Obama ad hits Romney's out of touch 'size doesn't matter' views on education

The Obama campaign is simultaneously highlighting yet another of Mitt Romney's statements on education that is likely to be unpopular among parents of schoolchildren, and using it to paint Romney as privileged and out of touch (not hard to do).

The 30-second ad, which will run in Virginia and Ohio this week, centers on Romney's claims that class size doesn't matter (even though he sent his own sons to a private school with very small classes). Few parents are likely to agree with the idea that putting their kids in giant classes wouldn't have a negative effect, and, in the ad, a man named Kevin says that "Some of our children's greatest experiences have been in the smaller classrooms."

From the specific Romney-supported policy of larger class sizes, and Romney's support for Paul Ryan's budget, "which could cut education by 20 percent," the ad's punchline, connecting the policy to the out-of-touch perspective, is delivered by a woman named Caroline: "These are all issues that really he personally cannot relate to. To be able to afford an education, to want the very best public education system for your children."

In addition to the issues raised in this ad and the higher education issues Obama highlighted Tuesday, the Obama campaign is pointing to the president's efforts'some successful, some blocked by congressional Republicans'to prevent teacher layoffs due to state budget cuts.