Without A Record To Run On, Obama Has Resorted To Negative Ads Attacking Mitt Romney

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl Fact Checks Obama On Negative Ads: “Over The Past Month, Obama’s Own Campaign Has Run Its Ads More Than 68,000 Times, Nearly 80% Of Them Attacking Mitt Romney.” “KARL: ‘Turn on the T.V. in one of these states, and you’d think the election was next week. A bombardment of political ads, the vast majority brutally negative.’ OBAMA: ‘Most of the ads are negative and at a certain point, people get discouraged and start feeling like nobody in Washington is listening.’ KARL: “That’s right. Over the past month, Obama’s own campaign has run its ads more than 68,000 times, nearly 80% of them attacking Mitt Romney. Negative and loose with the facts. Take this Obama ad. OBAMA AD: ‘Romney’s never stood up to China. All he’s ever done is send them our jobs.’KARL: ‘But that’s not true. Romney’s former company Bain Capital may have invested in companies with operations in China, but there is no evidence that they shipped any U.S. jobs there under Romney’s leadership.’”(ABC’s “ABC World News,” 7/9/12)

76 Percent Of The 68,443 Obama Ads That Have Aired Over The Last 30 Days Have Been Negative. “Off the 68,443 ads that Obama has run on TV (local broadcast, national network & national cable) in the 30-day period ended July 2, 52,016 had an ‘anti-Romney message’ - 76 percent of the total, according to New York-based Kantar Media’s CMAG, which monitors campaign advertising.” (Mark Silva, “$10 M Checks, Obama Complains - Yet Look Who’s Gone Negative,” Bloomberg, 7/6/12)

Recent Polls Reveal The Ineffectiveness Of Obama’s Negative Ads

“Obama’s Relentless Assault On Mitt Romney’s Business Record Are Also Showing No Real Signs Of Significantly Shaping The Race.” “Obama’s relentless assault on Mitt Romney’s business record are also showing no real signs of significantly shaping the race. Sixty percent of voters say that Bain makes no difference, while 23 percent say it makes them less likely to vote for him. Seventy-three percent of voters say that Romney’s wealth makes no difference.” (Byron Tau, “Poll: Voters Blame Obama For The Economy,” Politico’s ” 44,” 7/18/12)

Six In Ten Voters Say Romney’s Bain Experience Will Not Affect Their Vote. “Six in 10 voters surveyed said Mr. Romney’s experience at Bain would not affect their vote, though other polls in swing states have indicated that the ads are influencing perceptions about his business experience.” (Jim Rutenberg and Marjorie Connelly, “Economic Fears Hurting Obama, Poll Indicates,” The New York Times , 7/18/12)

“The Economic News Is Overwhelming Everything Else, Including The Attacks On Mitt Romney’s Tenure At Bain Capital.” “The takeaway from this poll is similar to the one drawn from the CBS/New York Times data: the economic news is overwhelming everything else, including the attacks on Mitt Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital and his refusal to release his tax returns.” (Sam Stein, “Mitt Romney Ties It Up In Virginia: Poll,” The Huffington Post, 7/19/12)

“Most Voters Say Romney’s Personal Wealth - Estimated By The Candidate To Be At Least $190 Million - And His Experience As The Head Of The Private Equity Firm Bain Capital Will Not Impact Their Vote.” “Most voters say Romney’s personal wealth - estimated by the candidate to be at least $190 million - and his experience as the head of the private equity firm Bain Capital will not impact their vote. Seventy-three percent say Romney’s wealth will make no difference to their vote, while 60 percent say his Bain experience will not impact their vote.” (Brian Montopoli, “Most Say Romney Policies Favor The Rich,” CBS News, 7/18/12)

While Romney Is “Under Fire For His Record At Bain… Polling For Obama Has Only Worsened.” “In the face of unending Democratic attacks, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign’s message is this: this is as bad as it gets. Under fire for his record at Bain and his failure to release more than two years of tax returns, and as his own message has skipped ineffectually from one attack on Obama to the next, polling for Obama has only worsened.” (Zeke Miller, “Romney Campaign: It Gets Better,” BuzzFeed, 7/19/12)

FORMER CONGRESSMAN HAROLD FORD JR. (D-TN) DISAGREES WITH OBAMA’S ATTACKS

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Former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Said He Would Not Have Backed Off Mayor Booker’s Comments About Private Equity And Called Private Equity A “Good Thing In Many, Many Instances.” FORMER REP. HAROLD FORD JR. (D-TN): “I would not have backed off the comments if I were Mayor Booker. I understand him wanting to make the point that legitimate questions can be raised about whether or not at Bain they made bad decisions about certain -overall, I agree with the substance - the substance of his comments on Meet The Press, I agree with, the core of it, I would not have backed them out. Having said that, I understand as a surrogate for the campaign, you have to have one of your key and most eloquent and most effective surrogates at least clarify or bring some context to his statements. But I agree with him, private equity is not a bad thing. Matter of fact, private equity is a good thing in many, many instances.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/21/12)

OBAMA SURROGATE MAYOR CORY BOOKER SAYS HE’S “VERY UNCOMFORTABLE” WITH OBAMA’S LINE OF ATTACK

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Mayor Cory Booker (D-Newark, NJ): “I have to say from a very personal level I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity. To me, it’s just, we’re getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially, I know, I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record, they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses, and this to me, I’m very uncomfortable with.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 5/20/12)

FORMER OBAMA ECON ADVISER STEVEN RATTNER CALLED OBAMA’S AD “UNFAIR”

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Former Obama Economic Adviser Steven Rattner: “I Think The Ad Is Unfair… I Don’t Think There’s Anything Bain Capital Did That They Need To Be Embarrassed About.” “Former Obama administration auto czar Steven Rattner said Monday that the Obama campaign’s renewed attack on Mitt Romney’s time in private equity was ‘unfair.’ ‘I think the ad is unfair.’ Rattner said. ‘Mitt Romney made a mistake ever talking about the fact that he created 100,000 jobs.’…’Bain Capital’s responsibility was not to create 100,000 jobs or some other number. It was to create profits for its investors,’ Rattner said. ‘It did it superbly well, acting within the rules, acting very responsibly,’ Rattner said. ‘This is part of capitalism, this is part of life. I don’t think there’s anything Bain Capital did that they need to be embarrassed about.’” (Byron Tau, “Ex-Obama Adviser: Latest Anti-Romney Ad Is ‘Unfair’,” Politico , 5/14/12)