WASHINGTON — When President Obama landed in Cleveland recently to give a speech on the crucial subject of the American economy, a campaign bus plastered with the logo of Mitt Romney showed up, honking. Then circling around. Then honking some more.

When Romney traveled through Pennsylvania on a six-state bus tour, Democrats dispatched protesters, including former governor Ed Rendell, to a WaWa convenience store where Romney was slated to appear. Romney diverted his bus to a different WaWa, spurring calls of cowardice from the Democrats.