Obama campaign's kickoff moves "forward"

(CBS News) President Obama officially launches his reelection campaign today, bringing his message of "Forward" to college campuses in two battleground states.

With his new campaign slogan "Forward" - indicating there is more work to be done - he is likely to paint two different pictures: An America under an Obama administration that pulls the economy out of its woes by strengthening the middle class, and a Romney administration that moves backward, where the wealthy have more advantages.

The president is speaking at Ohio State University in Columbus and later at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. - states considered "ground zero" for both candidates this year.

He is expected to highlight his accomplishments, including the killing of Osama bin Laden, bailing out the American auto industry, and repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." However, his biggest legislative achievement, the passage of the health care law, is a thorny issue that could be overturned by the Supreme Court this summer.

The campaign previewed his campaign message in a seven-minute video earlier this week. Highlighting the economic challenges he faced coming into office in 2009, the video's narrator says, "Like America, [the president] dug deep, fought back and never lost faith in our ability meet the challenge."

The video takes swipes at Republicans, painting them as obstructionists: "Republicans were waging a campaign to tear the president down," the narrator says.

Republicans are pushing back. After the slogan "Forward" was unveiled, Mitt Romney mocked the slogan at a recent fundraiser in Northern Virginia, saying "It's like, forward, what? Over the cliff?"

Furthermore, the Republican Party has launched its "Hype and blame" fundraising campaign, selling bumper stickers with the slogan, riffing the president's 2008 campaign slogan "Hope and change."

Despite hundreds of millions of dollars expected to be spent this election season - much on negative ads about opponents - the economy could be the most important player this election. The president's campaign launch comes amid lower-than-expected jobs numbers, which both sides are spinning to their advantage.

The president said on Friday: "Our businesses have now created more than 4.2 million new jobs over the last 26 months - more than 1 million jobs in the last six months alone. So that's the good news."

However, the Romney camp sees it differently. In a memo to reporters, Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus said, "Now we've had 38 straight months of 8 percent unemployment or higher."

Six months ahead of Election Day, the race is close. Mr. Obama is tied with Romney in recent polls in key battleground states of Ohio and Florida. In Virginia, however, Mr. Obama is leading Romney 51-44 percent, in a Washington Post Poll released Friday.

[1Joepat]

Obama chose Karl Marx' birthday to launch his campaign and he chose a campaign slogan that is closely connected to Marxists. Coincidence? I think not!

[jeanschineon]

Not funny. Demeaning. President Obama has helped get the country moving toward a working system after the Republicans ruined us between 2000-2008.

[Fox_Rush_Zombie]

The President draws crowds in the thousands while Rmoney draws a few mormons and a handful of other 'mixed nuts'.

[jeanschineon]

Romney has a base of complete idiots. Tea Bag good for nothing Rush Limbaugh hate filled racists, bigot and hypocrites.

[USSAmerikan]

From a couple of weeks ago:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. college class of 2012 is in for a rude welcome to the world of work.

By Eric Risberg, AP

A weak labor market already has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don't fully use their skills and knowledge.
Young adults with bachelor's degrees are increasingly scraping by in lower-wage jobs — waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example — and that's confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans.

[Pinnacl1]

"Forward"!!!! Off the cliff!!!

[Rick03466]

Obama is the single biggest threat to recovery and to the Democratic party as a whole. Having wasted 781 billion in a (by his metric) a failed Stimulus plan he now runs about trying to get his hand into someone else's pocket. He has spent 5 trillion in the past 3 years with no benefit. Additionally his megalomania lead him to destroy the Democratic super majority in congress. All for a n insurance scam that raises the cost of Health Insurance for all by least 20 % and as much as 40% for some. (a plan that will in all likelihood that it will be struck down by the supreme court)) I like most independent find very little to like in Romney , he is simply the by far the better choice than the 5 trillion dollar madman.

[christi.berlusconi]

The second most stupid thing that I have heard today. You Tea Bags are full of BS. Mittens has bats in his brains and dogs for his support.

[infantryman1968]

by Kestrel88 May 5, 2012 2:22 PM EDT
Mitt's been campaigning for president for the past 5 years. In fact, it's been his *only* job.


LOL!


You and Obama should be double digets ahead of Romney by now.

Your Not.

[infantryman1968]

Obama campaign's kickoff moves "forward"


LOL!


Obama and the National Socialist started campaigning for this election the day after his immaculation in 2009.

No news here.

[Kestrel88]

Mitt's been campaigning for president for the past 5 years. In fact, it's been his *only* job.

[christi.berlusconi]

You need help. Seek medical advice before it is too late.

[Kestrel88]

The GOP can only criticize Obama for one thing -- he couldn't clean up their messes fast enough after they left him an economic depression, two wars and a surplus turned deficit.

[janeteleanor]

"FORWARD" is a Communist favorite saying Obama but I quess you knew that. Today is Carl Marx birthday also.

[Kestrel88]

Cool, maybe Romney can celebrate with a drive to Canada with his dog strapped to the roof of his car!

[Molly-Pchr]

Oh my, not that word again, please, please, stop with the "moving forward", "going forward"! Will I have to hear it now in a campaign until November? Everybody says it, stop, stop. Think of a new phrase!!