Mitt Romney delivers his nomination acceptance speech during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is turning the focus back onto the economy following the conclusion of the two party conventions, launching a $4.5 million television advertising buy in eight key swing states.
The series of ads highlight potential job losses due to looming defense spending cuts Romney blames President Barack Obama for: overregulation, energy policy, deficit reduction, manufacturing losses and housing struggles.
Using a clip from the GOP convention in Tampa, all 15 advertisements begin with Romney addressing delegates.
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"This president can ask us to be patient, this president can tell us it was someone else's fault, but this president cannot tell us that you're better off today than when he took office," Romney says.
The advertisements are airing in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia, all of which are considered swing states in the upcoming presidential election. Left out of the ad buy are Wisconsin and Michigan, states that the Romney campaign has said are also in play though they went to Obama in 2008, causing some pundits to speculate they aren't as 'gettable' as the GOP hopes.
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But a Romney campaign official advised caution, saying more ads would be forthcoming.
With about 60 days left before Election Day, the already heavy television advertising push is only expected to ramp up on both sides. Republicans and Romney hold a wide advantage with campaign cash and are expected to far-outspend Obama and Democrats, a first for an incumbent president.
And the politicians themselves are well-aware the toll saturated advertising can have on the electorate.
"If you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me, so am I," said Obama on Thursday during his nomination acceptance speech, to laughter.
Rebekah Metzler is a political writer for U.S. News & World Report. You can contact her at rmetzler@usnews.com or follow her on Twitter.
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