Romney Campaign Spends $85K on Second Ad Buy

The Romney campaign released its second television ad of the campaign season today, a 30-second spot that will air, like the first one did, in New Hampshire.

But that’s about all that’s similar about the two ads. The first ad released just over a week ago and titled “Believe in America” ignited a firestorm of criticism when it used a misleading quote from President Barack Obama.

Today’s ad is much tamer.

Titled “ The Right Answer,” the ad focuses on Romney’s plan to turn around the economy, using video from his appearance at debates as well as still photographs from his campaign events. Many snapshots show Romney meeting with voters and one shows New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who endorsed Romney last week, in the background.

“I spent my life in the private sector. I’ve competed with companies around the world. I’ve learned something about how it is that economies grow,” Romney says. “But we’re not going to balance the budget just by pretending that all they have to do is take out the waste. We’re going to have to cut spending. And I’m in favor of cutting spending, capping federal spending as a percentage of GDP at 20 percent or less, and having a balanced budget amendment.

“The right answer for America is to stop the growth of the federal government and to start the growth of the private sector,” he says.

The ad comes just six weeks before the Granite State’s primary, and less than a week after New Hampshire’s most influential paper, The Union Leader, announced its endorsement of Romney’s GOP rival and former speaker Newt Gingrich.

The new ad buy is estimated to have cost the campaign approximately $85,000, according to sources familiar with the advertisement, and will run on ABC News’ Manchester, N.H., affiliate WMUR between Dec. 1 and Dec. 6. The first ad was more expensive, costing $134,000 and airing from Nov. 22 through Nov. 27 on WMUR as well.

Romney has not yet aired any ads in Iowa.