ZINGER from Romney could be "Bin Laden is dead, GM is alive, BUT ..."

[napkinz]

Last edited Mon Oct 1, 2012, 06:16 PM - Edit history (2)

"23 Million Americans are still out of work, Mr. President!"

or

"We're still in the slowest recovery in US history, Mr. President!"

or

"The economy is still a disaster and the Middle East is on fire, Mr. President."

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Again, I need to repeat this because I think it's coming.

I just bet Romney's handlers are going to use Vice President Biden's line and have Romney TURN to President Obama and say:

"Mr President, you and the Vice President keep telling us, "Bin Laden is Dead and GM is alive, BUT ..."

... and then a zinger of some kind, like the examples I've given above.

I HOPE THE PRESIDENT IS PREPARED TO COUNTER IT!!!!

And I'm asking everyone here, right now, what would be the best response to such a "zinger" should Romney deliver it?

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[font size="3"]
edit: the one I've come up with is a reply I gave to another member below.

President Obama: "And your solution is to return to the FAILED policies that caused the recession in the first place. No, we're not going back to losing 850, 000 jobs a month, not after we've since gained 4 MILLION jobs. No, the American people don't want to return to those FAILED policies. We're not going back. We're moving FORWARD!"
[/font]

[gollygee]

1. "If the Republicans in congress hadn't blocked my jobs bill . . . "

I'd talk about obstructionism. They put halting anything Obama planned, no matter how beneficial, above our country's best interest.

[napkinz]

6. The obstructionism is one possible reply

But I think the president would have to frame it differently.

How about this:

Governor Romney: "You and the Vice President keep telling us Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive but 23 million Americans are still out of work, the recovery is the slowest in history, and the Middle East is on fire."

President Obama: "Governor Romney, we we're losing 850,000 jobs a month when I took over -- after eight years of your failed trickle-down policies -- and now we've gained 4 million jobs since ... and would have gained even more had it not been for a do-nothing obstructionist Congress, many whose members were responsible for the failed policies that got us into the mess to begin with."

[tjdee]

25. He can't say that.

Because then it looks like he's whining and he can't take responsibility.

His surrogates should be out there saying that every single day they are on tv, and I wish they would.

[former-republican]

28. agreed , that's a trap waiting to happen

Romney's talking points during the campaign is that the President doesn't know how to work with congress.

The last thing President Obama should mention is how republican congress blocks what he's trying to do.
It's fine that others say this just not Obama.

This would fall in Romney's plan during the debate.
Romney has said 100's of times how he learned how to work with Democrats as Governor of MA and got things done.

[napkinz]

69. I don't think the people of MA would agree with their former governor

He was considered a FAILURE!

The key number is 47!

And I'm not talking about his recent remark about the 47%

47th ... I'm talking about where the state ranked in job creation while he was governor!

[former-republican]

70. He may have been but during the debate

it's not the people of Mass just voting for a president.

If you repeat something enough even though it's a lie.
Some people will start to believe it.


Romney's claim to fame is learning how to work as a republican governor with 80%
of democrats in the State House.

This is something Romney is going to want to bring up in the debate how the President doesn't know how to work with congress.

And how he was able to as governor of MA....

Obama should not say during the debate his bills failed because he couldn't get them though congress.
I'm telling you it plays right into Romney's plan.

[uponit7771]

61. +1!

[Uben]

2. Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive for one reason....

......we have a DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT! Had the republicans won the whitehouse, Bin Laden would be planning his next attack and auto workers would be in the soup lines. The bankers would be running the country and the adults would have vacated the building!

[mnhtnbb]

3. Very often the best reply to a zinger is to turn it around

Would you rather GM were dead and Bin Laden alive?

I prefer to look at what we've accomplished--because there's always going to be more to do...

Then fill in the stat: jobs we have created...

Destroying something...a building...the economy...is always easier than rebuilding. Fortunately, the economy IS recovering

etc.

[tridim]

9. The economy is recovering, and recent polls show the people understand that. Why don't you Mitt?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

57. according to McCain, that sort of optimism is "terrible"

Why are they all so negative about recovery? Why are they trying to talk the economy down?

[napkinz]

60. The GOP was set on obstruction and destruction from day one

1. Remember GOP leaders met the night of the inauguration to plan the president's downfall.

2. Remember in 2010 Mitch McConnell's statement:

"My number one priority is making sure President Obama's a one-term president."

[Proud Liberal Dem]

62. Not to mention the fact

that Romney's #2 was directly part of that inauguration "meeting". I really hope that Biden brings that up during the debate!

[napkinz]

66. Ryan ----> co-conspirator

[napkinz]

11. re: Would you rather GM were dead and Bin Laden alive?

That might sound a bit snarky.

Is there a less snarky way to put it, that makes the president not look annoyed at the zinger?

So I'm not sure that response would work.

