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Mitt Romney's 10 Best Lines, Quips, And Quotes From The Debate
Townhall.com ^ | October 5, 2012 | John Hawkins

Posted on 10/04/2012 9:45:43 PM PDT by Kaslin

While Barack Obama was playing golf and going on vacation, Mitt Romney was getting an education in the debate school of hard knocks from Professor Newt Gingrich. While Obama was being asked fluff questions by his supporters in the mainstream media, Mitt Romney was facing a hostile media that wanted to rip his head off his shoulders. While Obama was being endlessly complimented for reading stale, barely updated speeches from 2008 off a teleprompter, Mitt was desperately trying to sell himself to audiences that had been told he was a cross between J.R. Ewing and one of the Replicants from Blade Runner. As a result, at their first debate, Mitt Romney was sharp as barbed wire while Barack Obama looked like he just wanted to go home, curl up, and wait for MSNBC to say nice things about him in the morning. That's why, as you're about to see from these quotes, the first meeting between Obama and Romney seemed more like a seal clubbing than a presidential debate.

10) My priority is putting people back to work in America. They’re suffering in this country. And we talk about evidence -- look at the evidence of the last four years. It’s absolutely extraordinary. We’ve got 23 million people out of work or stop looking for work in this country. It’s just when the president took office, 32 million people on food stamps; 47 million on food stamps today. Economic growth this year slower than last year, and last year slower than the year before. Going forward with the status quo is not going to cut it for the American people who are struggling today.
9) We didn’t raise taxes (in Massachusetts). You’ve raised them by a trillion dollars under “Obamacare.” We didn’t cut Medicare. Of course, we don’t have Medicare, but we didn’t cut Medicare by $716 billion. We didn’t put in place a board that can tell people ultimately what treatments they’re going to receive. We didn’t also do something that I think a number of people across this country recognize, which is put people in a position where they’re going to lose the insurance they had and they wanted. Right now, the CBO says up to 20 million people will lose their insurance as “Obamacare” goes into effect next year. And likewise, a study by McKinsey & Company of American businesses said 30 percent of them are anticipating dropping people from coverage. So for those reasons, for the tax, for Medicare, for this board and for people losing their insurance, this is why the American people don’t want “Obamacare.”
8) But you make a very good point, which is that...the place you put your money makes a pretty clear indication of where your heart is. You put $90 billion...into green jobs. And...I’m all in favor of green energy. Ninety billion (dollars) ...that would have hired 2 million teachers. Ninety billion dollars. And these businesses -- many of them have gone out of business. I think about half of them, of the ones have been invested in, they’ve gone out of business. A number of them happened to be owned by people who were contributors to your campaigns.
7) I will not reduce the share paid by high-income individuals. I know that you and your running mate keep saying that, and I know it’s a popular thing to say with a lot of people, but it’s just not the case. Look, I got five boys. I’m used to people saying something that’s not always true, but just keep on repeating it and ultimately hoping I’ll believe it -- (scattered laughter) -- but that is not the case, all right? I will not reduce the taxes paid by high-income Americans.
6) High-income people are doing just fine in this economy. They’ll do fine whether you’re president or I am. The people who are having the hard time right now are middle-income Americans. Under the president’s policies, middle-income Americans have been buried. They’re just being crushed. Middle-income Americans have seen their income come down by $4,300. This is a tax in and of itself. I’ll call it the economy tax. It’s been crushing. The same time, gasoline prices have doubled under the president, electric rates are up, food prices are up, health care costs have gone up by $2,500 a family.
5) Mr. President, you’re entitled, as the president, to your own airplane and to your own house, but not to your own facts -- (laughter) -- all right?
4) I’d just as soon not have the government telling me what kind of health care I get. I’d rather be able to have an insurance company. If I don’t like them, I can get rid of them and find a different insurance company. But people will make their own choice.
3) What things would I cut from spending? Well, first of all, I will eliminate all programs by this test -- if they don’t pass it: Is the program so critical it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it? And if not, I’ll get rid of it. “Obamacare” is on my list.
2) Barack Obama: ...And part of the way to do it is to not give tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas. Right now you can actually take a deduction for moving a plant overseas. I think most Americans would say that doesn’t make sense. And all that raises revenue..... Mitt Romney: The second topic, which is you said you get a deduction for getting a plant overseas. Look, I’ve been in business for 25 years. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Maybe I need to get a new accountant.
1) We also believe in maintaining for individuals the right to pursue their dreams, and not to have the government substitute itself for the rights of free individuals. And what we’re seeing right now is, in my view is a trickle-down government approach which has government thinking it can do a better job than free people pursuing their dreams. And it’s not working. And the proof of that is 23 million people out of work. The proof of that is one out of six people in poverty. The proof of that is we’ve gone from 32 million on food stamps to 47 million on food stamps. The proof of that is that 50 percent of college graduates this year can’t find work. PRESIDENT OBAMA: (Inaudible) MR. ROMNEY: We know that the path we’re taking is not working. It’s time for a new path.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; 2012debates; debate; romney

1 posted on 10/04/2012 9:45:47 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Good points, all.

