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Official campaign rallies can free Obama up to take more direct aim at Romney. Until now, Obama has used Romney’s name sparingly, often choosing instead to cloak his criticisms of Romney in attacks against generic Republicans.

Some Democrats saw Saturday’s rallies as a chance for Obama to put Republicans on notice that he plans to be an aggressor in the race.

“What we’ve seen too many times in the past is Democrats are way too meek in defining their opponents or defining themselves in an election,” said Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist. “This president is not going to let the Republicans define him.”

Obama’s speeches Saturday weren’t expected to differ greatly from what he’s been saying in fundraisers or what his team has said in the campaign.

David Axelrod, an Obama senior adviser, said the president wasn’t a candidate who “reinvents himself week to week,” as Axelrod poked at Romney’s sometimes shifting positions. Instead, Axelrod and other advisers Obama would reinforce broader themes of advocating for the middle class and trying to portray Romney as the candidate for the wealthiest Americans.