ABC's Luis Martinez got the numbers crunched by the Pentagon: The U.S. Army has 419,155 bayonets and 176 horses. http://abcn.ws/Vn0TgZ

But debates are so Mid-October. It's off to the races!

Romney Ekes Slight* Edge in New ABC Post Poll - Romney edges ahead of Obama for first time since August in the new ABC News / Washington Post poll. That is a statistically insignificant change from yesterday in the now-daily tracking poll - http://abcn.ws/SnIyzY

*Gary Langer: "Slight is the word: Taking it to two decimals (for illustration only - not to imply false precision), Romney has 48.51 percent support, Obama 48.44 percent - about as close as it can be. Still, with rounding, Romney's 1-point numerical edge is his first since an ABC/Post poll Aug. 25."

Addressing Empathy - Paul Ryan to Make Conservative Pitch on Poverty - Shush Walshe reports: Just two weeks before voters cast their ballots, Paul Ryan will try out a new argument: The Republican ticket will do more to help the poor. He will spell out a conservative, non-government-focused model for addressing poverty.

According to a Ryan aide, the GOP vice presidential candidate will use a speech in Cleveland on Wednesday to "make the case that Americans stuck in poverty cannot afford four more years like the last four and that Mitt Romney offers a better pathway for low-income Americans to improve their lives through opportunity and upward mobility than the failed policies of President Obama."

An argument that their world view will do more to help the American poor could represent an attempt by the Ryan and the Romney campaign to address the perception among voters that they lack empathy.

According to ABC News pollster Gary Langer, empathy can be a "significant independent predictor of vote preferences."

President Obama leads Romney by 7 points, 51 to 44 percent, on "who better understands the economic problems people in this country are having," according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Wednesday.

Her full report: http://abcn.ws/RiSGKQ

Anybody else gaming out 269-269 Scenarios? http://abcn.ws/T8PvmF (Elizabeth Hartfield is.)

Obama Campaign Argues Early Voting Edge - http://abcn.ws/P0iX2k

Obama A d O verstates J ob C reation by A bout 5 M illion J obs in new ad - http://yhoo.it/TwP4Jj Factcheck.org - According to the most recent employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy has seen a net gain of 325,000 jobs since January 2009, when Obama took office. That includes millions lost in the first two years of his presidency. And millions created in the second two.

Romney Compares Obama Campaign to Sinking Ship - http://abcn.ws/Tx57H6

Biden Praises Obama's Debate Effort, Says Romney Stuck in the Past - Vice President Joe Biden today praised President Obama's performance in Monday night's debate, pointing to Mitt Romney's showing as an indication that his foreign, social and economic policies are stuck in the past. http://abcn.ws/Rfupqx (Arlette Saenz)

Presidential Debate: Neocons Laud Romney's Performance - Chris Good reports: Mitt Romney sounded downright dovish Monday night in Boca Raton, Fla., telling about 54 million TV viewers that "Our purpose is to make sure the world is more … peaceful. We want a peaceful planet." But that didn't stop Romney's more hawkish supporters from lauding his performance in the last of three presidential debates, whose focus was foreign policy. Danielle Pletka, vice president of foreign and defense policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, once called Mitt Romney a "bit of a weathervane" on Afghanistan.

But she approved of him last night. "It wouldn't have done an enormous amount of good to say he wants to rush in and renegotiate it," Pletka said. "Here's an issue where there's an accusation that the president did the wrong thing, but the ability to turn it off is fairly limited."

Pletka added a note of caution: "I think conservatives have rallied around the GOP candidate. Does that mean that then if he's elected he gets a pass? Not a chance." http://abcn.ws/TEvbKC

Voter ID Laws and Latinos - Emily Deruy from Univision looks at a NALEO report that suggests up to 124,000 Latinos stand to be impacted by restrictions to early voting in Florida alone, one of the most critical battleground states in the presidential race. Of the 219,000 who may be immediately impacted, NALEO estimates that 95,000 voters lack required government-issued IDs. http://abcn.ws/Te4j82

President Says Obamacare Can Take Care of 'Romnesia' - President Obama began the two-week sprint to Election Day today by employing a new, two-pronged strategy, continuing to assail Mitt Romney for shifting from past policy positions, while releasing a web video and brochure detailing his second term plans. http://abcn.ws/SgfJr0

Obama Glossy Touts Second-Term Agenda - Exactly 14 days before voters hit the polls, President Obama released a glossy, magazine-style brochure outlining his plan for a second term. http://abcn.ws/UwQ3cy (Devin Dwyer)

Bill and Hillary Share Romantic Moment In Haiti- As President Obama and Mitt Romney faced off in their final debate about foreign policy, two of America's most experienced global politicians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton traveled on a one-day trip to Haiti. The purpose of the trip was philanthropic, but the couple left a little room for romance, reminiscing about the last time they were in the country together for their honeymoon more than 37 years ago. http://abcn.ws/XOpPB2 (Dana Hughes)

Obama Made Up For First Debate, Biden Says. Romney Showed 'Temperament' We Need, Ryan Says-Vice President Biden said his boss "clearly" made up for his performance in the first presidential debate and the overnight polls seemed to agree, giving President Obama a win in last night's foreign policy debate against Mitt Romney. http://abcn.ws/PnyRoW (George Stephanopolous)

A Romney-Biden Administration? It Could Happen- It sounds crazy. It would be crazy. But it is possible that this election could result in a President Romney and a Vice President Biden. http://abcn.ws/TPrcvb (Jonathan Karl)