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New Mitt Romney Ad Attacks Newt Gingrich On Electability

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by Tommy Christopher | 1:45 pm, January 23rd, 2012

» 12 comments

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, reeling from his defeat in the South Carolina primary, and now trailing in the polls in Florida, has released a new ad in the Sunshine State that goes over familiar territory like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich‘s non-lobbying for Freddie Mac and his historic ethics fine, but which is punctuated with Romney’s last enduring argument for Republican voters: Barack Obama and Co. are rooting very hard for a Gingrich win.

Romney had a disastrous week, going from a ten-point polling lead over chief rival Newt Gingrich in South Carolina to a twelve point defeat in that state’s primary on Saturday. In about that same period, he has gone from leading Gingrich by as much as 26 points in Florida, to now trailing him by nine points in one poll.

The tenor of this ad, which is more relentlessly negative than the darkroom at the world’s last remaining Fotomat, indicates that things could get very nasty within the next eight days. It’s worth noting that this isn’t some third-party PAC attack, but an honest-to-goodness, “I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message” official Mitt Romney Campaign Ad™.

The spot itself is fairly standard negative ad boilerplate, with dour voiceover, grainy film noir photography, and New York Post-worthy fonts. One weird emerging trend from Romney’s recent ads is the use of a seriously old-fangled typewriter sound effect. That might cut it in Florida, but if Romney wants to appeal to voters who still eat dinner later than 4pm, maybe he should go to something like the G-Chat sound effect, or the “Droid™” text notification.

There are probably some Republican voters on Florida who don’t know about Gingrich’s work as a historian for Freddie Mac, or his ethics fine while Speaker of the House, but the real point of this ad comes in the closing seconds, as Gingrich is pictured with GOP Emanuel Goldstein stand-in Barack Obama, and the narrator correctly notes “If Newt wins, this guy would be very happy.”

Unfortunately, based on the events of the past week, it looks like the most effective attack in this ad comes right after that: “I’m Mitt Romney…”

Here’s the ad, via YouTube:

Ads, Florida, Florida primary, freddie mac, Mitt Romney, newt gingrich

Anonymous

With the sheer volume of mud fired over the fence for the last few weeks, I’d be amazed if either of these guys walks away with the nomination. We’ve seen some rough primary campaigns, but I can’t recall any this personal and vicious.

This makes Obama vs Clinton look like a love fest by comparison.

Tonight’s debate is gonna be epic.
Gloves Llarry Donahue

“That might cut it in Florida, but if Romney wants to appeal to voters who still eat dinner later than 4pm,…”

Good one. I hear tell there are some bigtime New Yorkers who don’t eat till 7:30 so they can dine while ” finding out what Vanna is wearing tonight”.
Anonymous

Maybe your intellectual brethren prefer Vanna, but we’re actually watching the second half of the PBS NewsHour.
Anonymous

IDK about you guys, but I couldn’t vote for a person like that.
val smith

I think old “Gloves” just outed himself. Wheel of fortune indeed. Next he’ll be yammering about Henny Youngman.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepr1xp/index.html unsean

I gotta agree; if Newt Gingrich wins, Obama’s team would be very, very happy. The sad part for Republicans is that, if Romney wins they would also be doing cartwheels.

This is because, despite the lethargic recovery, Newt, is, well, Newt while Romney is an advocate of capitalism at its most brutal.

Which is ironic, because many Americans that back Republicans claim to support such behavior, till it happens to them, that is.
Anonymous

Sorry Mitt…the fire breathing dim wits in the tea party prefer insiders who toss them red meat. Regardless of their electability.
Anonymous

Both are beatable…Romney perhaps tougher. As for people complaining the other aren’t getting in, well they have yellow streaks up their backs and don’t want to take on Obama.
http://www.facebook.com/codemon Cody Hill

The truth is neither Romney nor Gingrich is electable!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1190134026 Barry Dalton

if Newt wins that nomination, that proves he can win an “election”

it’s a purposefully self-fulfilling process

but seriously, though, i agree, the mud that has been flung is going to be hard to wash off.

but unlike the Obama vs Clinton showdown, these were too serious people who had a lot of real support in the establishment and the electorate, so hurt feelings had real ramification.

If any of this current batch or rightwingers loses, everyone will forget them immediately

only Paul has a significant power base
Anonymous

You may like my video about Newt’s three marriages at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQSsMRe6BJE
There are chickens in it. Everybody loves chickens!
It also pokes fun at Santorum!
AliveStillKickin

“Electability”…..LOL!!
Poor, pitiful Mitt…..That’s all he’s got to run on.
Poor, pathetic Obama….He ain’t even got that