I now await their debate on foreign policy and border enforcement.


2 posted on 10/04/2012 9:48:52 PM PDT by Loud Mime (arguetheconstitution.com)
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To: Kaslin

tax break for companies going over seas....Juan Williams acutually tried to explain this for Obama today on the 5 at fox news..as depreciation..Fox should fire williams for being as big a liar as Obama and Biden..


3 posted on 10/04/2012 9:58:36 PM PDT by dalebert
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To: Kaslin

3) What things would I cut from spending? Well, first of all, I will eliminate all programs by this test — if they don’t pass it: Is the program so critical it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it? And if not, I’ll get rid of it. “Obamacare” is on my list.

This was a great line, as was the “trickle down government” reference.

Romney’s takedown of Obama is going to be used in history books as a primer on how to challenge arrogant power.


4 posted on 10/04/2012 10:01:54 PM PDT by Senator Goldwater
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To: Kaslin
For me, the best line, by far, was:

Fourth, there was a survey done of small businesses across the country, said, what's been the effect of Obamacare on your hiring plans? And three-quarters of them said it makes us less likely to hire people. I just don't know how the president could have come into office, facing 23 million people out of work, rising unemployment, an economic crisis at the -- at the kitchen table, and spend his energy and passion for two years fighting for Obamacare instead of fighting for jobs for the American people. It has killed jobs
5 posted on 10/05/2012 12:02:48 AM PDT by zencycler
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To: Kaslin
My favorite:
"High-income people are doing just fine in this economy. They’ll do fine whether you’re president or I am. The people who are having the hard time right now are middle-income Americans. Under the president’s policies, middle-income Americans have been buried. They’re just being crushed. Middle-income Americans have seen their income come down by $4,300. This is a tax in and of itself. I’ll call it the economy tax. It’s been crushing. The same time, gasoline prices have doubled under the president, electric rates are up, food prices are up, health care costs have gone up by $2,500 a family." - Mitt Romney 10/03/12

6 posted on 10/05/2012 3:20:39 AM PDT by arasina (Communism is EVIL. So there.)
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To: dalebert

I just mute Juan Williams every time he opens his mouth


7 posted on 10/05/2012 3:22:30 AM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Loud Mime; Kaslin

You could thrown darts at a debate transcript and gotten good lines! Romney was on message all the way through.

But I think my favorite was “...that would have hired 2 million teachers.” Not because it spoke to me or was my greatest concern, but because it spoke to a large part of Zippy’s base. If the teachers and the unions were paying attention, they had to have realized that Zippy could have been paying that money to them, but instead chose to give it to his corrupt green cronies. That’s gotta leave a mark!


8 posted on 10/05/2012 3:53:33 AM PDT by generally (Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
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To: Kaslin

To me, the high point of the debate was when Mitt Romney quoted the Constitution when asked about his view of the role of government.

I have never seen a better moment in a US Presidential Debate, from anybody. Reagan never did anything half so good.


9 posted on 10/05/2012 8:13:24 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!)
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To: Kaslin

I was so worried about how the debate would play out. There were no TVs at the quilting retreat where I was so I wasn’t able to watch. Instead, I took stacks of fabric to the pressing table and spent about an hour alone pressing and praying praying praying. (Surprised I didn’t burn myself, as my eyes were often closed.) Now we’re praying that Ryan is as good or better, and that Mitt continues to kick ass.


10 posted on 10/05/2012 8:46:35 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Kaslin

“I just mute Juan Williams every time he opens his mouth”

He’s a whack job. From what I understand, his son is extremely conservative. Go figure.


11 posted on 10/05/2012 8:58:22 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Kaslin

bump


12 posted on 10/08/2012 9:06:37 AM PDT by Christian4Bush (PSA. As of 10/08/12, 29/105 days 'til we vote out/take out the trash. (11/6/12, 1/21/13))
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