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News & ArtsSaturday, September 29, 2012
2012 The Newest Romney Model Is Coming Pre-Loaded with Zingers
Posted by Paul Constant on Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 7:23 PM
The New York Times this morning published a description of the presidential debate prep:
Mr. Romney’s team has concluded that debates are about creating moments and has equipped him with a series of zingers that he has memorized and has been practicing on aides since August. His strategy includes luring the president into appearing smug or evasive about his responsibility for the economy.
Mr. Obama is not particularly fluid in sound bites, so his team is aiming for a workmanlike performance like his speech at the Democratic convention. He is looking to show that Mr. Romney would drive the country in an extreme ideological direction at odds with the interests of the middle class.
Prepping for zingers sounds like a terrible idea. The thing about debate zingers is they happen naturally. If you reach for them, you sound forced and plain weird. The Republicans have been through this before, and recently.
All day, Twitter has been responding to this news with the hashtag #RomneyZingers. Some favorites:
"You're so poor, you only have one house" #RomneyZingers
— Marta Evry (@venice4change) September 29, 2012
"Kenya believe how bad my opponent has wrecked the economy? Kenya?" #RomneyZingers
— Steve Ferra (@AbPow) September 29, 2012
"Mr President, you've left this economy on the roof far too long!" #RomneyZingers
— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) September 29, 2012
"The aristocrats!" #RomneyZingers
— Ian B. (@iboudreau) September 29, 2012
1
That said, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen was pre-loaded with the "You're no Jack Kennedy" zinger (because it was known that Dan Quayle liked to imagine himself a latter-day JFK), and it even sounded like it was being read from a cue-card, but it still bit like a starving 'gator on a gouty big toe.
Romney, however, can't tell a joke, so he'd be better off sticking to whatever actual policy points he can manage to remember or fabricate on the fly.
Romney, however, can't tell a joke, so he'd be better off sticking to whatever actual policy points he can manage to remember or fabricate on the fly.
2
you really think "there you go again" was Reagan being spontaneous? he didn't have a moment of spontaneity in his entire career.
3
They're idiots if they're focusing on that.
But then, the evidence that they ARE idiots is how Romney has been running his campaign so far.
He's given Obama too much material.
1. Tax returns.
2. $10,000 bet.
3. Specifics on ANYTHING.
4. Birthers and birther jokes.
5. 47% that he says refuse to take personal responsibility for their lives.
Obama can just make an oblique reference to any of those and Romney looks bad.
But then, the evidence that they ARE idiots is how Romney has been running his campaign so far.
He's given Obama too much material.
1. Tax returns.
2. $10,000 bet.
3. Specifics on ANYTHING.
4. Birthers and birther jokes.
5. 47% that he says refuse to take personal responsibility for their lives.
Obama can just make an oblique reference to any of those and Romney looks bad.
4
@2--I disagree. I think "there you go again" was pure ad-lib. Reagan was an actor, that's what they do to try to get laughs. (Think of all those stupefying celebrity roasts.) Unfortunately for the country, he did get laughs.
I also think "that one"--McCain's little lead balloon--was also ad-lib. Rather than laughs, it got gasps. Then he lost.
I also think "that one"--McCain's little lead balloon--was also ad-lib. Rather than laughs, it got gasps. Then he lost.
5
@4,
Max is correct, the "there you go again" line was indeed scripted. Carter was hokey, but he was also very intellectual and numbers-oriented. The reagan campaign was chomping at the bit to paint him as being far too cerebral for voters. They were just waiting for Carter to go off on a string of statistics and percentages and that's exactly when Reagan used it.
Max is correct, the "there you go again" line was indeed scripted. Carter was hokey, but he was also very intellectual and numbers-oriented. The reagan campaign was chomping at the bit to paint him as being far too cerebral for voters. They were just waiting for Carter to go off on a string of statistics and percentages and that's exactly when Reagan used it.
7
I can't wait for the debates. It won't have the excitement of Palin/Bidden, how could it? Obama is going bring the smarts and the charm. Romney is going bring the same old talking points with the stiffness.
8
"Can you believe it, ladies and gentlemen? This guy's been President for the last four years!". Yeah, that'll work.
9
What's the big deal? I'm prepping for the debates with a series of pre-loaded jokes, and you don't see Twitter all abuzz about that. I've got this one about JonBenet Ramsey and Michael Jackson that I think is going to kill (so to speak). People love the topical humor. Everybody remembers Lorena Bobbitt, right?
13
Paul, I don't know how many black people you normally hang with, but next time you're chillin with the gang at someone's crib, try using the word Zingers, and see if you don't get laughed out the house, you dipshit.