I could see the media taking that response and saying "Oh, that one got under the president's skin" or "Oh, he seem irritated, petulant, etc." or "He replied like a kid on the playground, 'so are, you what am I?'"

[mnhtnbb]

13. It's all in the delivery.

[Voice for Peace]

53. As long as Obama doesn't allow himself to assume defensive position.

He could take such a zinger and turn it into a thoughtful attack that would disarm his ppoonant*

I truly hope people on his staff read DU -- many good suggestions come up here.


* was going to edit but it seemed good the way it is, reminds of poop.

[CTyankee]

19. I am sure his debate prep has long ago taken care of that "zinger." Obama will have

a great comeback all prepared. The job of the stand-ins is to throw the nastiest of punches at the President, deliberately, to see how he can react, then to take apart his every word and gesture, grimace, and body language. I read somewhere that Clinton's debate stand-in so infuriated him that he started yelling at the stand-in! But it really helped to prepare him for what was coming...

[napkinz]

27. I hope you're right

You know Romney will have that smirk on his face as he is delivering what he believes to be a knock-out punch with one of the prepared zingers his handlers have written for him.

I want to see those "zingers" crushed and the smirk turn to a grimace!

[CTyankee]

34. I hope I am not being over confident but I just can't see how Romney can do all that well

in the debate. I am a bit nervous about it, I must admit. But I trust the basic instincts of Obama and the propensity of Romney to go weird. However, I won't feel better until I am proven right...

[napkinz]

39. I just wish Nov 6 would get here already!

I'm hoping that's the last we'll ever have to hear from Romney again.

[CTyankee]

43. Oh, god, me too! I want this whole farce to be OVER so I can breathe easy again...

[Care Acutely]

45. "and you saw fit to criticize both of those things, didn't you Mr. Romney"

"If we can take you at your word, GM would be a thing of the past and Bin Laden would be safe and sound, and neither one of those things would be good for America. That's not what Americans want. "

[BlueStreak]

59. If Romney, Cheney, or Bush were to answer that question honestly ...

well, actually, yes.

GM workers are nothing but a bunch of takers that just give money to the UAW to campaign against Republicans. And bin Laden was quite helpful. Whenever there was bad news, all we had to do was release another video from bin Laden.

So, thanks for asking.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

4. Well Gov. Romney

First, this is not the slowest recovery in U.S. History, that record still belongs to the Great Depression which began in 1929 and didn't end until until 1942 when the U.S. entered World War II...Are you advocating we start World War III? Is that why you're foreign policy is so belligerent?

[KharmaTrain]

5. A Zinger Only Works...

...when the subject walks into it. It's knowing your opponent will make a remark and be ready to pounce...it's all about timing. Having the zinger and the subject (in this case President Obama) not taking the bait means little for Bishop Willard...and knowing how ham handed he's been in the past he'll either blow the line or mess up the timing and making it sound awkward.

The pressure on Willard is getting intense and it'll be interesting to see if the frat boy can hold his composure. If he's trying to be too cute...waiting to launch that zinger at the expense of connecting with what few "undecided" voters remain then he loses. So zing away, Bishop!

[reformist2]

7. "And your solution is to return to the policies that caused the recession in the first place!"

[napkinz]

12. I would add a couple of things to that reply ...

"And your solution is to return to the FAILED policies that caused the recession in the first place. No, we're not going back to losing 850, 000 jobs a month, not after we've since gained 4 MILLION jobs. No, the American people don't want to return to those FAILED policies. We're not going back. We're moving FORWARD!"

[RBInMaine]

51. That's the best reply. PIVOT WITH COUNTER-PUNCH ATTACHED TO CENTRAL MESSAGE. STAY ON MESSAGE !

[napkinz]

52. yes!

End with we've come this far, we're ain't going back, we're moving FORWARD!

[HereSince1628]

8. Seems pretty apparent that if Mitt focuses on zinging Mr. Obama

he's going to be trying to force fit the zingers to not quite appropriate but whatever available opportunity there is.

I appreciate how the love of confrontation of the teahadists brings this forward for the party, but all things considered, demonstrating that petulant name calling and 'cut-downs' is your strength seems like a rather high risk approach for a person who needs to not look like his snobbish self.

[gkhouston]

10. Good zingers don't begin by reiterating one of your opponent's strengths.

That would only work if your zinger somehow reveals that the strength is in fact a weakness.

[napkinz]

14. I have to disagree ...

I think this is the case we've seen in recent elections where the Republicans take one of our strengths and try to turn it into a weakness, try to turn it on its head.

Think what they did to Senator Kerry's service record in Vietnam.

[gkhouston]

16. They lied about Kerry's service record. Starting with "bin Laden is dead but GM is alive" and then

somehow lying about that doesn't seem to translate well into an attack based on the economy. And polling has shown that the economy has not been the winning issue that the Republicans expected it to be.

