On 'This Week': Gov. Chris Christie and David Plouffe

New York, Sept. 28, 2012— -- Days before the critical first presidential debate next week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and White House senior adviser David Plouffe join George Stephanopoulos to discuss the latest in the 2012 presidential contest, Sunday on "This Week."

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will stand on the same stage for the first time next Wednesday in Denver, as they face off in the first presidential debate of the general election. Is the debate showdown make-or-break for Romney, as he looks to turn around his campaign just weeks before Election Day? With the debate's focus on domestic policy, can President Obama defend his first-term record on the economy? And as Obama gains ground in the latest battleground state polls, can Romney do anything to close the gap in the vital swing states that will decide the election?

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and White House senior adviser David Plouffe discuss the 2012 presidential race, Sunday on "This Week."

Plus, the powerhouse roundtable debates all the week's politics, with former Mississippi governor and RNC chair Haley Barbour; former Vermont governor and DNC chair Howard Dean, founder of Democracy for America; Democratic strategist and ABC News contributor Donna Brazile; political strategist and ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd; and POLITICO senior political reporter Maggie Haberman.

While the campaigns play the expectations game, what does each candidate need to do to appeal to voters in the key first debate next week? As the candidates duel on the campaign trail, can Romney re-shape the electoral map with less than 40 days until Election Day? How will Rep. Todd Akin's decision to stay in the Missouri Senate race impact the battle for control of the Senate? And as more details emerge on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, will President Obama be put on the defensive on terrorism and foreign policy?

And "This Week" takes its weekly trip through history in "What Year Was It?" See the whole political picture, Sunday on "This Week."