Mitt Romney Plays Dodgeball In Myrtle Beach Debate

At the top of Monday night's debate, Fox News' Bret Baier invited Twitter users to weigh in on the quality of each candidate's responses to the evening's inquiries, registering their opinion by using "#answer" and "#dodge" as hashtags to express whether or not they felt the candidates were shooting straight or avoiding the issue. And as we watched Mitt Romney finally take some sustained pressure from the rest of the field, we figured that was as good a metaphor as any. So our own Ben Craw ran with it, in a video mashup that puts Romney's game of dodgeball alongside the all-time greats at the game.

Romney's competitors managed to land some nifty blows on the frontrunner. Chief among them was Rick Santorum, who pursued Romney rather doggedly on the issue of voting rights for felons. But the way in which Romney glided around pointed questions was often more revealing. When asked as to whether he would be willing to release his income taxes, Romney unleashed a paragraph of dissembling as pure as ever did flow from silver tongue. When you have to worry about what your finances look like after you've boldly declared yourself to be an "unemployed person," though, you sort of have to duck and weave.

By the way, Romney's main weapon in the game of dodgeball continues to be Ron Paul. Whenever the conversation turns to Rick Santorum battling Paul over Paul's unorthodox positions, Romney can sit back and chill. Nevertheless, Romney spent more time in the hot seat last night than normal, and the conventional opinion was that by the end of it, he looked "rattled." If any of Romney's opponents had managed this feat in September, rather than waiting until January, they might not be losing to this guy.

[Video produced by Ben Craw]

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Comments

[ionescut1]

06:20 AM on 01/20/2012

BUNA ZIUA AJUTOR PENTRU ROMANIEA.

[dtroppy]

07:44 PM on 01/18/2012

This is the best entertainment, I mean it's better than watching any show on HBO or Showtime.

[HKR07]

08:21 PM on 01/18/2012

Yes...but Huffpo, update this whole site...this has been up since yesterday...STALE!!!

[Bluegirl85]

04:45 PM on 01/18/2012

So what were they waiting for?

[Gonzo333]

04:28 PM on 01/18/2012

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And it shows them pearly white.
Just a jackknife has Mittcheath, babe,
And it keeps it way out of sight.
When that shark bites with his teeth, dear,
Scarlet billows begin to spread.
Fancy gloves, wears old Mittcheath, babe,
So there's never, never a trace of red.

On the sidewalk, one Sunday mornin
Lies a factory oozin' life.
Someone's sneakin' round that corner.
Could that someone be Mitt the Knife?

[Gonzo333]

04:26 PM on 01/18/2012

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And it shows them pearly white.
Just a jackknife has Mittcheath, babe,
And it keeps it way out of sight.
When that shark bites with his teeth, dear,
Scarlet billows begin to spread.
Fancy gloves, wears old Mittcheath, babe,
So there's never, never a trace of red.

On the sidewalk, one Sunday mornin
Lies a factory oozin' life.
Someone's sneakin' round that corner.
Could that someone be Mitt the Knife?

Oh there's a tugboat down, down by the river dontcha know.
Where a cement bag's just a'drooppin' on down.
That cement's there, it's there for the weight, dear.
Five'll get ya ten old Mitt's back in town.
Now d'ja hear 'bout the American Worker? He disappeared, babe.
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
Now Mittcheath spends, he spends like a sailor.
Could that boy have done somethin' rash?

Ahhhh Jenny Diver, ho, Johnny Doe,
Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown,
Oh, the unemployment line forms on the right, babe
Now that Mitty's back in town.

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Johnny Doe,
Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown,
Oh, the unemployment line forms on the right, babe
Now that Mitt the Knife is back in town.

[Gonzo333]

04:18 PM on 01/18/2012

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has Mittcheath, babe
And it keeps it way out of sight
When that shark bites with his teeth, dear
Scarlet billows begin to spread
Fancy gloves, wears old Mittcheath, babe
So there's never, never a trace of red

On the sidewalk, one Sunday mornin
Lies a factory oozin' life
Someone's sneakin' round that corner
Could that someone be Mitt the Knife?

