It’s just under a week before the first Presidential debate, and while the Obama camp has a slight breeze behind its back in the latest polls, it has chosen to air two-minute ad in key states: New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, and Colorado (odd that NC is not on that list).

Unlike the recent rough-and-tumble ads against Romney focusing on his flip-flopping and political ineptitude of truth (can you say the 47%?), this ad is the President reminding voters about the basket case he was handed, and the fact that what we do know about Romney’s economic plan that it will “double down on the same trickle down policies that led to the crisis in the first place.” A generous amount of time is spent with the President on camera articulating his four-point plan for economic recovery.

Obama for America (the transcript of the video is below the fold):

With just over a month until Election Day, Obama for America today released a new, two-minute television advertisement in which the President speaks directly to the American people and lays out his plan to keep America moving forward, get folks back to work and make the middle-class secure again. Focusing on manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and a balanced plan to reduce our deficit, President Obama sets real and achievable goals that will grow our economy beginning with a strong, thriving middle-class.

It’s easy to forget where we were when the President first took office: the country was losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month, and we were mired in Iraq. Today, we are moving forward again thanks to President Obama’s policies. But there is much more work to be done, and this election offers a clear choice for voters across the country: continue to move forward with the President’s plan for an economy built to last, from the middle out — or go back to the same trickle-down economic policies of the last decade that crashed our economy and punished the middle-class in the first place.

I guess this is about as compact an ad one can make of this nature; will voters actually pay attention? The reason I’m asking this is because the ad feels like one you would see during the week before early voting — a closing argument after the debates and after a campaign is pretty sure there are no surprises or shoes left to drop. I wouldn’t be that confident.

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Over at camp Romney, the latest ad out is “Too Many Americans.” There’s absolutely nothing new here, which is surprising since it’s pretty apparent at this point that Mitt’s business prowess (Bain), and his tenure as governor of Massachusetts and the “savior” of the 2002 Olympics hasn’t been able to break through, mostly because of his inept, self-immolating campaign — and that infamous 47% video.

Too many Americans are struggling to find work or are living paycheck to paycheck. Mitt Romney will create 12 million new jobs over the next four years and help lift families out of poverty, while strengthening the middle class. We can’t afford another four years like the last.

Notably, he mentions that he does care about poor people. The fact that this late in the game he’s trying to climb over the insensitive plutocrat dung pile he’s built for himself is a problem. But the fact is this “the economy sucks so switch out that guy for me” isn’t resonating, yet Mittens and his charges aren’t bringing anything else to the table. Perhaps they don’t think they need to. After all, voter suppression efforts are in full swing, maybe for them it’s not about winning the sliver of undecided voters over, but counting on the machine to keep enough black and brown votes out of the process during early voting and on election day.

The transcript of the Obama vid:

During the last weeks of this campaign there will be debates, speeches and more ads. But if I could sit down with you in your living room or around the kitchen table here’s what I’d say:

When I took office we were losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month and were mired in Iraq. Today I believe that as a nation we are moving forward again. But we have much more to do to get folks back to work and make the middle class secure again.

Now, Governor Romney believes that with that even bigger tax cuts for the wealthy and fewer regulations on Wall Street all of us will prosper. In other words he’d double down on the same trickle down policies that led to the crisis in the first place. So what’s my plan?

First, we create a million new manufacturing jobs and help businesses double their exports. Give tax breaks to companies that invest in America, not that ship jobs overseas.

Second, we cut our oil imports in half and produce more American-made energy, oil, clean-coal, natural gas, and new resources like wind, solar and bio-fuels—all while doubling the fuel efficiencies of cars and trucks.

Third, we insure that we maintain the best workforce in the world by preparing 100,000 additional math and science teachers. Training 2 million Americans with the job skills they need at our community colleges. Cutting the growth of tuition in half and expanding student aid so more Americans can afford it.

Fourth, a balanced plan to reduce our deficit by four trillion dollars over the next decade on top of the trillion in spending we’ve already cut, I’d ask the wealthy to pay a little more. And as we end the war in Afghanistan let’s apply half the savings to pay down our debt and use the rest for some nation building right here at home.

It’s time for a new economic patriotism. Rooted in the belief that growing our economy begins with a strong, thriving middle class. Read my plan. Compare it to Governor Romney’s and decide for yourself. Thanks for listening.

Read the President’s plan: http://OFA.BO/SAzDgd