Romney: Vote for 'Love of Country' Not Revenge

In response to President Obama’s call for his supporters to vote out of “revenge,” Mitt Romney turned the president’s nastiness back on him by urging his own backers to vote for “love of country.”

Here’s what Obama said on Friday:

As is often the case when he goes off-teleprompter, at a campaign stop in Ohio today, Obama revealed a side of himself we haven’t seen since Hurricane Sandy gave him the opportunity to play The American President for a few days. The old Divider-In-Chief returned with a vengeance when in the middle of an attack on Mitt Romney he told a crowd at a campaign rally to stop booing and, ” Vote! Voting’s the best revenge!”

What he obviously meant was that voting is the best revenge against Mitt Romney.

What kind of divisive, ugly rhetoric is this coming from a sitting president? It’s easy to sympathize with the fact that Obama’s record gives few reasons for anyone to vote for him; and that for that reason, he’s been forced to attempt to destroy his opponent with a half-billion dollars in negative ads — but now the President of the United States is publicly telling a crowd of Americans to vote for revenge. And not just revenge, but revenge against another American.

Romney at his massive rally last night in Ohio:

“Did you see what President Obama said today? He asked his supporters to vote for revenge — for revenge. Instead, I ask the American people to vote for love of country,” he said.

He reiterated that message in New Hampshire on Saturday. The campaign also released a new ad with that theme today:

The rally in New Hampshire was large and enthusiastic, as most Romney crowds have been the last week. The GOP is hoping that the enthusiasm can translate into victory next Tuesday in the Granite State. Recent polls give the president a slight lead but within the margin of error.