As The Fix Boss wrote shortly after Obama's comments on Thursday, they were basically a gift-wrapped campaign ad for Republicans trying to tie red-state Democrats to Obama's unpopularity.
The Fix team wasn't entirely prescient, though. I predicted that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) or former senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) would be the first to launch ads featuring the comments. Roberts beat them to the punch, it would seem.
Update 10:06 a.m.: OK, I was kind of right. We don't have a tale of the tape as to who was first, but Brown's campaign is up with a web video featuring Obama's comments. Of course, it's all pretty academic, because very soon basically every Republican will be running this same ad.
Update 1:05 p.m.: And now McConnell's campaign is right on cue.