Politics
Election 2012: Obama launches re-election campaign
If the economy is a potential ally for Mr. Romney, Mr. Obama holds other assets six months before the vote.
Unlike Mr. Romney, who struggled through a highly competitive primary season before recently wrapping up the nomination, Mr. Obama was unchallenged within his own party. As a result, his campaign’s most recent filing showed cash on hand of US$104 million, compared with a little over US$10 million for Mr. Romney. His campaign has worked to build organizations in key states for months.
But in the aftermath of recent Supreme Court rulings, modern presidential campaigns are more than ever waged on several fronts, and the effect of super political action committees and other outside groups able to raise donations in unlimited amounts is yet to be felt.
Already, while Mr. Romney pauses to refill his coffers, the super PAC Restore Our Future has spent more than US$4 million on television advertising to introduce the Republican candidate to the voters.
Mr. Romney had no public events Saturday after spending much of the week campaigning in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
A campaign spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, responding to Mr. Obama’s speech in Ohio, said, “While President Obama all but ignored his record over three and a half years in office, the American people won’t. This November, they will hold him accountable for his broken promises and ineffective leadership.”
With his rhetoric, Mr. Obama belittled Mr. Romney and signalled he intends to campaign both against his challenger and the congressional Republicans who have opposed most of his signature legislation overwhelmingly, if not unanimously. Polls put the Congressional job approval rating in the low teens.
