What're the best ways to make Mittens "go postal" during the debates?

[Ken Burch]

(not the gun part, obviously, just the uncontrollable megarage)

It's always been clear that Mitt has some massively toxic anger going just below the surface and the he fights against it by trying to will himself to be, in public, totally emotionless.

A major freakout episode during a 'bate could sink him big time with the independents.

Post your thoughts here as to the best way(or ways) to cause that when it matters most.

[Quantess]

1. Ask him again about his tax returns.

[justiceischeap]

15. ^ This. nt

[silvershadow]

48. ^What this person said. Especially in light of the tax amnesty he surely took part in.

It has so many angles of being a rotten, lying phony he will slip up somehow.

[Jackpine Radical]

53. Even more explicitly--

"Did you take advantage of the foreign account tax amnesty program or any other similar program?

(Phrasing it as generally as possible to avoid weasel-worded denials)

[silvershadow]

60. Yep.

[madokie]

2. Just having to be on stage with a black man is all it will take, mit is a racist ahole

Hide and watch and see if I'm not correct on this

[Freddie]

3. Even if he's not goaded into saying something stupid

He comes across as so arrogant it will be apparent. Our calm and cool President will mop the floor with him.
Or hopefully Mitt will do something inadvertently offensive like McCain's "health of the mother" air quotes gesture.
I predict he will be like Palin at the debates, not actually answering the questions but just spouting his talking points.

[pnwmom]

4. Use congenial, Clinton-esque stick-a-knife-in-him humor. Dice him to shreds.

I wish Clinton were helping him prepare, rather than John Kerry. Kerry doesn't seem like much of a stand-in for Romney (he's so much nicer) and Clinton would be a better role model for Obama.

[treestar]

42. Kerry may know a lot more about Mittwit

Being from MA. That could be helpful.

[pnwmom]

46. Good point, treestar. I hope he's an encyclopedia

of MA issues that could get Romney's goat.

[NBachers]

5. Soften him up by making the audience laugh at him;

then slam him hard by exposing an outrageous lie;

followed by another demand for twelve years of tax returns.

The laughter will make him resentful and angry.

Exposing him as a liar will shame him and give him a powerful urge for immediate vengeance

The twelve years will cast him in his father's shadow and bring up very deep, vulnerable psychological issues.

[freedom fighter jh]

21. This suggestion gets my vote nt

[CrispyQ]

33. Love your sig line!

[gkhouston]

59. +1. Making the audience laugh at him might do the trick, all by itself.

And Romney's likely to be so tightly wound (he must do well in the debates, more so than the President) that even an off-hand remark to something apparently innocuous, like how much he enjoys playing with his dog, could start Romney spiraling.

[tomm2thumbs]

6. I think if they keep pushing him on offending the UK regarding the Olympics

anything Olympic dents his image, and that one goes right to offending allies and misreading international affairs

ask him if he really thinks he has the right instincts for this job, given that episode

remind him that he is on the other end of the hiring table right now, and it looks like we are going with the other fella

[Princess Turandot]

7. Remaining civil, composed and in charge of the facts...i.e. what comes to the President naturally...

I think they are still pinning their hopes to the 'angry black man' horse puckey and are hoping to set him off.

They've got nothing else. They can't possibly believe (even if the candidate does) that Romney has any chance of besting him on knowledge or intelligence or delivery of ideas. And if Romney's goal is to rile/embarrass him, I imagine him becoming more strident when that doesn't succeed.

In the first debate in 2008, McCain was acting almost inexplicably rude to him - iirc, at one point he referred to soon-to-be President Obama as 'that one' with a dismissive toss of his head, without even bothering to look at him. The ploy didn't work then and it won't work now.

[CrispyQ]

34. Anyone who thinks Obama is an angry black man, hasn't been paying attention!

The President has grace, style & class. I think that pisses the right wing off even more! They want him to be an angry black man, but he isn't.

[JustAnotherGen]

49. I agree

I would bet Mitt won't even shake his hand. He wouldn't want the Mark of Cain to rub off on him or some nonsense such as that.

