WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama sought Wednesday to reassure hand-wringing Democrats in the wake of his lackluster first debate, declaring, “I got this.”

Party loyalists, in Washington and in battleground states, are fretting that Obama’s campaign has been slow to rebound after his debate last week against Republican challenger Mitt Romney. They’re worried that the Democratic ticket isn’t being aggressive enough in blocking Romney’s new pivot to the political center. And they fear Romney’s recent effort to show a softer side gives him an opening with female voters, who are crucial to the president’s re-election prospects.

“I’m not feeling very positive,” said Awilda Marquez, a prominent Democrat in Colorado. “I know that it’s only the first debate, but he can’t seem to change the relentless negative coverage. Romney has been able to take control.”