DENVER — An invigorated Mitt Romney basked in rave reviews Thursday after his first face-off with the president, envisioning an inaugural celebration, while President Barack Obama and his allies tried to rebound by vigorously accusing Romney of dishonesty on the debate stage.

Obama told supporters gathered on the brisk autumn morning-after in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park that the Romney who showed up for the debate isn’t the candidate he’s been running against.

“He knows full well that we don’t want what he’s been selling for the last year,” Obama said. “Gov. Romney may dance around his positions, but if you want to be president, you owe the American people the truth.”

Romney’s spokesman dismissed the criticism as “damage control,” while the Republican nominee sent a fundraising email to supporters with the subject “Victory in sight” and was visibly buoyed as he headed out of Denver. Romney laughed with aides at the front of his plane before the entourage broke into clapping and whistles as the pilot announced that the control tower commended the former governor’s performance when the plane was approved for takeoff.