Posted on 10/22/2012 10:30:02 PM PDT by Qbert
(CNN) - Perhaps it only makes sense that a candidate who prepared for a presidential debate near Colonial Williamsburg would choose to slam Mitt Romney's plan for more Navy ships by using the phrase "horses and bayonets."
President Barack Obama's quip - meant to make the point that modern warfare doesn't require the type of equipment it did in the past - appeared part of a larger strategy of casting his opponent as stuck in a time warp on important issues. And Republicans, seeing an opening, are making sure shipbuilders just down the road from President Barack Obama's Virginia prep location are aware of the president's suggestion their industry is a thing of the past.
Obama made the jab Monday at his final debate with Mitt Romney.
"You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916," Obama said in a pointed jab at the GOP nominee. "Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military's changed."
He continued, "We had these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines. So the question is not a game of battleship where we're counting ships. It's 'What are our capabilities?'"
That was in response to an allegation from Romney that "our Navy is smaller now than at any time since 1917."
"The Navy said they needed 313 ships to carry out their mission," the Republican candidate continued. "We're now at under 285. We're headed down to the low 200s if we go through a sequestration. That's unacceptable to me."
[Snip]
Yet Republicans say Obama's lumping together of Navy ships with "horses and bayonets" could harm him in the key battleground of Virginia, where some of the Navy's largest shipbuilding...
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
He told Medvedev that he would be “more flexible” after the Election. Wink, wink...
Hopefully 300 Nukes and 200 ships will earn Obama 100 Electoral Votes.
First, obama admitted he wants to cut the navy and not build anymore ships.
Second, Romney should have pointed out that our enemies have the same technology we have so we need more of it.
Ships don’t go under water.
Boats do.
And by the way, can somebody explain to me why libs believe all government spending boosts the economy ... except military spending?
Thanks.
Number of USMC in WW2 485k. In 2010 there were 203k.
So, yes, there were fewer bayonets and horses. There were also fewer MRE’s, socks, etc...
I read on another site that “ships that go underwater” are called “sunk,” because submarines are “boats,” not ships. I don’t know if this is right or not, but it made me laugh out loud.
“Was Obama an Admiral?”
No, but he has probably sung “In the Navy” while in the bathtub a couple of times.
Barry’s little SNL skit didn’t change any minds tonight.
Ships that go underwater are crewed by corpse men.
LOL!
“Ships don’t go under water.
Boats do”.
That is such a great observation! Please tweet that! (I have never tweeted so we need YOU.)
Except ships do sometimes go underwater, like for instance if Obama was the captain and did not know how to check the charts and weather reports and causes the crew to go out into dangerous weather and dangerous territory.
Also, wasn’t it something how, when Mitt gave his powerful quote , “Mr. President, America Has Not Dictated to Other Nations; We Have Freed Other Nations From Dictators” how his opponent, cried out for Bob. I guess he expected Bob to interrupt and save him just as Candy Crawley did. HA HA!
Is that sentence structure coming from a Harvard Grad? We “had” Aircraft Carriers? Where did they go?
Aircraft Carriers “where” planes land on them? Huh?
We have “these” ships that go underwater? Yes, we have Submarines, and everyone knows they go underwater.
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, as many FReepers can attest, but really, WTF? This is some brilliant retort when discussing the purposeful wholesale dismantling of our Navy? God help us if this MORON gets reelected.
Speaking of horses.
“Hey Obama, go F*&* yourself, and the horse you rode in on!!”
In short, Romney decided to let Obama figuratively hang himself politically. And boy, did Obama oblige.
"Barry’s little SNL skit didn’t change any minds tonight."
Actually, it did... Obama lost even more independent votes tonight:
"A PPP poll of independents who watched the debate found that 32 percent are more likely to vote for Obama after the debate, while 48 percent are less likely to do so. In the same vein, 47 percent are more likely to vote for Romney, with 35 percent less likely to..."
Didn’t a British troop get some recognition in the ME for a bayonet attack recently, too?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.