Obama Sticks to Jobs Message in Florida Web Ads

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The jobs message introduced by the Obama for America campaign in South Carolina has made its way south to Florida. Like he did the day of the South Carolina primary, President Barack Obama's campaign is taking over the homepage of a key Florida news site, spreading the same message he did in the neighboring state.

Meanwhile, that positive job growth message from Obama is accompanied by rare display ads from Mitt Romney's campaign attacking his main competitor, Newt Gingrich.

Since the Republican primary and caucus season kicked off in Iowa, the Obama camp has stuck with a strategy of placing eye-catching ad takeovers on local news sites in an effort to interject the President's campaign rhetoric into the dominant GOP primary conversation.

The Florida ad creative, seen on OrlandoSentinel.com, has changed only slightly since South Carolina. For instance, "Jobs in America: The facts may surprise you," has been altered to read, "Jobs in America: Facts that might surprise you." Ultimately, though, the message is the same. As Republicans spar over investments, tax payments, and who's behind which negative ads, the President is staying positive and focusing on what many believe will be the most important issues in November: jobs and the economy.

The Florida homepage ads, like the ones seen in South Carolina, link to a page detailing ways the Obama administration has helped protect and create jobs. That approach is a departure from the Iowa and New Hampshire buys, which attacked Republicans. And, while the Iowa and New Hampshire ads linked to pages highlighting ways to get involved with the Obama campaign in those states, the South Carolina and Florida landing pages make no mention of either state.

Obama has been the biggest target of Romney's campaign ads so far, while pro-Romney Super PAC Restore Our Future has done the bulk of the Gingrich-bashing, mainly on TV. But now the Romney camp itself is going after Gingrich in ads also spotted on the Orlando site. "Florida families suffered. Newt cashed in," declare ads leading to a page featuring a TV spot that calls into question Gingrich's work for Freddie Mac.

"Gingrich was paid over $1.6 million by the scandal ridden agency that helped create the crisis," states the TV spot, which also implies that a Gingrich nomination would benefit the Obama campaign. Until now, most of Romney's digital ads have either been positive or attacked the President.