BY WESLEY P. HESTER

President Barack Obama’s campaign is out with a new no-frills TV ad, in which the president speaks of the competing visions for the country.

Title “The Choice,” the one-minute ad shows Obama seated, and speaking directly to viewers about the election and telling voters they have a clear choice.

“Governor Romney’s plan would cut taxes for the folks at the very top. Roll back regulations on big banks,” he says. “And he says that if we do, our economy will grow and everyone will benefit. But you know what? We tried that top down approach. It’s what caused the mess in the first place”

The president then says that his plan involves strengthening the middle class and “asking the wealthy to pay a little more so we can pay down our debt in a balanced way. So that we can afford to invest in education, manufacturing and home-grown American energy for good middle class jobs.”

He concludes: “Sometimes politics can seem very small. But the choice you face, it couldn’t be bigger.”

In addition to Virginia, the ad is airing in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“President Obama believes that government creates jobs, not hard-working entrepreneurs and small-business owners,” responded Romney campaign spokesman Curt Cashour. “Not only are his ‘you didn’t build that’ comments insulting to job creators, but they also reflect how unqualified he is to lead our country toward an economic recovery.”