Prediction: "Etch-a-sketch" will prove to be a huge blow to Romney

[JBoy]

And here's why.

1. Almost every American knows what an Etch-a-sketch is, and how it works. When used to describe Romney's positions or statements, they know exactly what that means.

2. The comment was not made by an opponent, but by a key person in his staff. The "gaffe"ness of the comment, combined with its "visualness", resulted in massive coverage by the media. They could show pictures of Etch-a-sketches, reminisce about Etch-a-sketches, etc. I would bet there will be a high level of awareness of the Romney/Etch-a-sketch connection by this weekend.

3. The comment reinforces beliefs about Romney amongst Democratic supporters, and confirms the worst fears about Romney of the Republican base.

4. Opponents of Romney will now have a convenient talking point to use, or prop to wave around, every time he says something that conflicts with a previous position.

I can't think of a more devastating bomb to have set off in the Romney campaign.

[BeyondGeography]

1. Americans are consumers

Hard to imagine a more powerful way to communicate with them than by waving a product in the air.

[JBoy]

2. Yup. "Politics is normally boring, but I know what an Etch-a-sketch is!!"

[napkinz]

3. how long before googling "etch-a-sketch" gives you

ROMNEY

[JBoy]

4. here's what you get right now

[malaise]

7. It's selling off the shell at ToysRUs

owned by Bain

[malaise]

5. And it's so fugging funny to boot

Nice post

Rec

[Brickbat]

6. I totally agree with you. As an (IMO) informed voter, when I thought of Romney a week ago, I would

think, "typical rich, out-of-touch politician who is socially awkward, has been surprisingly not batshit crazy in the past, but seems to be trying to be all things to all people." And now, when I think of Romney, my brain goes "ETCH-A-SKETCH! Which hasn't been made in the U.S. since 2000, and Romney is a total job-killer outsourcer! ETCH-A-SKETCH! ETCH-A-SKETCH!"

[DCBob]

8. Yep, especially with the hard core conservatives.

They already were sceptical of his true intentions.. this just confirms their worst fears.

However, for the GOP mainstream establishment this comment is not surprising and in fact it might give some comfort in that they know how politics works.. you move towards your base in the primary then move back to the middle for the GE. That just the way it works if you want to win.

[DemocracyInaction]

9. Mitt's Kerry moment

Instead of flip-flops, there will be etch-a-sketches waived and drawn on posters 'cause this goes right to what the dumb of this country can understand.

[JBoy]

10. That's exactly it. The perfect union of simplicity and imagery.

Except in this case it's even worse. It's as if a senior Kerry staffer had said "yeah, he changed his position, kind of like a flip-flop".

[DCBob]

12. Yep, the ignorant masses can "understand" an "etch-a-sketch".

but beyond that forget it.

[napkinz]

11. Etch A Sketch stock triples after Romney campaign’s comment

Etch A Sketch stock triples after Romney campaign’s comment

If you didn't invest in the Etch A Sketch market this week, you totally missed out.
The stock price for Ohio Art Co., which manufactures the toy, tripled on the day an aide for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the campaign could hit a "reset button" after the primary season "almost like an Etch A Sketch."

"You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again," Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said on CNN Wednesday when asked if the conservative positions Romney has taken during the primaries would hurt him in the general election.

The comments exploded online, fueled by the narrative that Romney's positions are written not in stone but in polystyrene beads. Bloomberg Businessweek's Matt Townsend was the first to spot the uptick in the company's stock price:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/stocks-triple-etch-sketch-company-romney-campaign-173859076.html

[customerserviceguy]

13. It may be too late for Romney's rivals

Losing Illinois by double digits was to Santorum what losing Mississippi and Alabama was to Noot. Before that, every state which touched the Mississippi River had voted for Santorum.

However, if it has any effect, we'll know in a couple of weeks, when Maryland and Wisconsin have their primaries. My prediction is that the effect will wear off by then. Louisiana is already going to Santorum, so that's not a test. In any case, it will not deter Romney from victories in the Northeastern states a month from now.

[RZM]

14. I can't say it qualifies as devastating

We already knew he's an 'Etch-a-sketch,' even if this is the first time he's been referred to with those exact words.

I agree it doesn't help, but it's just another way of stating what everybody knows - he's a flip-flopping weasel. At most this just gives us another way of saying it.

[RBInMaine]

16. This really FRAMES him though. It is an IMAGE that STICKS hard. BIG BIG BIG MISTAKE !

[RZM]

17. That's where it does hurt him. It's an image that will stick

Expect to see it in attack ads too.

But that's about the limits of its effectiveness. It's not a new charge. It's a charge that his primary opponents have been making from the beginning and one that Obama would have made just as forcefully had this image never been put in people's heads.

[Mr.Turnip]

21. That's what makes it MORE effective, it renforces prexisting doubts.

With words straight from his team.

[Drahthaardogs]

15. It will if we make it a big deal.

I remember the band-aids on those asses when Kerry ran. I plan on waving an etch a sketch.

[boxman15]

18. Normally, I'd disagree since November is a long way out,

but this is just a political gaffe of epic proportions. This is absolutely terrible for the Romney campaign. Everyone knows what an Etch-a-Sketch is, so the Obama camp will have no problem giving people an image of who R-Money really is.

I'm still in awe. Romney 2012 may rank as one of the worst presidential campaigns ever run. The amount of gaffes, flip-flops, etc. is simply astounding.

[PoliticAverse]

19. It's simple, catchy, humorous, and fitting - gonna be really hard for him to shake. n/t

[rufus dog]

20. My prediction

Team Romney will continue to make stupid statements, when you have no core convictions the ignorant statements will continue on a monthly if not weekly basis.

In my opinion Mitt is the worst choice the Repubs could have made. a rich candidate with no core values in a time when the available electorate will be looking for someone to get behind.

He will minimize the potential bleeding out of the Rebubs, but has no chance of winning.