked many allusions to the "Moderate Mitt" who served as Governor of Massachusetts.

The most recent example? An interview with the Des Moines Register in which Governor Romney said that legislation on abortion would not be part of his presidential agenda. Soon after the candidate gave that interview, Team Romney issued a clarification, saying that "Gov. Romney would of course support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life." Nevertheless, it was a telling example of the Republican nominee's recent strategy shift.

While in Iowa Governor Romney also told the story of a meeting several years ago with one of the Navy SEALs killed in the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.

Bo Obama provokes some #RealTalk from Pres. & Mrs. Obama on his birthday.

Magid CPI: Romney Campaign: Abortion not on my agenda; Obama Campaign: Tells Supporters, Steady On; Teen blogger shot by Taliban 'critical' after surgery 

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Twitter: Nobel Prize; #ISS; Happy Hump Day

Twitter Political Index: Obama 33 (+7)/Romney 20 (+5)

YouTube: People Are Awesome HD

YouTube Politics: Happy Birthday Bo Obama

Billboard (Hot 100): One More Night – Maroon 5; Gangnam Style – PSY; Some Nights – fun.

Billboard (Ringtones): Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen; Pontoon – Little Big Town; Whistle – Flo Rida

On today's show Alex and her panel dissected the various strengths and weaknesses of Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan going into Thursday night's debate in Danville, Kentucky.

Both candidates are currently hunkered down in their respective debate camps, with Vice President Biden reportedly practicing on a debate stage that is a perfect replica of the one that will be used by the candidates at Centre College Thursday night.

Among other things, we also learned that Alex could literally "watch old Biden debate tape forever," that polls show voters predicting a Ryan victory going into the contest, that New York Magazine‘s John Heilemann believes 'Scranton Joe’ is "systematically underrated" as a debater and that Paul Ryan's wizardry with a whiteboard may not necessarily help him to connect with viewers watching at home.

So far this election cycle, outside groups, including those money-hungry Super PACs, have spent $641 million on races across the country. Yes, you read that right, $641 million.

Much of the attention has been focused on the portion of that staggering tab that has gone to fund a deluge of swing state ads aimed at swaying the presidential race. But what has gotten far less attention is the outsized spending on those critical down ballot races that will determine which party takes control of the House of Representatives at the beginning of next year. To date, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, outside interest groups have spent nearly $84 million dollars on House races this election cycle. On just the general election alone, the New York Times reports that outside groups have spent at least $38.5 million.

It was the most talked about poll of the day, and perhaps the moment conservatives have been waiting for since Governor Romney stepped off the debate stage last Wednesday night. A new survey by Pew Research shows Governor Romney with a four point lead nationally -- outside the margin of error and a 12-point swing from a month ago. Equally striking is the shift among women, who supported President Obama 56%-38% in September, but were split at 47%-47% in the latest poll.

Actress Bridget Moynahan took some time away from the set of her show Blue Bloods (Friday nights at 10 p.m. on CBS) to talk to Alex about her work with the early education organization, Jumpstart. Check it out!