Mitt Romney has repeatedly sought to contrast President Obama with President Clinton, arguing that Mr. Obama has abandoned the former president's focus on moderate politics and middle class voters.
In recent ads, Mr. Romney has highlighted the success of Mr. Clinton's welfare overhaul and has argued - falsely, according to most independent fact-checkers - that Mr. Obama is trying to gut those reforms.
But now, Mr. Obama's campaign has released a new television ad featuring Mr. Clinton speaking directly to the camera and challenging Mr. Romney's assertions.
“President Obama has a plan to rebuild America from the ground up, investing in innovation, education, and job training. It only works if there is a strong middle class,†Mr. Clinton says in the ad. “That's what happened when I was President. We need to keep going with his plan.â€
Few political ads are more powerful than ones in which the politician talks directly to the camera - and to voters - without the distraction of video effects or fast-paced scenes.
Mr. Obama's campaign has already produced several ads like that, hoping to make use of what polls suggest is his personal appeal for many voters.
In the new ad, Mr. Clinton argues that the upcoming presidential contest is a “clear choice†between the two candidates.
“This election to me is about which candidate is more likely to return us to full employment,†Mr. Clinton says. “The Republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper income people and go back to deregulation. That's what got us in trouble in the first place.â€
Mr. Obama's campaign said the ad will be broadcast in eight battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.
Follow Michael D. Shear on Twitter at @shearm.
