Romney Campaign Press Release - Barack In Time: When Obama Thought America Could Do Better Than Divisive Attacks

"In 2008, Candidate Obama promised to abandon the 'political nonsense' used to divide Americans. But nearly four years later, it's clear President Obama hasn't lived up to his promise. Millions of Americans are struggling to find work and make ends meet in the Obama economy – and the President's only solution is to distract voters from his inability to get things done. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will finally change Washington and deliver real results to help middle-class families" – Ryan Williams, Romney Campaign Spokesman

At A 2008 Event In Fort Collins, Candidate Obama Promised To Abandon The Same Attacks "Used Every Election To Divide Us":

Candidate Obama, In Fort Collins In 2008: "We Don't Have The Luxury Of Relying On The Same Political Nonsense, The Same Flash And Burn Tactics Used Every Election To Divide Us..." OBAMA: "We don't have the luxury of relying on the same political nonsense, the same flash and burn tactics used every election to divide us, to make us afraid of one another. We can't afford it." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Fort Collins, CO, 10/26/08)

Candidate Obama: "With The Challenges And Crisis We Face Right Now, We Can't Be Divided, Not Be Class, Not By Race, Not By Region, Not By Who We Are Or What Policies We Support." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Fort Collins, CO, 10/26/08)

But Four Years Later, President Obama Has Been Forced To Rely On The Same Types Of Attacks He Once Criticized:

President Obama Has Ducked Calls To Condemn His Super PAC's Disgraceful Attack On Mitt Romney. CORDES: "But why not send a message to the top Super PAC that's supporting you and say I think an ad like that is out of bounds? That we shouldn't be suggesting--" OBAMA: "So let's take that particular issue as opposed to, you know, because you lumped in a whole bunch of other stuff that I think was entirely legitimate. I don't think that Governor Romney is somehow responsible for the death of the woman that was portrayed in that ad. But keep in mind, this is an ad I didn't approve, I did not produce, and as far as I can tell, [had] barely run. I think it ran once." (President Barack Obama, Press Conference, 8/20/12)

• "Obama Campaign Officials Have Refused To Disavow The Ad..." "Obama campaign officials have refused to disavow the ad, claiming independence from the outside group and no knowledge of the woman's story." (Steve Portnoy, "'Disgusting' Pro-Obama Ad Criticized By Democrat," ABC News, 8/9/12)

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)

• Politico Headline: "Obama Plan: Destroy Romney" (Politico, 8/9/11)

"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's Failure To Transcend Washington Partisanship "Has Never Been More Glaringly Obvious." "Candidate Barack Obama promised to transcend Washington partisanship. President Obama plummeted into it. As the House returns Tuesday for the final session of his first term, Obama's failure to fulfill this central claim of his 2008 campaign has never been more glaringly obvious." (Carrie Budoff Brown and Jonathan Allen, "Partisan D.C.: Obama's Broken Promise," Politico, 1/17/12)

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)

And Why Has President Obama Resorted To The Same Attacks He Used To Condemn? Middle-Class Americans Are Hurting In The Obama Economy:

Under President Obama, More Than 23 Million Americans Are Struggling For Work And Unemployment Has Remained Above 8% For 42 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 8/25/12)

"Across The Country, In Almost Every Demographic, Americans Earn Less Today Than They Did In June 2009, When The Recovery Technically Started." (Catherine Rampell, "Big Income Losses For Those Near Retirement," The New York Times, 8/23/12)

People Who Have Jobs "Are Hurting" With Paychecks That "Have Fallen Behind Inflation." "More than in any other post-World War II recovery, people who have jobs are hurting, too: Their paychecks have fallen behind inflation." (Paul Wiseman, "Economic Recovery Is Weakest Since World War II," The Associated Press, 8/15/12)

CBS News: "This Is The Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had." PELLEY: "This is worst economic recovery America has ever had. We've been looking for hopeful signs, but today the chairman of the Federal Reserve threw a cold splash of reality on those hopes. Ben Bernanke said any improvement in unemployment will 'likely be frustratingly slow.' Well, yes, to say the least." (CBS's "Evening News," 7/17/12)