Behind the Ad: Who’s toughest on China?

By Richard K. Barry (Another installment in our extensive “Behind the Ad” series.) Who: Obama-Biden campaign. Where: National cable. What’s going on: Obama and Romney have been going back and [...]

By Richard K. Barry

(Another installment in our extensive “Behind the Ad” series.)

Who: Obama-Biden campaign.

Where: National cable.

What’s going on: Obama and Romney have been going back and forth about who is or would be tougher on China when it comes to trade practices. This ad, called “Tires,” by Obama’s campaign, points to some specific action the president took against China that Romney opposed.

As The Huffington Post reports:

Tough on China? Not Mitt Romney,” a narrator says in the ad. “When a flood of Chinese tires threatened a thousand American jobs, it was President Obama who stood up to China and protected American workers.”

The ad refers to a 2009 decision by Obama to impose a tariff on tires from China, which may have flooded the market and hurt U.S. tire makers. Romney criticized that decision.

“How can Mitt Romney take on the cheaters when he’s taking their side?” the narrator continues.

Maybe not the most exciting ad, but it does attempt to enhance President Obama’s credibility on the kinds of issues Romney where likes to claim expertise. Although the argument is somewhat obscure, it also suggests that what is good for “business” more generally is not always good for American workers, and that Mitt Romney would come down on the side of profits and not jobs.

In a related issue, Obama filed a new WTO complaint on Monday over China’s trade in auto parts, which he turned into a campaign line at an Ohio event yesterday.