Attack ads have come to this: President Obama makes babies cry.

That, in essence, is the message of a new commercial from a Republican “super PAC” called Americans for Job Security. And it is just one of several new advertisements that make a blunt appeal to women by using young children.

In the new ad, a worried mother jogs down the street, pushing her daughter in a stroller. “I run to forget — forget about my problems,” she says. “Now we’re facing another recession. The future is getting worse under Obama.” The camera then cuts to her daughter, whose face puckers as if she is about to burst into tears.

Another new ad from Mitt Romney features a mother reading to her infant daughter. “Goodnight Moon” perhaps? “The Giving Tree”?