With a lackluster debate performance Wednesday, President Barack Obama is seeing a slide in his poll numbers. According to the website RealClearPolitics an average of national polls shows the president ahead by 1.4 percent.

Four years ago, on this same date, then-Sen. Barack Obama was ahead by 6.2 percent.

Eight years ago on this day, President George W. Bush was ahead of John Kerry by 1.2 percent.

It is too early to tell if Friday’s unemployment figure of 7.8 percent will give the president any kind of bump, or if voters will buy Republicans’ argument that the number is a reminder of how slow the recovery on Main Street has been.

Mitt Romney won the first debate because he made it a night about the economy.

The president lost not only because of that, but because he failed to attack Romney on such crushingly obvious weaknesses like his infamous 47 percent comment.

With just 31 days until the election, this race is razor tight. While the protected numbers in the Electoral College show the president with an edge, there is room for movement here as well.

In the end, the vice-presidential debate this Thursday will likely not sway voters. But when former Gov. Romney and the president debate again on Oct. 16 and again on Oct. 22, they will need their “A” game. Those final debates may just determine the outcome.