Obama Camp: 'We've Always Run This Race Like We're Five Points Down'

The Obama campaign brushed off the president’s slip in the polls today, with spokeswoman Jen Psaki maintaining they’ve “always run this race like we’re five points down.”

“‘We think it’s going to be close to the end. That’s why we have such an active schedule. That’s why the President is out there campaigning.’ Second quote: ‘We’re going to run like we’re five points down, no matter what the polls say.’ Third: ‘We always thought this race was going to be close. We still believe that.’ Those are three things that I said — September 1st, September 27th and October 7th,” she told reporters at today’s White House press briefing alongside press secretary Jay Carney.

“We know that there are going to be many ups and downs, some that you referenced, over the next couple of days. We have blinders on. We’re implementing our own game plan. We’re focused on getting our supporters out, communicating the choice, and we’ll sleep on November 7th, not October 7th,” Psaki continued.

One of those events over the next couple days — Thursday, to be specific — is Vice President Biden debating House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

“It really is the case that the Vice President is an exceptional spokesman for the principles that are the foundation of the President’s policies when it comes to his economic agenda and the need to build our economy from the middle out,” Carney, who worked for Biden for two years, interjected into Psaki’s answers.

Psaki said Obama’s biggest takeaway from last week’s debate is “the shaky relationship Mitt Romney has with the facts.”

“And that certainly is something that the President will take into account as he’s looking ahead to the next debate,” she said. “Beyond that, tune in next week.”