Mitt Romney walks onto a stage in Virginia with a bounce in a step and a smile on his face after a being declared the unofficial winner of the first presidential debate.

Romney wasted no time in labeling the president's policies out of date.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY SAYING:

"What you didn't hear last night from the president is why it is the next four years are possibly going to be better than the last four years. He doesn't have a way to explain that, because he has the same policies for the next four years as he had for the last four years. He said go forward; I call it be forewarned."

Romney badly needed the debate win after weeks of gaffes and low poll numbers. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll now has Romney viewed positively by 51 percent of voters.

Obama's favorability remaned unchanged at 56 percent.