Mitt Romney made his last campaign appearance before Wednesday’s presidential debate in Colorado. At a rally in Denver, Romney said he looked forward to having a month-long conversation with Americans about the different paths he and President Barack Obama would take America.

Romney emphasized how much better small businesses would fare under his administration and honed in against 'card check' legislation, which would end the right of employees to secretly cast their votes on whether they want to join a union. Romney said Obama would push such legislation hard in a second term. 

Additionally, Romney promised he would preserve the “right to vote by secret ballot. Colorado has upwardly-mobile, pro-business independents, and Romney needs them in order to carry a crucial state Obama won in 2008. Right now, Obama and Romney are essentially tied in Colorado, and Romney has been beating Obama among independents in multiple polls. 

In addition to winning independent voters in places like Jefferson, Arapahoe, and Larimer Counties, Romney needs to maximize the number of conservatives and military voters in areas like Colorado Springs that turnout for him to win Colorado. 

Legendary former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, who endorsed Romney earlier in they day, introduced Romney at the rally.