Romney Campaign Launches Negative Ad Against Huckabee, Choice: The Record
The Romney campaign will air a negative ad against Iowa frontrunner Governor Mike Huckabee beginning tomorrow. The campaign calls it a “contrast ad” and it will point out the differences between Romney’s record on immigration and Huckabee’s.
The Romney strategy to win relies on a victory in Iowa and New Hampshire and riding that momentum to the GOP nomination. But, with the former Arkansas governor surging in the polls the campaign has decided to turn to negative television ads.
Press Secretary Eric Fehrnstrom released a statement with the commercial, “Mitt Romney has a record as governor opposing illegal immigration. Mike Huckabee has a different record of supporting ‘discounted’ tuition benefits and amnesty for illegal immigrants. We think it’s fair to point out those differences.”
The ad begins by comparing Romney and Huckabee favorably, “Two former governors. . .two good family men. . .Both pro-life. . .both support a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage. . .” The ad then takes a negative tone pointing out their differences on immigration, focusing on Huckabee’s support for tuition discounts for the children of illegal aliens.
Huckabee’s defense is that he doesn’t believe children should pay for the sins of their parents and has said that America is a better country than that. The campaign responded to the ad:
“We’re disappointed that Governor Romney favors smearing his fellow Republicans as his primary campaign strategy. But the voters in Iowa are too savvy to fall for such desperate tactics.”
The McCain campaign was quick to issue a scathing statement, even before the Huckabee camp responded:
“News that Mitt Romney will launch a new attack ad tomorrow is another move by a campaign that continues to insult Iowa voters. . . Governor Romney has flip-flopped on several major issues that voters care about. It’s particularly amazing that Governor Romney would attack anyone on immigration when he’s on his third position.”
The release of the ad comes one day after the Univision debate in Miami where the majority of the questions tossed to the candidates focused on immigration. Romney stuck to the same wording on immigration he uses on the campaign trail, but delivered it in a much softer tone than the fiery rhetoric he usually delivers on the stump.
In the first caucus state of Iowa, illegal immigration is the most important topic to Republican voters. The Romney campaign is hoping this ad will score with that electorate and enable him to regain the lead he previously enjoyed.
Tags: Choice: The Record, john mccain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney
Share
I disagree with the notion that outlining differences in positions on immigration is a negative attack or smear. How are people supposed to pick a canidate without knowing the differances in positions. Huckabee admitted his support for illegal immigrant tuition aid in an interview on Fox. Stop the spin please Fox. A better less spin caption for the article would have been Mitt challanges Huckabee on imigration policy.
Why is it “negative” to point out how they differ on policy? Romney didn’t say anything that is not true and proven in Mr. Huckabee’s record. If Mr. Huckabee is defensive about it, then I would say it’s because he wants to hide from his record. As for Mr. McCain, he comes across like an angry, petty, old man. I, for one, am tired of the flip-flop label that everyone tries to pin on Romney. Get over it already! Look at the facts (his record as governor, businessman, and the Olympics) and ignore all the rhetoric. It’s hard to peg someone as disingenuous when he’s been married for 38 years (to the same woman) and has five sons that love and respect him. That fact alone speaks volumes about his character and the kind of leader he’d be.
I watched this Romney ad expecting something bad, and I can’t really figure out why you refer to it as a negative ad. It actually says some positive things about Huckabee before it lists a couple of positions on his record. It doesn’t call him names and doesn’t use those weird “scary” camera angles. It just says what Huckabee’s positions have been. If that’s negative, that’s Huckabee’s fault. Those are his positions without exaggeration.
[...] Romney Camp Launches Second Attack Ad Against Huckabee by Shushannah Walshe The Romney camp launched a new negative ad against Mike Huckabee set to air today in Iowa. This is the second commercial that the Romney campaign prefers to call a “contrast ad” because t… [...]
It is obvious that many Americans do not understand the Amnesty Bill John McCain is supporting!
1. All illegal aliens including all convicted of federal crimes ( except a FEW with a certain type of sex crime) including Bank Robbers, illegal who have committed assaults; those who were previously deported…..would be able to receive a “Z-VISA” that would allow those illegal’s to stay in the USA FOREVER and collect free benefits from taxpayers!
2. They would be protected from deportation forever!
3. John McCain bill did not require any illegal alien’s to apply for citizenship, they could just stay forever use our free benefits; be protected and NEVER even try to be a real citizen; never learn English, never assimilate. IT WAS NOT REQUIRED.
4. Once given a “Z-VISA” illegal alien would have a “special status” that the bill said would make them eligible for all the Welfare (etc.) Benefits that were normally reserved for only US Citizens. So they would be just as uneducated, but able to collect even MORE free Benefits and cost billions more in our tax dollar!
5. Once given a “Z-Visa” their “special status” would allow them to apply for additional visa’s to bring all their poor relatives here too.
NO to John McCain!
YES! to Mitt Romney!