FORT BLISS, Texas – His convention turn coming fast, President Barack Obama on Friday began sprinting toward his one of his last, best shots to win over voters, ready to promise better days even for those who do not feel better off. Rival Mitt Romney, flush with confidence after his party’s convention, declared: “We love this country and we’re taking it back.”

Both angling for the aura of leadership, Romney swooped in on rain-drenched Louisiana, while Obama stood with troops in Texas and reminded the nation that he ended the war in Iraq. Obama, too, will visit the storm-battered Louisiana on Monday, a move the White House said was decided before Romney revealed his plans.

The race for the White House suddenly felt more urgent, a final heated day of August giving way to a two-month stretch in which many voters will get serious about making their choices – or even voting for one in the states that allow early balloting.