At a fundraiser earlier this week, President Obama mocked Mitt Romney's tax plan, which will benefit the rich at the expense of the poor, by saying, "It's like Robin Hood in reverse. It's Romney Hood."
Sensing that the countless images of Mitt in a Robin Hood outfit might cost the Republican standard bearer a swing state or two, Team Romney mounted a fast, fierce and sensationally effective counter-narrative.
Mitt took the mitts off with a one-two-punch worthy of Harry Reid by coining the term "Obamaloney." Apart from the simple brilliance of the pun, Mitt slyly underscored the Obama-as-foreigner theme by evoking the more hifalutin' spelling "bologna" -- a city in Italy -- and by associating the president with the German-born Oscar Mayer.
This body blow to Team Obama had the added impact of reminding voters of the moment when Newt Gingrich admonished Mitt to "stop the pious baloney" during a New Hampshire debate in January.
Romney quadrupled down when he told Fox News that "(Obama's) serving a dish that's in contradiction to the truth." Them's fightin' words!
In keeping with Team Romney's highly sophisticated "I'm rubber, you're glue" strategy, conservative firebrand Michelle Malkin declared that "Robin Hood in reverse would be the Sheriff of Nottingham, and apparently right now there's only room for one sheriff in this town." Take that, Barack! And Rush Limbaugh, whom most people don't realize is a noted Robin Hood scholar, pointed out that "Robin Hood was a Tea Party activist. He was anti-taxes." We await Rush's explication of Robin's position on welfare reform.
One of the most memorable of the many iterations of the Robin Hood myth was the '50s British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Richard Greene.
My dad, Carl Sigman, wrote the words and music for the show's theme song, which included this immortal stanza, forever etched in the minds and hearts of boomers all over the English-speaking world:
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen/
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men/
Feared by the bad, loved by the good/
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood
The 1956 hit recording of the tune was produced by "fifth Beatle" George Martin and sung by Martin's friend Dick James (with Stephen James and his chums), who later became the Mop-Tops' publisher. I was seven, and sang it with my friends at Pierce Country Day Camp in Long Island. At least I think I did.
The song was covered in '56 by Frankie Laine and later by none other than heavy metal icons Deep Purple. Bjork recorded a track called "Robin Hood Riding Through The Glen" that had no discernible connection to the original.
The most durable afterlife of the "Robin Hood" theme has been the hundreds of parodies, mostly in the form of radio ads from businesses hawking everything from tires to toothpaste. The best parody, of course, comes from Monty Python, whose "Dennis Moore" was a famous sketch on Flying Circus season three.
Once the "Romney Hood" meme hit the media, Romney-themed parodies popped up on Daily Kos and other websites and social networking outlets.
Time and focus groups will tell whether "Romney Hood" will survive as a reminder of Mitt's outrageous tax plan. In the meantime, my own modest entry in the Romney Hood sweepstakes:
Romney Hood, Romney Hood/Pawn of wealthy men
Romney Hood, Romney Hood/There he goes again
Lose, yes he should!
He's no damn good!
Romneyhood, Romneyhood, Romneyhood
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.