Kicking Mitt in Ohio
The Obama campaign is airing a new TV add in Ohio that's likely to help the president's lead in a critical state.
Kicking Mitt in Ohio
John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist
It might not quite be kicking Mitt while he's down (the national race remains close), but a new Obama TV ad is sure a swift kick in Ohio
The 30-second ad titled "No Taxes" is running this week in a state critical to the November outcome since. as we are constantly reminded, no Republican has ever won the presidency without also winning Ohio.
The spot hits two major campaign highlights that clearly help the president: it reprises Mitt's 47-percent comments and tags him again for not releasing all his past income tax records.
You can see the ad here.
It comes at a time Mitt is struggling to get back on his feet and back on message that Obama hasn't done enough to spur economic recovery.
It also comes as the president leads in Ohio, according to the latest polls, including an Enquirer/Ohio Newspaper Organization poll showing Obama with a 5-point lead.
"Mitt Romney attacked 47% of Americans who pay no income tax," says a narrator, "including veterans, elderly, the disabled."
Then a portion of the clip from Romney's now-famous hidden-camera remarks at a Florida fundraiser last May plays: "My job is not to worry about those people."
Nevermind Romney clearly was speaking about politicial strategy (albeit questionable strategy since any well-managed campaign should "worry" about groups of voters not likely to support it and work hard to blunt rather than encourage such non-support), the quote makes it seem Mitt doesn't care about half the country.
Then the ad effectively ties Mitt's own tax issue -- the fact he hasn't released his returns for years prior to 2010 -- to the 47 percent comment.
"Maybe instead of attacking others on taxes," the narrator says, "Romney should come clean on his."
By linking the old returns question to the new 47 percent comment, Obama's camp reminds voters of one of its central themes: Romney's a rich guy who's out of touch and maybe hiding something.
Thus Mitt gets a double-kick in a state (if history is any guide) he must have in order to win.
His response so far? Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor is in Pennsylvania today holding events with "Women for Mitt" groups
" YOU CAN SEE THE AD HERE!" Need I say more, John?— lefty- Baer included link to the blatant lie ad against Kane. It is part of standard practice. — Seed
- Romney reduced his deductibles to show that his tax rates was higher than 13%.
It has been proven that he lied when he said that he has never paid less than 13% in tax. Therefore, it is safe to assume he has lied about older tax rates.
If Romney did not have anything to hide he would have showed us his 12 year tax that his father showed to everyone. Mitt is a shame to the Romney name.— Seed - Why won't he release the actual returns for the years before he was running for president.
- I'm sure Romney's run some ads too but I'll have to go to another media outlet to read about them.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- Romney campaign is in significant financial trouble. He is not advertising much. Karl Rove and gambler Adelson are trying to keep him competitive.
Right now there is not much to see in Romney except his tax deception documents.— Seed 
Comment removed.- Except Mitt did release detailed information on his 2010 and 2011 taxes. And a tax-prepayers overview of an additional 20 years. http://www.mittromney.com/disclosure
I'm pretty sure you knew that before you posted this, John.
— sadim - "You sir are a racist! "
Classic. that's all they got left, after Obama's failed foreign and domestic policies. Quite pathetic really.— Mr. Smith - By the way, polling shows that Romney leads among the middle class by 14%.— Mr. Smith
- Romney gave over 4 million to charity that is what lowered his taxes. So people are saying giving to government is more important than giving to charity? Obama hasn't been much different than Bush was wake up people stop worrying about parties neither cares. We are about to hit the wall and instead of trying to create jobs and wealth we are fighting over mitts taxes.— skills
- first, romney will not win Pa. , and probably not Ohio or Florida either. Second, While Romney may lead white non hispanic non college graduated americans (NOT middle class, which does not have an accepted definition) by a significant margin, that is a skewed poll, as he leads in that group by 40 points in the south, narrowly leads that group throughout the midwest, and trails in that group in the Northeast. americans realize that Obama has tried to find compromise solutions to our problems with a republican congress that has stated that it will work to keep him a one term president (no matter how much that harms the US while he is still president) and will punish any republicans that try to find compromise solutions with the elected president. Hard to blame a man for making a deal with a group that has sworn not to make a deal and punsihes any who dare try. and personally, I think one of the problems with the republcian party, is that its members believe that 47% of Americans don't pay federal taxes, but don't realize who those 47% are. they are your retired parents, the disab;led, and the working poor and poorish. Only about 5-7% of he population is actually non-working non retired "takers". On the other hand, people who pay only 13% tax on their millions, because of capital gains, and shipping money offshore, while having their lifestyles protected by the federal government are the real takers!— doc al
- This comment has been deleted.— kingofpoker
John is the author of the book "On The Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-Five Years of Keystone Reporting" (The History Press, 2012). Reach John at baerj@phillynews.com.
