Tag: President Obama

The Obama campaign released a new ad yesterday which points out the choice voters must make, the NYT reports:

Rather than use flashy graphics, ominous-sounding narrators or clever editing, the ad shows Mr. Obama arguing that the election comes down to a choice.

“Not just between two political parties or even two people. It’s a choice between two very different plans for our country,” Mr. Obama says. “Sometimes politics can seem very small. But the choice you face, it couldn’t be bigger.”

Meanwhile, the President was back on the offensive on the campaign trail, Politico reports, discussing another kind of ‘choice’:

“Frankly, the other side can’t sell their ideas so what they’re going to do is distort my vision. Earlier today, Gov. Romney was at it again,” Obama said as the crowd booed. “Knowingly twisting my words to suggest I don’t value small business. In politics, we all tolerate a certain amount of spin. I understand those are the games that get played in political campaigns. Although, when folks like omit entire sentences of what you said, they start kind of splicing and dicing, you may have gone a little over the edge there. But there’s actually a real choice there.”

Mitt Romney and the conservative blogosphere are pushing a selectively edited Obama campaign speech to suggest that the president believes that the government is solely responsible for the successes of small businesses.

Obama’s full remarks, which pointed out that taxpayer-funded infrastructure and services (like public roads) enable businesses to prosper, are true and represent a sentiment shared by Republican leaders. For instance, Mitt Romney himself made an almost identical point during his speech at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics, crediting the community for helping individuals achieve the pinnacle of success:

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ROMNEY: You Olympians, however, know you didn’t get here solely on your own power. For most of you, loving parents, sisters or brothers, encouraged your hopes, coaches guided, communities built venues in order to organize competitions. All Olympians stand on the shoulders of those who lifted them. We’ve already cheered the Olympians, let’s also cheer the parents, coaches, and communities.

Obama echoed this sentiment in his misquoted campaign speech on July 13: “The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together,” he said.

Romney agreed with Obama as recently as last week, saying in a campaign appearance, “I know that you recognize a lot of people help you in a business. Perhaps the bank, the investors. There is no question your mom and dad, your school teachers. The people who provide roads, the fire, the police. A lot of people help.”

From ThinkProgress

The Romney campaign has an unusual spin on this ad: they say President Obama is mocking “America the Beautiful.”

Every day, President Obama hits a new low. It is sad and shameful that President Obama would mock America The Beautiful. But sadly it’s not surprising for the man who launched his presidency with an apology tour. The ‘Uncle Jims’ of our country – as he condescendingly calls middle-class Americans – don’t believe in mocking America The Beautiful and don’t believe in apologizing for America. – Romney for President.

Watch the ad and share how you feel. I see the Obama campaign pointing out the irony of Mitt Romney singing about his love for a country as his Bain Capital “outsourcing” statistics scroll on the screen. Clearly an effective ad.

And clearly the President is not mocking “America the Beautiful.”