( CNN ) -- Republicans raised the question in their convention of whether the country is better off than it was when President Barack Obama was elected , and it does n't seem that Democrats have a convincing argument going into their convention this week . Both Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan had a variation on the theme in their acceptance speeches last week in Tampa , Florida . Romney : `` This president can not tell us that you 're better off today than when he took office . '' Ryan : `` Without a change in leadership , why would the next four years be any different from the last four years ? '' One prominent Democrat said the answer to the question was `` no . '' `` But that 's not the question of this election , '' Maryland Gov . Martin O'Malley said on CBS on Sunday . `` The question , without a doubt , we are not as well off as we were before George Bush brought us the Bush job losses , the Bush recession , the Bush deficits , the series of desert wars -- charged for the first time to credit cards , the national credit cards . '' Republicans pounced on O'Malley 's admission , with Ryan issuing a statement saying it was proof that Obama 's policies are n't working . Two of Obama 's senior advisers would n't give a yes or no answer when asked on Sunday . While Obama senior campaign adviser David Axelrod told Fox News , `` We 're in a better position than we were four years ago , '' he did n't directly answer the question if voters thought they were better off . `` I think the average American recognizes that it took years to create the crisis that erupted in 2008 and peaked in January of 2009 , '' Axelrod said . `` And it 's going to take some time to work through it . '' White House senior adviser David Plouffe had a similar answer on ABC , saying , `` I think everyone understands we were this close to a Great Depression . Because of the leadership of this president , we staved that off . We 're beginning to recover . '' Obama was riding toward the convention in Charlotte , North Carolina , on a speaking tour of Virginia , Iowa and Colorado college campuses hoping to energize young voters , a segment of the electorate critical to his hopes . Younger voters went overwhelmingly for Obama in 2008 and he still holds a lead in the age group in polls , but less decisively than four years ago . Even if they do n't vote Romney , the Obama campaign 's concern is that that segment and the others that helped elect him do n't turn out at the rates they did four years ago . Senior campaign adviser Robert Gibbs told CNN 's Candy Crowley on `` State of the Union '' that no one in Obama 's campaign `` is sitting up here saying this is 2008 . '' But Gibbs did n't think there was a case of buyer 's remorse going into Election Day . `` I do n't think that there is voter disappointment , '' Gibbs said . `` The voters understand that we have been through a traumatic economic experience in the country , unlike anything that we have ever seen . '' And Gibbs said the GOP was n't offering an alternative , only rehashed ideas . `` In Tampa , we saw nothing but insults and old slogans and tired old ideas , '' Gibbs said . `` In Charlotte , the president is going to focus on a plan to provide the middle class in this country necessary and needed security by investing in research and innovation . '' Obama 's campaign has used that theme consistently since Republicans wrapped up their convention last week . The president told an audience in Iowa on Saturday that the GOP message was something that might as well have been viewed on a black and white television . `` It was a rerun . We 'd seen it before , '' Obama said . Obama also challenged Romney over his qualifications to be the country 's commander in chief , pointing out at that same rally in Iowa that Romney had failed to mention Afghanistan in his acceptance speech . `` Gov . Romney had nothing to say about Afghanistan last week , '' Obama said at a campaign rally in Iowa on Saturday . `` Did n't mention it . Did n't offer a plan in terms of how he might end the war or , if he 's not going to end it , he 's got to let people know . '' Romney campaign senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said his candidate had addressed the war in an address to the American Legion the day before his acceptance speech . `` President Obama has allowed our leadership to diminish , '' Romney said in that speech . `` In dealings with other nations , he has given trust where it is not earned , insult where it is not deserved , and apology where it is not due . '' The acceptance speech had a different purpose , Fehrnstrom said , to `` introduce himself to millions of voters who were seeing him for the first time . '' `` We thought that speech was a home run , '' he added .
Obama advisers wo n't answer yes or no on whether voters are better off than in last week . Head of Republicans governors ' group says voters are n't better off -- but that 's not the question . Democratic raised the question during their convention this week . CNN is on a tour of college campuses ahead of his party convention this week .