Is going negative the only way Obama can win?
President Obama has taken heat over his attack ads against Mitt Romney, but in today's economy, hammering his opponent might be his only choice
![President Obama speaks during the conference at the White House on May 30: Attacking Mitt Romney may be "the only card the Obama team has to play right now," but the strategy could backfire.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tT3i9ndkqXeC9VVPgLKHmh-415-80.jpg)
President Obama has taken some flack for a series of negative ads his campaign has run against Republican challenger Mitt Romney, aimed at Romney's claim of being a job creator at Bain Capital and as governor of Massachusetts. Fox News analyst Brit Hume, for one, thinks Obama has little choice, telling Bill O'Reilly on Monday that "Obama's record is such a burden to him that he has no real choice but to go negative and go negative hard, which to a great extent he has." In fact, he hasn't, according to campaign ad analysts at Kantar Media — from April 10 to May 25, 70 percent of ads from Obama and Democratic allies have been positive, versus 73 percent negative advertising from Romney and aligned outside groups. But as the race heats up, and the economy shows signs of cooling down, is going negative Obama's only path to victory?
It's a risky strategy: "Given the lousy economic climate, attacking Romney may be the only card the Obama team has to play right now," says Liz Marlantes at The Christian Science Monitor, but the strategy could backfire. Bashing Romney's jobs record is still focusing the campaign on unemployment — "that's certainly the discussion the Romney campaign wants to be having." And more broadly, "any time an incumbent president goes negative, it can wind up making him look smaller."
"Obama ad attacks Mitt Romney's record...: Risky strategy?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Attacking Romney is good politics: Obama has more than just the economy to worry about — he's going to get hit hard by Romney and $1 billion worth of super PAC attacks, says Peter Fenn at U.S. News. "For Obama to not engage in the battle, to focus on soft, fuzzy, feel-good ads would be a drastic mistake." He needs to highlight Romney's warts, "radically conservative" allies, and "reverse-Robin Hood" policies — for his own sake, and so voters can make "a reasoned and reliable judgment" on who's the best choice to lead America.
"The more Obama focuses in on Romney, the better... for voters"
Obama has to do more than just attack: The president can't just fight fire with fire, says Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Beast. He has to present a positive vision of what he's done and how he will be a better president than Romney, on everything from health care to taxes to wars to protecting the social safety net. "If those questions dominate the campaign, Obama will win." He needs "this positive contrast to balance the brutal attacks on Romney in advertising, or he'll risk losing that critical ingredient that made Obama Obama."
Read more political coverage at The Week's 2012 Election Center.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Big Tech's answer for AI-driven job loss: universal basic income
In The Spotlight A new study reveals the strengths and limitations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published