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In 2008 Obama Said Negative Ads Are “Game Playing” And Don’t Do “A Single Thing To Help The American People.”  “But here is the problem; I’m not interested in getting into a tit-for-tat.  These negative ads, these negative attacks, spending all this time talking about me instead of talking about what he is going to do.  That’s not going to lower your gas prices, that’s not going to let you stay in your home if you are falling behind on the mortgage, that’s not going to help you find a job if it’s been shipped overseas; it doesn’t do a single thing to help the American people. Its politics as a game, but the time for game playing is over, that’s why I am running for President of the United States of America.”  (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks In Cedar Rapids, IA, 7/31/08)

Funny How Things Change

In His Reelection “The Democrat Who Once Pledged To Usher In A More Civilized Political Era Has Turned To Highly Critical Commercials.” “To win a second term, the Democrat who once pledged to usher in a more civilized political era has turned to highly critical commercials - at turns personal and snarky - to go toe to toe with Romney in a campaign noteworthy for its negativity and intensity.” (Beth Fouhy, “Obama Negative Ads Could Hurt Personal Popularity,” The Associated Press, 7/24/12)

Obama “Pummel[ed] Mitt Romney With A Volley Of Attack Ads Once Romney Sewed Up The Republican Nomination.” “Barack Obama has made his mistakes as a politician and as a president, but here is one thing he indisputably did right: pummel Mitt Romney with a volley of attack ads once Romney sewed up the Republican nomination.” (Frank Rich, “Frank Rich: Nuke ‘Em,” New York Magazine, 6/17/12)

·         Since April, Obama Has Aired 118,775 Negative Commercials And 56,128 Positive Commercials. “The ratio of negative ads, which are defined as those in which a campaign mentions its rival by name, tells the story. Since April, after Mr. Romney became the presumptive nominee, Mr. Obama broadcast negative commercials 118,775 times compared with 56,128 times for positive commercials.” (Jeff Zeleny, “Obama Team Taking A Gamble Going Negative,” The New York Times, 7/28/12)

·         Obama “Not Only Approves Of His Television Ads” But “He Also Screens Many Of Them In Advance.” “The president not only approves of his television ads, as federal election law requires him to say in each commercial, he also screens many of them in advance, either on his iPad or during a regular Sunday evening meeting with political advisers at the White House.” (Jeff Zeleny, “Obama Team Taking A Gamble Going Negative,” The New York Times, 7/28/12)