Romney to put ads on Pennsylvania TV
(CNN) - Mitt Romney will soon run campaign advertisements on Pennsylvania television, a Republican source told CNN on Tuesday. The Romney campaign later released an energy-themed ad which specifically mentions Pennsylvania.
Romney's campaign plans to go up next week in Philadelphia on Monday and Tuesday - Election Day, the source said, adding that the buy could be expanded.
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The Philadelphia suburbs are key counties and could determine who wins the state. They are home to middle-income and affluent voters who are conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social issues, including abortion and gun control.
The ad opens with a clip of Obama from a 2008 interview with the The San Francisco Chronicle in which he says, "If somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can - it's just that it will bankrupt them."
The narrator says that he "kept that promise" and that "Mitt Romney's energy plan is different."
"And, by the way, I like coal," Romney says in footage taken from the first presidential debate between he and Obama. Romney can be seen looking in Obama's direction while the president is looking away from the camera. "People in the coal industry feel like it's getting crushed by your policies. I want to get America and North America energy independent so we can create those jobs."
A fact check conducted in May by the organization Politifact said "Obama made clear in the interview that he was not suggesting an end to coal use," and favored no new coal-fired power plant construction. "So what we have to do then is we have to figure out how can we use coal without emitting greenhouse gases and carbon," Obama says at another point in the interview cited by the fact checking site.
Polls released earlier this month showed the race between President Barack Obama and Mitt was close in the Keystone State. The most recent survey, conducted by the Philadelphia Inquirer between October 23 and 25, found Obama at 49% and Romney at 43%. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted from October 12 through 14 showed Obama at 50% and Romney at 46%. The difference was similarly small in the Muhlenberg College poll, which had Obama at 49% and Romney ad 45% from October 10 through 14, and the Siena College sample: Obama 43%, Romney 40% between October 1 and 5.
After news of the Romney ad buy emerged, Obama's campaign pointed to polling numbers to argue the GOP candidate was bluffing about his chances there.
Pennsylvania is rated as lean Democrat on the CNN Electoral Map. Its electoral votes - 20 this year - last went to a Republican in 1988. In 2008, Obama won it with an 11-point margin.
The source did not yet have an amount for the buy.
Only $193,000 has been spent on presidential campaign ads in the last 60 days in Pennsyvlania, according to ad tracker Kantar Media CMAG. The majority of that, almost $164,000, was spent by groups aligned with Democrats, while Republican-aligned groups have spent almost $30,000.
A memo from Romney campaign political director Rich Beeson sent to reporters Tuesday said the GOP presidential effort "has the resources to expand the map in ways that weren't possible in past cycles (without reducing any effort in any other target state)."
"Pennsylvania presents a unique opportunity for the Romney campaign," the memo read. "Over the past few years we have seen Pennsylvania voting for a Republican senator and a Republican governor, and Republicans win control of the State House in addition to the State Senate. The western part of the Keystone State has become moreconservative (and President Obama's war on coal is very unpopular there), and Mitt Romney is more competitive in the voter-rich Philadelphia suburbs than any Republican nominee since 1988. This makes Pennsylvania a natural next step as we expand the playing field."
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina followed with a statement, saying Republicans are "throwing money at states where they never built an organization and have been losing for two years. Let's be very clear, the Romney campaign and its allies decision to go up with advertising in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Minnesota is a decision made out of weakness, not strength."
"Governor Romney has not been able to put away a single battleground state – in fact, as polls in the past day have showed the candidates tied in North Carolina, Republicans have raced to increase their television advertising there," he added, calling it "desperation."
Earlier this month, politics watchers' eyebrows raised when the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is tasked with electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate, announced it would invest in advertising for the Republican looking to unseat Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.
- CNN's Peter Hamby, Robert Yoon, Paul Steinhauser, and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report
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Please stop spending money on ads, I am sick of the attacks. Donate the money to those in need in NJ, NY and CT
I thought the voter suppression republicans guaranteed a win for Mittens in PA. It looks like the $1.8 billion spent on Mittens' campaign hasn't kicked in yet.
I'll bet that the "Pants on Fire" liar is telling the happy crowd that Jeep is leaving the United States, or that he will defund FEMA.
I bet the new ads will say that Obama is a Browns fan. That will get the PA voters in a tizzy.
Desperation at its best.
I guess the voter suppression efforts aren't getting the job done.