President Obama also has this ability to 'dead pan' - it's slight. Go back to those debate videos from McCain. Joe Biden just gives a big smile when he knows his opponent is an idiot spouting nonsense. Obama kind of 'blinks', twitches, smiles and gives a response. He's waiting for the right moment to land the verbal punch, then when he does - he does it with such finesse and grace.

[vlyons]

8. ask him if the Mormon Church teaches Moses' 9th commandment

you know, the one that says "Thou shall not bear false witness." Then ask him why he lies so much.

[B Calm]

9. Sneak up behind him and pull down his trousers

so the whole world will see him in his magic diaper!

[IDemo]

10. A handshake with plenty of electrostatic discharge should screw up his microprocessor n/t

[sarcasmo]

11. Ask him if his magic undies are comfy?

[rfranklin]

14. "Now, Mitt, don't get your magic knickers in a twist!"

Yeah, that was my thought too.

[Ken Burch]

24. After that, offer him a cup of coffee...

n/t.

[lovemydog]

12. Discuss real policy.

That gets him tongue-tied.

[Atman]

13. Give him a noogie and mess up his hair.

Not sure that's possible, though. It could be some special alloy from Kolob.

[2on2u]

16. A great big banner in the hall that with the letters IRS on it.

[RT_Fanatic]

17. Problem is

that even after PBO chews him up and spits him out, the MSM will call every debate a "draw."

[CrispyQ]

35. "Fair & balanced" has done incalculable harm to this country.

I almost threw up one day when I heard Wolf Blitzer refer to himself as a journalist.

[gkhouston]

61. "Fair and balanced" is neither fair nor balanced. How 'bout reporting facts? n/t

[randome]

18. Pull a pair of scissors from his pocket.

Slam it on the podium and say, "Let's get started."

[gulliver]

54. +1

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. I really believe he will come unglued in the debates

He screws up every time if he isn't scripted.

[Fresh_Start]

20. 2 questions - ask about Bain Capital government bailout

and ask if when he started Bain with a guarantee that he could go back to his old job without losing anything, wasn't he the opposite of a brave entrepreneur who risks everything to start a business?

[Zalatix]

22. Just. Show. Up.

[porphyrian]

27. My thoughts exactly. n/t

[Generic Brad]

43. I don't think he will exhibit anger

But pompous condescension will be on his agenda. Romney just can't keep that under wraps for more than five minutes.

[Native]

23. anything regarding foreign policy nt

[GoneOffShore]

25. Spike his drinking water with RedBull and vodka.

[kestrel91316]

56. ^^^

[central scrutinizer]

26. since he has been on every side of every major issue, hit him with flip-flopping

there are plenty of quotes out there. Like the auto bailout - first he was in favor, then he said let them go bankrupt, then tried to take credit for what Obama did by claiming it was his idea all along.

[Auggie]

28. Isn't it obvious? ALL OF THE ABOVE!

[Laxman]

29. Whinny Like Rafalca!

Every time he's asked a question someone in the audience should make horse noises. You know, like Frau Blucher.

[lunatica]

47. Actually every time she spoke horses off screen would whinny

God! I love that movie!

[jberryhill]

30. Compliment his father - a LOT!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

39. That might actually work

esp. if Obama reminds him that his dad released more tax returns than Mitt did when he was running for POTUS!

[zellie]

40. Zackly

it will drive him nuts.

[lpbk2713]

31. His European trip was widely received as a joke.

It was one blunder after another. Many in the media and the late
night talk shows were relentless in pointing out what a clown he is.

[valerief]

32. Ask him if he ever makes $10 bets. nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

37. Better yet

Obama should make him a $10K bet!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

36. I REALLY hope that Obama brings up the welfare lie

Mitt won't be able to discuss it- let alone challenge it- face-to-face IMHO.

It would probably be too low to stoop but he could mention Seamus.

[HooptieWagon]

41. All of the above.

Hit him on the govt bailing out Bain &Co. plus the Olympics. Stress that Bain Capital makes money by destroying businesses, not building them. Hit him on tax returns, compare with his father, then ask what he is hiding. Then call him out on lies, use the word liar.

[HopeHoops]

44. "So, since you're a Mormon, how many men sired your children?"

[tnvoter]

45. joke about his elevators

or joke about the flip-flopping.

