I'll bet you Mitt Romney could memorize seven items in a list, not just three.
I'd even consider wagering $10,000 on it. Of course, that's only because it's already happened and I couldn't lose.
In this week's GOP presidential debate at Drake University in Iowa, Mr. Romney took that bold step. And it was in his very first response! Asked what he would do to create jobs, the former Massachusetts governor stated: "There are 7 things." He then went straight down his list, without a brain freeze in sight.
Rick Perry's wistful sigh could be heard throughout the house . . . or maybe I just imagined that part.
Given this all-engines-go opening on Romney's part, and his strong showings in the 986 other Republican debates this year, his later gambling remark was surprising. Shocking, actually. But then, ten grand probably doesn't mean much if your wallet routinely drags on the ground.
The Fact That I Didn't Say That? -- Priceless
At issue was Rick Perry's assertion that Gov. Romney had advocated individual mandates as part of his RomneyCare health program in Massachusetts. Romney denied that he'd ever said such a thing. Then, with hand outstretched, he prodded Perry with this:
"Ten thousand bucks?"
Gee. It wasn't even: "Ten thousand dollars." To Moneybags Mitt, it was a tossed-off ten thousand bucks. Just like when you refuse to pay "5 bucks for a cup of coffee," or you give the Salvation Army guy "a couple of bucks."
The bet itself was a shocker. But the connotation indicated by the slang word really crystallizes the difference between Romney and the rest of this field.
To Rick Perry's credit--especially given his recent TV ad highlighting his faith--the Texas governor replied simply: "I'm not in the betting business." Or as the Perry web site now proclaims: "The truth isn't for sale."
Rick Perry's Night
It wasn't the first or last time the man from Austin scored points on the night. In fact, if Saturday's debate was any indication, it appears that Rick Perry may have found his equilibrium at last in this unending march of Republican debates.
Gone was the hesitation and the verbal stumbling that have characterized this candidate in previous debates. Perry's answers flowed smoothly, and he seemed well informed on the issues. He also had the night's best sound bite, when he said, "On a map, I can diagram the problem we've got in America today. It's a direct line between Washington, D.C. and Wall Street."
He was equally strong on the question dealing with marital fidelity (Newt Gingrich's nightmare). And he had the field's wisest response on the issue of Gingrich's claim that Palestians are an "invented people." Alone among the debaters on stage, he characterized the issue as a minor one and the media attention as blown out of proportion. Barack Obama is the problem with U.S. foreign policy, he affirmed, not an off-the-cuff remark by Mr. Gingrich.
Herding the Wagons at Last
Perry's attack on the President stood out last night, because much of the evening didn't feature the usual relentless barrage against Obama from the Republican field. Significantly, however, the GOP contenders also didn't take up the gauntlet where criticizing the home team was concerned.
In public speaking, the concept of "recency" states that audience members recall clearly what they hear last. In the closing statements in this debate, the participants took time to praise each others' ideas, and to state how they admired and even learned from each other.
This field of presidential candidates--smaller now than it once was--has had ample opportunity to form a circular firing squad. There were times when they briefly mustered in that formation last night. But the viewing audience also listened to the ways these men and woman believed they could save America.
We didn't even need a $10,000 sweetener to listen.