The money Rove et al have raised in order to buy this presidency is a disgrace. There are so many citizens who could use help, but instead what we get are negative ads filled with lies, misinformation, and half truths. Even when called out on those lies, like taking the work part out of welfare, or that Chrysler is moving Jeep production to China, Romney continues to stand by them. He even stands by Republican morons, who think they know about a woman's reproduction system. What a huge mistake SCOTUS forced on the country with that "corporations are people" debacle. Now our government is up for sale to the plutocrats who can afford to buy it. And to hell with the people of this country.
And the smoke screen of pretending he's "expanding the map" continues. Rove and Dubya did this too. Dubya even went to CA to pretend that he had it so "locked up" that the only place left to turn red was CA. That election came down to 500+ votes and the SCOTUS ordering the FL recount to cease because it was going in Gore's favor. This is all nothing more than posturing and peacocking from Mittens.
Bain is shipping the Sensata jobs to China, and that move will generate $8 million for Mittens.
Please, Mr. Romney, you did enought damage in MA. Leave the East Coast alone. Seriously, we all have better things to think about right now. Go away.
If PA is in play, it's all over for President BO.
It's been nice, but the on the job training program is now over. Dress warmly Mr. President, Chicago is mighty cold in January.
Let the overconfidence smoke screen tour continue!
Rove and Dubya did the same thing. Dubya even went to CA to pretend that he had it all so wrapped up that the only thing left to do was turn CA red. That election ended in a 500+ vote differential and the SCOTUS ordering FL to cease the recount because it was going in Gore's favor.
"If PA is in play, it's all over for President BO."
Pssssst....PA's not in play. Mittens is just trying to fake it to give that impression. It's a Rovian favorite.
Romney wants to get rid of FEMA ...but he wants to replace it with his YOYO plan – You're On Your Own ...!!!!!!
Didn't Karl Rove have Bush give speeches in California back in 2000 because he said the state was in play?
Romney is the most dishonest person ever to run for President. Romney has no morals and is a man with no core. He cheated many decent folks out of their retirement and their jobs in order to stuff his pocket while at Bain. He will lie, cheat, steal and change his position in a heartbeat to sound reasonable and con people to vote for him. He is the worst of the worst con artist. Romney and the Republicans would let the States fend for themselves even if they are hit by a natural disaster. The Republican agenda is everyone is for themselves and to hell with everyone else. That is not the American way and we MUST not fall for what the Republicans are selling. Remember the last time we bought what they were selling? It was not that long ago. And remember what happened? We almost lost everything. We MUST never forget. DO NOT BUY WHAT THEY ARE SELLING.
all those acorn voters in philly may not make it to the polls...
@Critical Thinking
If PA is in play, it's all over for President BO.
It's been nice, but the on the job training program is now over. Dress warmly Mr. President, Chicago is mighty cold in January.
===========
Why do want to elect another GW Bush ?
You enjoy the suffering of others ?
Obama has work to do and is doing it.....feel confident Mr president....no need for wasted ads now the people can see you lead by example ....we have your back.
This week and the beginning of next week that we have to endure to hear lies from this heartless man. thank God use this time to talk about the demise and fall of the US but starting from Wednesday morning America will look Forward to the better future. That is why I am voting early with my family and friends to make sure that Romeny doesn't happen on America.
PA is NOT in play. No way, no how, see ya. It is called desperation. Romney knows he cannot win Ohio where the auto bailout and job rescues that resulted was overwhelmingly popular. And now that he lied TWICE about the whole Jeep-China thing, he knows he can't win Ohio. 95% of the polls since Sept show Obama up. Constantly up. And Nate Silver's model is quite accurate when the polls show consistency.
Mittens is going to loose his kittens. Can't wait for this black man to be my president once again. (and all the kinds of people he angers!)
@mylene, that's priceless .. . YOYO. Also a spinning toy 🙂
News stations are talking about the no campaigning campaigning and even the Red Cross is telling the twit campaign to cease and desist because they have their way of helping victims of disasters and collecting cans is not what they are looking for right now. This twit can't get it done right no matter what he does in Ohio or elsewhere.
Loser anyone.
I will give you one thing though, PA will be closer than its ever been since 1992.
But it will never be red again, not in my lifetime.
Go Steelers!
Mitt is a disgrace! He would be worst than Bush!
OBAMA 2012 wins PA an Ohio!
Let me get it right. So they are going to air Ads next week Monday and Tuesday (election day)! Who are these people fooling? They will air the Ads while people are on line waiting to vote and nobody at home to listen!!! What kind of cover up is this one?????