Republican nominee in waiting Mitt Romney went up on the air yesterday with his first general election television commercial in Iowa. The video and transcript are after the jump.
“Day One” is running in Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina, according to Tim Alberta of the National Journal.
My transcript:
Male voice-over: What would a Romney presidency be like? [Words on screen: “What would a Romney presidency be like?” Brief footage of Romney at three separate campaign events]
Day 1: President Romney immediately approves the Keystone pipeline, creating thousands of jobs that Obama blocked. [“Day 1” on screen, then footage of people and machines working on what looks like an oil pipeline project. Words “Keystone Project” with a checked box next to it briefly appear on screen. ]
President Romney introduces tax cuts and reforms that reward job creators, not punish them. [brief clips of Congress, then people doing different kinds of white-collar jobs, plus an aerial view of a tractor in a farm field. Words “Tax Cuts & Reforms” on screen next to checked box.]
President Romney issues order to begin replacing Obamacare with common-sense health care reform. [Brief view of White House, then footage of Romney being applauded at various campaign events. “End Obamacare” on screen next to checked box.]
That’s what an Obama presidency will be like. [footage of Romney speaking at campaign event, with lots of people waving his campaign signs]
Romney’s voice: I’m Mitt Romney, and I approved this message. [flattering photo of Mitt and Ann Romney holding hands, with Romney Believe in America campaign logo]
As campaign propaganda this commercial is nothing special, though I’ve seen worse. The president doesn’t have the power to immediately approve an oil pipeline, unilaterally cut taxes or repeal the 2010 health insurance reform law, but Romney is communicating what his priorities will be.
Romney is wrong about the potential to create “thousands of jobs” by building the Keystone XL pipeline; Bleeding Heartland explained why here (see also here).
I’m a little surprised that Romney’s opening shot talks about tax cuts and reforms that reward “job creators,” as opposed to middle-income Americans. “Job creators” is now the preferred Republicanspeak for people in the highest income brackets. President Barack Obama’s campaign has been depicting Romney as out of touch with ordinary Americans and already highlighted his Swiss bank account in a previous commercial that ran in several swing states. I would have expected Romney to communicate how his tax policies would help the majority of earners, but at least he implicitly acknowledges that wealthiest people would be rewarded the most.
Speaking of swing states, Alberta noted,
As of Friday [May 18], President Obama’s campaign has run 10 TV ads, six of which aired in multiple states. According to Hotline’s TV ad tracker, Iowa, Ohio and Virginia are the only states to be targeted in each of Obama’s six multi-state ads, an early indication that the president plans to place a lasting emphasis on these three states as his top electoral priorities.
Obama is returning to Iowa next week for his third visit in three months. Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama have also made more than one trip to Iowa this spring. Either the Obama campaign’s internal polling is less optimistic than the latest public poll showing the president 10 points ahead of Romney in Iowa, or they are trying to solidify a lead and take this state out of play early.
Any comments about the presidential campaign are welcome in this thread.