[lunatica]

50. Obama just has to be Obama

He'll outsmart, outclass and outrun Romney with every single question asked by the moderator. He'll keep his cool throughout and he'll have command of all the facts and figures and he'll stick to the truth. And if attacked by Romney he'll be very cool in his rebuttals.

In other words Obama just being Obama, just like he was when he took on a room full of Republicans in his first few months when he answered every single one of their accusations and gotcha questions with facts. He whipped their asses on national television and they've avoided being seen with him ever since.

[n2doc]

51. Talk down to him

And be physical, make sure to give him a strong handshake and a pat on the back. He undoubtedly thinks that he should always be deferred to and never be touched by 'lesser' folks.

[Botany]

52. bring up his taxes and the fact that he has so little faith in America that he doesn't bank here

.... and yet he wants to be POTUS?

[mick063]

55. Thank him for his Massachusetts health care ideas.

Last edited Sat Sep 8, 2012, 12:58 PM - Edit history (6)

Ask him about his taxes.
Ask him about Bain strategy.
Ask him if he has ever used a shovel for more than four hours.
Ask him why he was pro choice.
Ask him why he held down a college classmate and clipped his hair
Ask him if he successfully removed the dog puke off the top of his care.
Ask him what exactly is a "managed" bankruptcy? (I trust his expertise on this and wish to be educated)
Ask him why it wasn't worth the effort to hunt down Bin Laden.
Ask him how much money he has stashed abroad.
Ask him if he still fully endorses the Paul Ryan plan.
Ask him why he runs from journalists not attached to Fox.
Ask him why he gave up on PA, MI, and WI.
Ask him why Senator McCain opted for a "game changer" like Sarah Palin instead.
Ask him "Why Ford Field?"
Ask him to specifically explain how he would have improved the 2012 Summer olympics.
Ask him what the right height for a tree is.
Ask him if he only eats "cheesey grits" on the campaign trail.
Ask him how many people with brown skin have held a leadership position in his church. How many women?
Ask him if avoiding military service in France is patriotic.
Ask him if ten grand is his typical wager on a friendly bet.
Ask him if his groundskeepers have more right to work than a US citizen has to vote..

[Vox Moi]

57. I have lots of questions.

-Exactly how many years of tax returns did you ask from persons you considered for Vice President?
-Were you a participant in the IRS tax-evasion amnesty in 2009?
-Your IRA has at least 20 million. According to tax analysts you could have not contributed more than half a million. This would require a minimum return on investment of over 4000%. Did all investors Bain Capitol realize that kind of return?
- Speaking as a business and financial expert, what are some of the advantages of holding foreign bank accounts?
- When you were the chairman of the audit board at Marriott, the company engaged in certain tax-related practices known as 'Son of Boss', which resulted in Marriott paying the IRS over $70 million. Were you aware of that practice?
- During the Viet Nam war you were in Paris, working for the Mormon Church. Did you consider yourself a conscientious objector?
- At the end of your term as Governor of Massachusetts, your staff purchased the hard drives from their state-owned office computers and took them home. Is that a standard procedure in Massachusetts?
- Were you ever the CEO or chief operational manager of any company other than Bain?
- Bain held controlling interest in companies while also acting as that company's management consulting firm. In a case like that, who is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the consulting services performed?
- You have described you management style at Bain as 'dictatorial'. Can you describe how you would apply this style of management as President?
- What is the wind chill for a wet animal on top of a car moving at 60 MPH?

[Botany]

62. Nice list but you can add two more

Bain Capital acquired Mattel company after you said you left the company
but in 2002 as director of the Winter Olympics did you influence the decision
to have the Mattel company supply and be a vendor of Olympic souvenirs?

Were you or were you not a registered lobbyist and sought out government
money to support and put on the winter Olympics in 2002?

?1343335638

[Change has come]

58. "Bishop Romney,

Can you explain why you baptized my mother 13 years after her death?"

"Do you have plans to baptize any of my other relatives?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/06/mormons-baptized-obamas-m_n_197707.html

[Ken Burch]

63. Also..."did you ever personally baptize any Holocaust victims"?

(have somebody research that in advance so we can bust him on a lie on that).