[Warren Stupidity]

63. They would have to be claiming that bin laden is alive and gm dead.

The swiftboat attack on kerry denied he was a war hero - claimed that he just made shit up.

[Chiyo-chichi]

21. I agree. Romney isn't going to mention bin Laden or General Motors if he can help it.

[fugop]

24. Yep

There is no way Mitt wants to point out two big successes. No way he wants people to remember those two major achievements.

[napkinz]

30. again, I hate to disagree

As I said in another reply above, the GOP has a history of trying to -- and often succeeding at -- turning our candidates' initially-perceived strengths into weaknesses.

By going on offense and taking it the president, turning to him, and saying,

"You know, Mr. President, I keep hearing you and the Vice President saying Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive, but ..."

and with that BUT making it sound like the president's success is based on a mere slogan and that HE -- ROMNEY -- is the one concerned about ALL Americans, in saying:

... but 23 million are still out of work and the economy is still a mess, etc."

I just see it as a way for Romney to some degree to negate the president's successes, and to actually make ROMNEY himself look like the one who is empathetic toward the plight of those still hurting.

WHICH OF COURSE ROMNEY ISN'T.

We know he doesn't give a shit about the 47%.

But debates often turn out to be about appearances. And I don't want the president letting Romney succeed in creating a false impression that the few remaining low-information undecided voters buy into.

[6000eliot]

15. Planned "zingers" are not zingers.

[Larkspur]

17. You're assuming, of course, that Romney won't fumble the words coming

out of his mouth and turn a zinger into a word salad.

The pressure is on Mitt to produce and I predict, he'll make word salad out of at least 1 answer.

Mitt's problem is that he caters his answers to the audience before him. His answers will only make sense if we know who he thinks is his audience.

[napkinz]

22. the robot that is Romney will have this one MEMORIZED

I know Romney will fumble a lot of his RESPONSES TO the president, but the "zingers" his handlers are preparing for him, the lines he's going to use when going on offense, those he'll have down pat.

[Berlum]

18. "It's true that we have succeeded where Republican failed." - President Obama

"But I guess I will have to concede the the Republicans have been damned effective in preventing us from cleaning up all of the vast, evil stinking messes they created. It is indeed sad. All I can say is: Be sure and elect a Democratic House and Senate so we can overcome all the small-minded Things the Republicans have done and will do to make America FAIL."

- President Obama

[JoePhilly]

20. Obama: "Thanks for stating your current position on X. Its been hard to keep track."

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. Do you really think that the president hasn't heard this from Republicans before?

Do you really think he hasn't prepared over and over for this attack? He and the Vice President?

Frankly, I am so sick and tired of Democrats, especially, questioning the intelligence and the forthrightness of this president. He knows exactly what he is doing!!

Your concern is noted!

[napkinz]

31. I'm not questioning the intelligence of the president

There's nothing wrong with contemplating what the other side might do, and there's nothing wrong asking for others what a good response might be.

I'm trying to allay my own fears, first of all.

And you know what, even the most intelligent people don't always have eveything covered.

Remember the first time Romney asked if we were better off than we were four years ago, and the president's handlers WEREN'T PREPARED for that response the first couple of days after Romney launched it.

A lot of us were shocked they hadn't thought of dealing with that question beforehand.

It took a couple of days, and then everyone was on the same page, saying "HELL YES we're better off, four years ago, when we were losing 850,000 jobs a month and about to go into a depression!"

But that answer should have been ready for delivery the MOMENT after Romney posed the "are we better off question" during his convention speech.

It took us two days to get our response -- and the RIGHT response -- in order.

I don't want to see that happen again.

I'm not as intelligent as the president. I'm no brain.

But even the most intelligent among us overlook things.

And I want us to win, so I'll raise an issue if I see one.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

41. The president has thought about what Republicans might say or do.

Those potential "zingers" you raise are of no consequence. We've heard them before.

He will be prepared for this debate.

[treestar]

42. So you think Rmoney controls this debate?

How much will Rmoney have "covered?"

There is going to be plenty Rmoney is "not prepared for."

[aikoaiko]

26. "You lie!"

just keeding.

[mzmolly]

29. I don't doubt that the zingers you note may be utilized.

But I do doubt their ability to do any damage, considering the source.

[napkinz]

32. well, better to be safe than sorry

nt

[mzmolly]

35. I'm sure the President is prepared

with his own cluster of "zingers" .

[democrat_patriot]

33. "And by all non-partisan accounts, Republican policies would have 46 million unemployed, Bin laden

alive and GM dead. The recovery has not happened as fast as it should, but we now have NET job growth. I don't think the American people believe that outsourcing jobs to China as your company Bain specialized in, giving tax breaks to the rich and bankrupting the auto industry is going to move us forward. They need a leader who looks out for 100% of the peopl, not just the upper half."