16
Now Obama only needs one zinger: "Was that another one of your pre-practiced "Zingers"?" (complete with finger-quotes)
17
PS here's mine:
Yo momma's so fat, she will probably die soon after I repeal obamacare and she is unable to afford her prescriptions. #romneyzingers
Yo momma's so fat, she will probably die soon after I repeal obamacare and she is unable to afford her prescriptions. #romneyzingers
18
Does it matter if a zinger sounds forced and plain and weird? No matter the debates, the majority of Obama voters will vote for Obama and the majority of Romney voters will vote for Romney. Those on the fence only need the right media outlet to run with a Romney zinger and tell them how to vote.
20
@18 I'm pretty sure all of the Obama voters will vote Obama and likewise the Romney voters for Romney. That's sort of tautological.
The problem is that any zinger from Romney is likely to sound contrived. If the media runs with one, it'll probably be to Romney's detriment.
The problem is that any zinger from Romney is likely to sound contrived. If the media runs with one, it'll probably be to Romney's detriment.
21
If these are pre-scripted, then they'll also be pre-distributed to the Republican machine. It really won't matter how they are delivered if Faux News and Rush Limbaugh can spin them.
They need a "Can you believe Al Gore says he invented the Internet?" moment, and if they can write their own, they'll be that much more able to try to run with it.
The Tea Party folks and the professional cynics will love it, but the question is whether the independents and moderate Republicans will buy it or see it as more of the same Plastic Romney bs.
They need a "Can you believe Al Gore says he invented the Internet?" moment, and if they can write their own, they'll be that much more able to try to run with it.
The Tea Party folks and the professional cynics will love it, but the question is whether the independents and moderate Republicans will buy it or see it as more of the same Plastic Romney bs.
22
@ 21, remember: Not everyone listens to Limbaugh or watches Fox. The Tea Party is a noisy but distinct minority. They had their chance with "You didn't build that," but that's faded. And the few fair-minded people who do probably have been turned off by the ridiculous contortions they went through to make the 47% remarks seem like a good thing. (Search for The Daily Show's "Chaos on Bullshit Mountain" for a recap of that.)
We shouldn't think we have it in the bag, but we shouldn't be pessimistic, either.
We shouldn't think we have it in the bag, but we shouldn't be pessimistic, either.
23
The media have been giving Romney a pass when they can, so I expect that they'll play some of the zingers on repeat to make them look more effective than they were. Remember that what they want, more than anything else, is to have a high-profile story that can fill the airtime. When there's no controversy - or story - the media make it.
This debate has been building up so much over the last handful of months that it's become something like the Super Bowl.
This debate has been building up so much over the last handful of months that it's become something like the Super Bowl.
24
What version are we up to now? MittOS v4.7?
Backward-compatible with Etch-a-Sketch, but not Romneycare v1.1!
Backward-compatible with Etch-a-Sketch, but not Romneycare v1.1!
25
@20 Pretty sure?! I'm certain!
Using pseudo poetic language to share my prediction, based on the past thirty years of political "debating", that there will be exactly zero new information and any poll movement will have to result from the media (a medium) running with a story of a winner and a loser based on... a zinger?
Using pseudo poetic language to share my prediction, based on the past thirty years of political "debating", that there will be exactly zero new information and any poll movement will have to result from the media (a medium) running with a story of a winner and a loser based on... a zinger?
26
Does Romney even have an advisers? Either they're so terrible they must be undercover Dems, or Romney is running this thing like a dictator and no one else gets a say.
Zingers? When the man can't tell a joke to save his life? That's an even worse idea than picking Ryan (which was a doozy in itself).
Zingers? When the man can't tell a joke to save his life? That's an even worse idea than picking Ryan (which was a doozy in itself).
28
Try to get Obama? Romney is the one who should be worried.
I'm dying for Obama to goad Romney into going OFF script because Romney cannot think on the fly.
Get him to gaffe it up and we'll all have a good time.
Try to get Obama? Romney is the one who should be worried.
I'm dying for Obama to goad Romney into going OFF script because Romney cannot think on the fly.
Get him to gaffe it up and we'll all have a good time.
29
#13 - OK, now I'm curious. I admittedly don't hang out with a lot of (any) black people, so I was unaware that the word "zinger" had a special meaning in that community. Care to enlighten those of us who lack diversity in their lives?
30
How about "You're 47% wrong, Mr. President" Or
"You're taxing my patience, Mr. President" Or "I'll bet you ten thousand roof carriers" Or "Na na nanana, I have magic underpants and you don't!"
"You're taxing my patience, Mr. President" Or "I'll bet you ten thousand roof carriers" Or "Na na nanana, I have magic underpants and you don't!"
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