COLUMBUS, Ohio (MCT) — His tepid debate performance has turned a September surge into an October swoon, and President Barack Obama has traded his campaign swagger for a more urgent posture, insisting to supporters that he will finish strong and calling on them to step up as well.

After a weekend trip heavy with fundraising stops, Obama returned to more traditional campaigning Tuesday in Ohio, the state that his team has long viewed as a potential bulwark against Romney. It was his 30th trip there since taking office and the 15th in 2012.