"It's easy to throw jabs from the sidelines, but I believe the American people need specifics. What are your specific plans for recovery? Will you get rid of the mortgage deduction? Make Medicare a voucher system for anyone under the age of 55? Make your healthcare policy, emergency rooms for the uninsured? We've been waiting for years to hear some specifics, now would be a good time to lay them out."

[budkin]

36. "I love being able to fire you!"

You're Fired!

[rock]

37. And your party had nothing to do with it?

[Turbineguy]

38. Zingers are good for Romney because

Romney voters think there are simple solutions to complicated problems.

I'd expect Biden's answer to go something like, "Well, aren't you a fuckin' genius!"

[Comrade_McKenzie]

40. I hope the debates aren't just a summary of their stump speeches... nt

[napkinz]

47. I thought I heard there's going to be a ten-minute period

where the candidates will be able to address each other, without the moderator intervening.

Can anyone else confirm this?

(I can't be sure but I thought I heard it on NOW with Alex.)

[dawg]

44. The President should chuckle at the zinger ... dismissively.

He should then proceed to calmly debunk it in a professional, presidential manner - making himself sound like the only adult in the room explaining a complicated concept to a confused petulant child.

[napkinz]

48. What has it come to that debates are about who can deliver the better zinger?

We might as well just go Star Wars style!

Darth Romney!

[WinkyDink]

54. Reagan.

[napkinz]

56. If you remember, Mondale was READY for it four years later

Reagan tried it again in 1984 -- "there you go again" -- and Mondale nailed him!

Unfortunately, we still lost the election.

[WinkyDink]

71. I don't! But good for Mondale!

[napkinz]

73. here it is ...

[Mother Of Four]

46. I think this says it all.

[napkinz]

49. fewer zingers, more cowbell!

[Chorophyll]

81. Seriously. I'm sure the President is abundantly prepared. I'm not even a bit worried. nt

[Hamlette]

50. The answers:

This recession was caused by a financial meltdown similar to those experienced in other countries like Japan. Comparing this financial meltdown to similar ones in other countries the US recovery has been the fastest recovery in history.

The economy is not a disaster. We stopped the jobs slide and are no longer losing 800K jobs per month as we were when I started. There are protests, unrest, and violence in the Middle East as there has been for at least the last 50 years. I am not writing it off, as Mr. Romney is. I am working to bring peace and democracy to that region and while there are still terrible problems there, there are signs of hope for peace as countries transition to democracy in the region.

As to the Bin Laden GM line he'll say: While the killing of Bin Laden was in part a symbolic gesture, he still had the ability to organize future attacks and we are safer with him out of the way. Saving GM, on the other had, was not symbolic. It saved millions of jobs and will contribute to the long term financial health of this country.

[fob]

55. Go Marshall Mathers on his ass and pre-zinger him by bringing all that up BEFORE

willard gets the chance to "zing".

"I'm sure willard wants to bring up the old 'GM is alive, Bin Laden is dead, BUT' canard to use as an excuse to attack me, but I did help GM and I did give the order on OBL, he's just a rich kid from Cranbrook whose real name is Clarence!" Or you know, just cut him off at the pass.

[flamingdem]

58. The zinger is that they re-animated Bin Ladin's corpse!

They are that desperate

[TroglodyteScholar]

64. Obama could counter that junk easily. Your edit is right on.

We've gone from hemmhoraging private sector jobs during the Bush years to consistently adding thm every month. Has the growth been as fast as we'd like? No, but Romney's policies would take us right back.

Exibit A:

[napkinz]

67. and this information ....

[napkinz]

68. AND!

[tarheelsunc]

65. The biggest surprise of that would be if Mitt actually refers to him as the president

[begin_within]

72. and Cheney is undead.

[Hutzpa]

74. This will be my response

President Obama: And your solution is to return to the same failed policy that got us here in the first place by writing off 47% of the American people, (Fire fighters, the military, teachers, police etc). If that is your way of creating jobs, I don't think the American people will go for it.

He needs to use the 47% point on every opportunity.

[napkinz]

77. to me that's the key phrase

we're NOT RETURNING TO THE FAILED POLICIES that created the mess

FORWARD!!!!!!

[Hutzpa]

79. FORWARD!!!!

nt.

[spanone]

75. well sir, if your do nothing congress had passed my jobs bill the recovery might not be so slow

[jayjayusa]

76. ...

Obama needs to attack first and say point by point why we got into this mess. Let's be clear and say exactly why do we
have 23M and since when. And who tried to do something, even with an obstructionist congress.

[lunasun]

78. I doubt he will call him " Mr. President "

[ErikJ]

80. Republicans have TRIPLED THE RECORD for FILIBUSTERS.

Obama could say that their # 1 goal was not helping the American people but it was to make me a 1 term president.