James Devaney/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- Mitt Romney loped around Derry, N.H., Tuesday morning, riding high after Monday night's first debate in the nation's first primary state. In comments with reporters, he kept his focus on President Obama, but also seemed to direct some criticism at a Republican rival.
His campaign this time is a lot different than five years ago when he lost the Republican nomination, he told a tangle of reporters following his hour-long walk around Derry.
"Five years ago it was 'who the heck are you?' and now it's 'Oh yeah, I know who you are," he told reporters following him around in Derry, where he engaged in some traditional retail politicking, introducing himself to voters.
The former Massachusetts governor was well-received by locals at a diner, where he posed for pictures, recommended the waffles, and kept the talk on sports: Bruins and Red Sox.
Walking down Broadway in Derry, a man yelled out of a dump truck, "Way to go, Mitt. You got my vote!"
That man, Ron McPhail, a roofer who supported Romney in 2008, did not watch the debate Monday night, but turned his dump truck around and came over to meet Romney. McPhail later said he has not been affected by the bad economy.
But Mary Ellen Zarba, who stopped Romney on the street, complained that her husband has lived for three years as a civil engineer in Saudi Arabia because "there's no jobs in this country."
Romney told Zarba that President Obama is to blame.
New Hampshire is home turf for Romney, who owns a summer home in the state.
During a press conference, Romney did not mention his rivals for the Republican nomination, instead targeting President Obama, who he said doesn't recognize there is an economic crisis.
"The President has been celebrating the auto industry coming back. Recognize at the same time we've seen unemployment go to 9.1 percent. He indicated this is just a bump on the road. This isn't just a bump on the road, these are Americans," said Romney, referring to the president's argument that the recovery will take time.
"The president is just not connected to what is happening in America and his policies have failed us," said Romney.
Romney said he thought all the Republican candidates did well at the debate -- "everybody was lifted a little bit."
He directed some gentle, but clear jibes at former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Romney lamented that he did not get asked a question about the economy, and said he does agree with a lot of what the other candidates said Monday, particularly Tim Pawlenty.
Drawing an analogy, he said he didn't know who would win a debate between former GE CEO Jack Welch and a business student. But there's no question who is better equipped to run a business.
"A lot of people can say the same words, but to understand what those words mean and to actually craft solutions that work to create jobs, in that circumstance it's helpful to have actually created jobs, to understand how an economy works because you've worked in it."
"To create jobs it helps to have had a job," he said.
On whether his health reform record and the Massachusetts health plan he signed into law will continue to dog him: "If people want to look at what's happening in Massachusetts, why, I'm not running for governor of Massachusetts. I'm running for president of the United States and my plan is for the nation."
And asked about Afghanistan: "We would not make a decision on withdrawal dates based on cash flow or based upon political favors or political benefit, but instead based upon the ability of the Afghan troops to preserve independence in their country."
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio
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Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty is trying to position himself as the party's biggest defender of Israel as his campaign for the nomination appears to be stagnating.