Oh there's a tugboat down, down by the river dontcha know
Where a cement bag's just a'drooppin' on down
That cement's there, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten old Mitt's back in town
Now d'ja hear 'bout the American Worker? He disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
Now Mittcheath spends, he spends like a sailor
Could that boy have done somethin' rash?

Ahhhh Jenny Diver, ho, Johnny Doe
Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the unemployment line forms on the right, babe
Now that Mitty's back in town

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Johnny Doe
Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the unemployment line forms on the right, babe
Now that Mitt the Knife is back in town

[devoutcatalyst1]

02:47 PM on 01/18/2012

I dont believe dodgeball is a good analogy here. Where in dodgeball if you dont get hit you win the game. Playing dodgeball with your intentions to lead is wrong, it is more like poker, where you don't always have to show your hand to win. Are the rublicans truely going to send a bluffer to go up against Obama? Do you think the nation, a nation full of poker players, won't see your "tells" Romney? Do you think we won't call you on your bluff?

[kinogod]

12:10 PM on 01/18/2012

The biggest Republi-CON is that we are paying too much taxes. The multi millionaire robber baron mittens paid a 15% rte last year. How low can you go? It is a rediculous argument the republicans on this site can't run from, can't hide from. 15%. Tell me republican voters, aremittens taxes too hgh? Please explain. He uses the "commons" more than us as a result of his spending and commerce yet he pays less than us. This is and will be his tragic (hahahaha) undoing in the fall; that he is a liar and a dismantled, not a builder. 1% get 15. Who is the Maria Antoinette now?

[Cj Medina]

10:42 AM on 01/18/2012

romney is the democrats man....now Newt would cut Obama to pieces!

[redhead55]

11:26 AM on 01/18/2012

Unfortunately, the polls don't agree with you. But maybe Obama could give Newt a job as Maintenance Supervisor.

[LWhitjr93]

07:51 PM on 01/18/2012

Ha good one F&F

[Tonydeeee]

05:37 PM on 01/19/2012

Newt spend most of his energy slicing and dicing himself. The master of self multilation.

[Pembrokelib]

10:32 AM on 01/18/2012

Huffpost was supposed to go blank today to protest SOPA. What happened?

[Cj Medina]

10:40 AM on 01/18/2012

haha...huff n puff should go blank permanteley!

[Bluegirl85]

04:47 PM on 01/18/2012

Then go somewhere else.

[realitycheckga]

09:07 AM on 01/18/2012

Funny, all the vitriol over the fact Romney has money but, in fine liberal style it's ok for Obama to spend a billion and surround himself with every crony of every type?
Personally I appreciate the fact that he is being vetted aggressively and has significant financial backing. The dems have almost nothing of real substance to attack him on so my guess is America will see through the Obama smoke screen this time around.

Speaking of tap dancing I think Obama is about to become a professional dancer given his lack of substance, total failure, and poor leadership skills. His feet will be on fire during the debates as he of course blames congress and bush for his distastorous term in office which hopefully is terminated in 2012.

[COakwood]

09:48 AM on 01/18/2012

Um... Just a gentle reminder that this is the republican primary and it is other republicans Romney is debating with. Unless I'm missing something real big, Obama wasn't invited to this event and therefore said nothing. However, if your in the habit of using any opportunity to bash Dems, then I understand your comments completely

[Mcl1150]

10:23 AM on 01/18/2012

I think this is bulls eye, but than again, I'm just a flabbergasted European.

[realitycheckga]

10:29 AM on 01/18/2012

I'm referring to the debates Obama will have to have with Romney. My guess is he will try to limit them to a few as possible as every debate will further expose Obama's long list of failures and will probably be the most watched in history. I have nothing against Democrats per say, It's the Democratic leadership that's a wreck and lost their way!

