(UPDATED) Swiftboating 2012: "Subtler Entry From Masters of Attack Ads" (with video)

UPDATE:

"Steven J. Law of Crossroads GPS said a new ad was aimed at voters who may like President Obama but are disillusioned."

Jeremy W. Peters (NY Times) with video (01:02):

The ad is the work of two of the most fearsome players in Republican politics: Larry McCarthy, the producer behind the infamous Willie Horton commercial in 1988, and Crossroads GPS, the political battle squad founded by Karl Rove. When it makes its debut Wednesday in 10 swing states as the centerpiece of a $25 million campaign, it is expected to become one of the most heavily broadcast political commercials of this phase of the general election. Yet what Mr. McCarthy and Crossroads have produced is not the kind of searing denunciation of President Obama that their track records would suggest. More soft-pedal than Swift Boat, the 60-second advertisement, complete with special effects, is a deeply researched, delicately worded story of a struggling family; its relatively low-key tone is all the more striking, coming at a point in the campaign when each side is accusing the other of excessive negativity. MORE...

Howie P.S.: In case you're wondering if the ad fits into the definition of swiftboating:

the term "swiftboating" (or "Swift-boating", or "Swift Boating") commonly refers to a harsh attack by a political opponent that is dishonest, personal and unfair.

H/t to Jeff Greenfield. Hint: "The ad still uses traditional accusations, but it veils them in the scripted narrative to blunt the attack. And while not offering any wholly inaccurate facts, the ad oversimplifies the president's positions on issues like raising taxes and spending, making them sound much more absolute than they really are."