Obama sees negative campaign ahead

By: Corbett B. Daly
Topics: White House ,; Campaign 2012

(Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh))

President Obama predicted in an interview airing Monday morning that the upcoming general election campaign could get nasty.

"One of the worries we have obviously in the next campaign is that there are so many of these so-called super PACs, these independent expenditures that are going to be out there. There is going to be just a lot of money floating around. And I guarantee you a bunch off that is going be negative," Mr. Obama told NBC News.

Mr. Obama sought to blame the likely negativity on the outside groups that are not technically associated with the campaign they are supporting but almost exclusively run by former close top aides to the candidate.

"I think that you will be able to see how we conduct ourselves in the campaign. I think it will be consistent with how I conducted myself in 2008 and hopefully how I have conducted myself as president of the United States," Mr. Obama said, referring to mostly positive message of "hope" and "change" that was his signature message four years ago.

In an interview conducted Sunday, Mr. Obama was asked specifically about the recent Republican primary campaign in Florida, where front-runner Mitt Romney defeated former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in part because the super PAC backing the former Massachusetts governor ran millions of dollars of television and radio ads attacking Gingrich.

"It's not going to be enough just to say the other guy is a bum. You've got to explain to the American people what your plan is to make sure there are good jobs and good wages and this economy is growing over the long term and whoever wins that argument I think is going to be the next president," Mr. Obama said in the comments that were aired Monday on the "Today Show."

Mr. Obama said he deserved another four years in office.

"I deserve a second term, but we're not done," Mr. Obama said in the portion of the interview aired Sunday night.

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On the campaign trail, Romney likes to remind Republican primary voters that Mr. Obama told Lauer three years ago that he would be a one-term candidate if he did not fix the economy before the 2012 election.

"When you and I sat down, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. ... Now we're creating 250,000. We've created 3.7 million jobs in the last 23 months. We've created the most jobs since 2005, the most manufacturing jobs since 1990, but we're not finished," Mr. Obama said.

Corbett B. Daly
Corbett B. Daly is CBSNews.com's deputy politics editor.
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by Pro_America February 15, 2012 12:59 PM EST: Obama hasn't done anything positive for American so of course the campaign will be negative. When speaking about Obama and what he has done for our country you are going to sound very negative.; Reply to this comment


by Dthunderchicken February 12, 2012 10:09 AM EST: "Obama sees negative campaign ahead"

Maybe because he's done very little positive things in his term. He can't tout much in the way of accomplishments and has given his critics plenty of issues to bash him on. C'mon November!; Reply to this comment


by mizRicki February 9, 2012 11:14 AM EST: The president predicts that the upcoming general election to become nasty. Let's see, he's been nasty his entire term in office and so have his supporters. He can't even give a proper state of the union address without being nasty.; Reply to this comment


by ProgressNow February 6, 2012 6:43 PM EST: GOP doesn't know how to run an honest campaign...they've proved that over and over again (just take a look at the Indiana Sec of State getting convicted). It's going to be a very ugly campaign unworthy of our great nation, but then again, the GOP doesn't care about 99% of the American People, so why would we be surprised at anything they do???; Reply to this comment

by kevjustice February 6, 2012 6:16 PM EST

romney has record of being pro-abortion rights, pro-gun control, romneycare a.k.a. obamacare. willard said years ago he would run to the left of ted kennedy!!!!! in sum, gop is running a liberal! lol!!! gop (or is it just big money) has given up on all conservative principles in hopes of beating obama! funny stuff!!

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by stevehamilton858 February 8, 2012 1:23 AM EST: Well, Romney's not much, but he's an order of magnitude better that the remainder of the original 8 dwarfs (sorry little people). Why are candidates for the toughest job in the world making speeches about funding of contraceptives? Aren't there more important issues facing this country?

by BlameRepublicanz February 6, 2012 6:16 PM EST

its just not happening for Mittens Romney, folks...the guy stands no chance.

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by stevehamilton858 February 8, 2012 1:27 AM EST: I think you're right. He can't even get evangelists in his party to agree that he's a christian. And the far right wingnuts don't like him because he did a few progressive things when he was governor of Massachusetts. I think he's the bast of a bad lot, but he won't be good enough, when the general election is held.

by kevjustice February 6, 2012 6:07 PM EST

conservative clint eastwood does a pro obama commercial during the super bowl!!!!!!! commercial implies obama saved the auto industry and thousands of jobs including jobs indirectly related. some right wing fox nuts came down on clint. GOP SMACKDOWN!

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by dj_chi February 7, 2012 5:24 PM EST: A vast majority of people saw the commercials as just a pep talk to America. You know, cuz we still need to get back on our feet from that recession thing. You may have read about it...

Only a small minority got their panties in a bunch that Chrysler ran an Obama ad.


by stevehamilton858 February 8, 2012 1:31 AM EST: Some right wing nuts from Fox News coming down on you and $3.50 will get you a latte at Starbucks. What could be more irrelevant than a GOP smackdown? Heck, they do it to each other every day, why should Clint be exempt?

by TJphoto February 6, 2012 5:34 PM EST

As I read all the posts here I am reminded of one basic fact. Divide & conquer. Our elected leaders like that because it becomes a numbers game. please go ahead and believe what the other side is saying and whatever you do, "Don't think yourselves."

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by stevehamilton858 February 8, 2012 1:45 AM EST: WWhy do you think only elected leaders like the divide and conquer pprinciple? It seems to me it's a battle principle that's been around for a long, long time.


by lucylipstick February 6, 2012 5:19 PM EST: "Mr. Obama sought to BLAME the likely negativity on the outside groups that are not technically associated with the campaign they are supporting but almost exclusively run by former close top aides to the candidate." What he does best...BLAME OTHERS. What a loser...LOSER!; Reply to this comment


by achememnon February 6, 2012 4:55 PM EST: This is one reason amongst others, why I would never vote for a morman Mittens.
And [God] had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people, the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. And thus saith the Lord God; I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities
These are the racist beliefs of the mormon church and he will lie to the American public and say they don't exist.; Reply to this comment