Previous
-
ETCH A SKETCHY
""I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again."
Sometimes it's a campaign aide who reveals more than intended. In this case, Mitt Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom last March was trying to draw a distinction between the issues that hold sway in the presidential primaries and what happens in the general election. But his comment fed into the notion that Romney was the kind of candidate who would say anything to win votes in the primaries and then shift his stances to win votes in the general election. The little red Etch A Sketch soon became a popular campaign prop for Democrats. -
AND HOW
"I had a bad night."
Even Obama had to concede that he bombed in his first debate with Mitt Romney. The president tried to minimize the importance of the debate by dismissing it as an off night, but the event energized Republicans at a critical moment, just when they thought the race might be slipping away from them. -
THAT'S IRISH
"That's a bunch of malarkey."
Leave it to Vice President Joe Biden to find a down-to-earth way of dismissing the foreign policy claims of GOP rival Paul Ryan in their October debate. Later in the same debate, he accused Ryan of saying "a bunch of stuff." When the moderator asked what that meant, Ryan - like Biden, of Irish ancestry - helpfully explained: "That's Irish." -
ICK
"My expectation is that there will be some popping of the blister after this election, because it will have been such a stark choice."
Obama was trying to make the point in August that he might have more luck working cooperatively with Republicans in Congress in a second term, since his re-election would no longer be a factor. But his imagery was a bit too vivid. Even deputy Obama campaign manager Stephanie Cutter (pictured) called it "disgusting."
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
• Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.