With President Obama's latest ad combining a positive message about the president with an attack on Mitt Romney, Chris Cillizza warns not to expect any more positive spots this cycle from the Obama reelection campaign.
"Obama
is in a somewhat similar -- albeit it slightly stronger -- position that
Bush found himself at this time in 2004. The struggling economy has
dragged down the current incumbent's numbers and two of his main
legislative achievements -- health care and the economic stimulus -- are
not popular with the American public... And, like Bush, Obama is a known
commodity for voters while his opponents is not. And therein lies the
opportunity for the incumbent... The best way to frame that devil you
know/devil you don't know line of attack is through a sustained campaign
of negative ads in swing states."