[Pembrokelib]

08:11 PM on 01/18/2012

The Democrats and Obama have many things of substance with which to attack Romney. He has flip flopped on almost every issue merely to get more votes in the primaries, not because helieves in what he says. He, as a former CEO, doesn't know the slightest thing about compromising, something every President is forced to do in dealing with Congress. Obama has every right to blame the far right majority in Congress, since they have been successful in preventing him from achieving many of his goals simply to hurt his reputation, not out of any desire to improve the economy or to help reduce joblessness.

[realitycheckga]

08:11 AM on 01/19/2012

Just more lame excuses for an inept president. First off Romney is moderate which will attract independents like myself, if you anything about the role of a CEO you would understand that negotiation and compromise skills are required traits in order to operate any organization successfully and he is very successful, I don't always agree with the far right however Obamas agenda is bad for the country and spending money like a drunken saiid or is not the answer. Obama does not address the hard issues, he panders, and puts band aids on things. Two years with total control and he squanders it so don't blame republicans for his lack of leadership.

[Grichde]

08:59 AM on 01/18/2012

Jeffrey Zients President Barack Obama on Tuesday named Jeffrey Zients as his acting budget chief.

Former employee of Bain & Company.

Facing financial duress, Bain Capital partner Mitt Romney was asked to rejoin and lead Bain & Co. as interim CEO. Bringing along two lieutenants from Bain Capital, Romney began a traveling campaign to rally employees at all Bain offices globally. Romney also negotiated a complex settlement between the Bain partnership and the firm's lenders, including a $10 million reduction in the $38 million Bain owed the Bank of New England, which by that time had been seized by the FDIC and placed in Chapter 7 liquidation.

"Over several weeks, Romney managed negotiations with the banks and among the partners... The moment came when negotiations produced a package in which Bill Bain and the founding partners would give up control of the firm, turning back $30 million they had taken from the ESOP and $100 million in notes they held against the firm."
Romney’s plan involved "a complicated restructuring of the firm's stock-ownership plan, real-estate holdings, bank loans, and money still owed to partners". To avoid the financial crisis that a buyout would have triggered, the group of founding partners agreed to return about $100M cash and forgive outstanding debt.

Although in the role for just one year before returning to Bain Capital.

Within a year, Bain bounced back to profitability without major partner defections, and the groundwork was laid for a period of steady growth.

[NJProgressiveIndie]

05:13 AM on 01/18/2012

I hope black conservatives were taking notes on the reaction Juan Williams got from his GOP "brothers and sisters" for asking a legitimate question about Gingrich's race-bating.

I hope Juan and every black person who thinks of themselves as "just a another member of the club" and are constantly attacking anyone who is not part of that "club" as being "on a plantation" finally realize where the REAL PLANTATION is.

I reckon Juan's gonna lose his "Honorary White" status at FOX for daring to call Grand Dragon Gingrich on his race-bating. Small price to pay for having some integrity...

So black conservatives and Republicans, at the end of the day you don't look any better in their eyesight than President Obama--no matter how much political and ideological water you carry for them, and no matter how many times and how viciously you attack him on their behalf.

Just saying'...

[Firehorsegirl]

06:39 AM on 01/18/2012

Thank you! I wonder if these black conservatives were with Juan or further self-loathingly with the audience.

[NJProgressiveIndie]

11:38 AM on 01/18/2012

Sadly, I suspect most of them were being "faithful" with the audience and Gingrich. Still one can only hope that they, and Juan now get it on where they truly stand with their "fellow" Republicans and neo-cons.

There's no law against or shame in being a conservative with a conscience and capable of rational, critical thinking. It worked for William F. Buckley, after all...

[Tonydeeee]

05:43 PM on 01/19/2012

Bravo! Could not have said it better. If Juan continues his disobedience who knows. He might get a whippin.

[rantyraid]

04:40 AM on 01/18/2012

Typical liberal - no mention of how AWESOME NEWT WAS!!!!!

[Bostontru2u]

04:34 AM on 01/18/2012

You will NEVER get a straight answer out of Mitt Romney or the truth. He erases everything.