Post-debate, Romney campaign and his supporters go negative

In the wake of a widely-praised debate performance, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign released a rare positive ad touting the former governor's promise to create 12 million new jobs in four years.

But it wasn't all sunshine from Romney and his allies: a pair of new spots from Romney's campaign and the Romney-aligned superPAC, Restore Our Future, continued in the scalding tenor that has largely defined the campaign to date.

The Restore Our Future ad, "New Normal", assails the Obama administration's record, accusing the president of settling for less:

"Welcome to the new normal... Where over 8 percent unemployment is "doing fine" and millions of Americans have simply given up.... Where our children will grow up under the weight of crushing debt in a world where America is no longer the leader."

The ad closes with a shot at the president's keystone message, explaining, "We're told we're going forward, even as we fall further behind."

"This is President Obama's economy," intones the narrator, urging voters to "Demand better."

The ad, backed by a $1.2 million buy, will run statewide in Wisconsin beginning today through Oct. 10.

The other ad, released by the Romney campaign in conjunction with the Republican National Committee, pushes back on the accusation that Romney will hike taxes on the middle class, citing a study from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) that claims it's the president's plan, not Romney's, that will raise taxes on middle-class families:

"Who will raise taxes?" the ad asks. "According to an independent, non-partisan study, Barack Obama and the liberals will raise taxes on the middle class by $4,000. The same organization says the plan from Mitt Romney and common-sense conservatives is not a tax hike on the middle class." While the ad refers to AEI as "non-partisan", it is widely acknowledged that the organization is more conservative-leaning.