The Democrats are relentlessly bashing Mitt Romney for opposing the federal bailout of the auto industry.
The attacks have two purposes--to damage Romney in Tuesday's crucial Republican presidential primary in Michigan, and to undermine him among union voters in the general election if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee, as many Democratic strategists expect.
The ad uses interviews with Michigan residents who condemn Romney for his anti-bailout stand and his 2008 comments in which he said that auto makers based in the Detroit area should have been allowed to go bankrupt. Among the words that the residents use to describe Romney's position are "ridiculous" and disgusting."
It's the latest example of a long-running Democratic strategy to raise as many doubts about Romney as possible.
A DNC spokesman says, "While President Obama took decisive action with the auto industry recovery program, which saved 1.4 million jobs and helped GM return to [being] the world's largest automotive company, Mitt Romney made his intentions clear--he would have left the auto industry for dead."
Romney favored a managed bankruptcy process that he says would have made the auto makers stronger.
He has been portraying himself in very conservative terms in order to appeal to the right-of-center voters who dominate many GOP primaries and caucuses in the nominating process. Democratic strategists say this will hurt him among independents and moderate swing voters in the general election if he becomes the GOP nominee.
Reader Comments Read all comments (4)
John of NY 8:33AM February 28, 2012
Jsmith of VA 8:07AM February 28, 2012
Hunter of WI 7:59AM February 28, 2012