Romney Campaign Press Release - Barack In Time: When Obama Criticized the Politics of "Slash and Burn"

"In 2008, Candidate Obama promised Sioux City voters he wouldn't resort to the 'politics of smear and slash and burn' – but that's exactly what they've seen from President Obama. Instead of delivering hope and change, the President has resorted to divisive attacks to distract voters from the problems facing middle-class families. As president, Mitt Romney will bring new leadership to Washington and focus on creating 12 million new jobs and higher take-home pay for American workers." – Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

In 2008, Candidate Obama Told Sioux City Voters He Would "Run A Positive Campaign All The Time" And Reject "The Politics Of Smear And Slash And Burn":

Candidate Obama, In Sioux City In 2008: "They Said, Well, You Know What He Can't Run A Positive Campaign All The Time, He's Going To Have To Go Negative ... But, You Know What, We Said No." OBAMA: "Then they said, well, you know what he can't run a positive campaign all the time, he's going to have to go negative. When we were down 20 points in the middle of the summer, all the pundits were saying he's going to lose unless he really goes negative. He's got to kneecap the frontrunner, he's got to do a Tanya Harding on her." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Sioux City, IA, 1/1/08)

Candidate Obama: "We Kept Running A Positive Campaign, Pointing Out Policy Differences, But Rejected The Politics Of Smear And Slash And Burn." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Sioux City, IA, 1/1/08)

But President Obama's Re-Election Campaign Has Been A "Seek-And-Destroy Effort" Filled With Misleading And Negative Ads:

In His Re-Election Campaign, President Obama "Heads Up A Seek-And-Destroy Effort." "But that was sooooo 2004. Specifically, that was so soooo Barack Obama in 2004, when the little-known state Senator from Illinois made these inspiring comments at the Democratic National Convention. Four years after that, Obama waged his juggernaut of a hope-and-change campaign. Now he heads up a seek-and-destroy effort. That means TV viewers in battleground states like Florida will face a lot more negative messaging from both sides than in 2008." (Marc Caputo, "Obama Borrows Campaign Tactics From Bush," The Miami Herald, 7/29/12)

• "The Democrat Who Once Pledged To Usher In A More Civilized Political Era Has Turned To Highly Critical Commercials." "To win a second term, the Democrat who once pledged to usher in a more civilized political era has turned to highly critical commercials – at turns personal and snarky – to go toe to toe with Romney in a campaign noteworthy for its negativity and intensity." (Beth Fouhy, "Obama Negative Ads Could Hurt Personal Popularity," The Associated Press, 7/24/12)

President Obama Did Not Have Reservations About His Campaign's Attack Strategy And "Personally Signed Off On All Of His Campaign's Paid Advertising." "If the outside world found that approach jarring, Obama didn't. In interviews with two dozen current and former Obama advisers, not one said he expressed reservations— at least in the beginning— about the "kill Romney" strategy, and he personally signed off on all of his campaign's paid advertising, although he often toned down the very harshest attacks." (Glenn Thrush, Obama's Last Stand, 2012)

Obama-Aligned Democratic Strategist: "Unless Things Change And Obama Can Run On Accomplishments, He Will Have To Kill Romney."  "In a move that will make some Democrats shudder, Obama's high command has even studied former President George W. Bush's 2004 takedown of Sen. John Kerry, a senior campaign adviser told POLITICO, for clues on how a president with middling approval ratings can defeat a challenger. 'Unless things change and Obama can run on accomplishments, he will have to kill Romney,' said a prominent Democratic strategist aligned with the White House." (Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin, "Obama Plan: Destroy Romney," Politico, 8/9/11)

The Washington Post's Dan Balz: "Obama Has Proven To Be A Divisive President, Despite His Insistence That He Is Open To Compromise And Accommodation." (Dan Balz, "Roberts's Health-Care Ruling Sends A Message To Politicians," The Washington Post, 6/30/12)

Why Has President Obama Abandoned His Pledge To Avoid "Slash And Burn" Politics? He's Presided Over A Shrinking Middle Class And Declining Incomes:

Pew Research: "The Middle Class Has Shrunk In Size, Fallen Backward In Income And Wealth..." "Since 2000, the middle class has shrunk in size, fallen backward in income and wealth, and shed some—but by no means all—of its characteristic faith in the future." ("The Lost Decade Of The Middle Class," Pew Research, 8/22/12)

The Majority Of New Jobs Created In President Obama's So-Called Recovery "Pay Much Less" Than Jobs Before The Recession. "Although six in 10 jobs lost during the Great Recession paid mid-level wages, the majority of new jobs created in the recovery -- positions such as store clerks, laborers and home healthcare aides -- pay much less, according to a new study." (Jim Puzzanghera, "Majority Of New Jobs In Recovery Are Low-Paying, Study Finds," Los Angeles Times, 8/31/12)

• "The Findings Highlight Concerns About A Shrinking Middle Class..." "The findings highlight concerns about a shrinking middle class and pose another obstacle to getting the economy back on track, said Annette Bernhardt, policy co-director at the National Employment Law Project, which conducted the study." (Jim Puzzanghera, "Majority Of New Jobs In Recovery Are Low-Paying, Study Finds," Los Angeles Times, 8/31/12)

Lower-Paying Jobs Account For Nearly 60% Of The Jobs Added Since The Recession Ended In 2009. "Lower-paying jobs, with median hourly wages from $7.69 to $13.83, accounted for just 21% of the job losses during the recession. But they've made up about 58% of the job growth from the end of the recession in late 2009 through early 2012." (Jim Puzzanghera, "Majority Of New Jobs In Recovery Are Low-Paying, Study Finds," Los Angeles Times, 8/31/12)

The Wall Street Journal: "The Three-And-A-Half Years Of The Obama Presidency Have Done Enormous Harm To Middle-Class Households." "He may care, but he sure hasn't done much for them. New income data from the Census Bureau, tabulated by former Census income specialists at the nonpartisan economic consulting firm Sentier Research, reveal that the three-and-a-half years of the Obama Presidency have done enormous harm to middle-class households." (Editorial, "Negative $4,019," The Wall Street Journal, 8/24/12)