The Obama campaign is out with a haunting new TV ad going after Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments, using the Republican nominee’s own words as the soundtrack of the ad.
The 30-second spot, “My Job,” plays audio from Romney’s now-infamous May fundraiser, where he talked about the 47 percent of Americans he says won’t vote for him. His words are played over images of families, manufacturing workers, veterans, and minorities.
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what—who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it," Romney says in the ad against images of working-class Americans, some of them on the job. "And they will vote for this president no matter what. And so my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
This new spot is strikingly similar to a previous ad, “Firms,” that was praised by analysts as effective. It used sound of Romney singing “America the Beautiful” over text that described Romney’s foreign investments and alleged shipping of jobs overseas as governor.
Obama's new 47 percent ad is set to air in New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, and Colorado—the same states that were tapped for a second, more positive Obama ad also released Thursday. In that two-minute ad, Obama makes a straight-to-camera pitch for his plans for a second term.
States noticeably not on the list include North Carolina and Wisconsin, two places where both candidates are looking to make gains.
In light of more disappointing economic numbers on Thursday, the Romney campaign renewed its attack on the president on the jobs front.
“The Obama economy is officially stuck in neutral,” Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement. “The nation’s second-quarter GDP growth was slashed to 1.3 percent and manufacturing orders plummeted to their lowest point since President Obama first took office. It’s clear our nation’s job creators and manufacturers can’t afford another four years like the last four years. As president, Mitt Romney will deliver a real recovery, with 12 million new jobs, higher take-home pay, and a stronger middle class.”
Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.
Leave A Comment