Trending worldwide: #what10Kbuys
EmailDES MOINES — It wasn’t quite an “oops” moment, and the Romney campaign is insisting it wasn’t a gaffe, but Mitt Romney’s attempt to make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry has already taken on a life of its own.
If the buzz in the press filing center, on the Internet and on Twitter and other social media platforms is any indication, Romney’s going to be hearing the replay of that quip over and over again.
As ABC’s Matt Negrin points out: “An analysis from our partners at Bluefin Labs shows that just under 40 minutes into the ABC News debate in Iowa, 3,400 messages on Twitter were prompted by Mitt Romney’s offer to bet with Rick Perry.”
The hashtag #what10Kbuys, suggested by the Democratic National Committee, is now trending on Twitter around the world.
In the post-debate spin room, Romney aides are standing by the comment: ”Romney made that bet because he knew Rick Perry wouldn’t take it,” strategist Eric Fehrnstrom said.
And another top adviser, Stuart Stevens, called the line “a very human thing to do to get someone to shut up when they’re not telling the truth”
But in the social media world, Romney’s line has been the subject of criticism from pundits on the right:
@RichLowry: you can already feel the $10k bet backfiring–will be one of the replayed moments from the debate
And on the left:
@PaulBegala: “I’ll bet you a ride to St Barts on my Lear jet that I’m middle class.” #Mittbets #What10Kbuys
And in between — this from a revered Des Moines Register columnist:
@KObradovich: Not too many Iowa caucusgoers are the sort to offer a $10,000 bet, even on a sure thing. #iacaucus #iowadebate
And a senior Democratic strategist offers ABC News this comment:
“Mitt Romney is going to rue the day he offered a $10,000 bet in this debate. Talk about a window in to his out-of-touch soul. And he did it in the same debate where he again called the payroll tax cut for the middle class a temporary band-aid. You just can’t be more out of touch than Mitt Romney – and you can’t have a less understanding of what it’s like to be middle class.”
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Joe Biden Recalls Death of Wife, Daughter
The only thing Romney did wrong was not bet a couple of million, Perry was lying and he knew it.
Posted by: hrs44 | December 10, 2011, 11:56 pm 11:56 pm
Romney was on his heels and came through with a clutch move…regardless of what the “senior democratic strategist” has to say about it. Romney is the last person this “strategist” wants running against Obama! It’s Obama’s soul that’s out-of-touch with the American people, and ABC’s “strategist” is leaning left like most of the media does.
Posted by: Patriot | December 11, 2011, 12:49 am 12:49 am
The things that I going to take home from this is:
Newt insisting on defending his Palestinian view of made up people, and of course the 10K bet.
These people are so out of though than even Martians are saying “What planet are you from?”
Posted by: E Hernandez | December 11, 2011, 1:23 am 1:23 am
#What10Kbuys? One first class trip back to political irrelevancy…
Fitting for the guy that inherited a legacy war chest from papa, then used it to build a vampire company (Bain) that bought businesses, stripped them of everything till they were bled dry, sold their assets off and closed shot putting people out of work.
Posted by: RyInBeantown | December 11, 2011, 2:11 am 2:11 am
When you know the truth, it’s not a gamble. It’s a hard spin to try and make Mitt Romney’s defense of his own words, by challenging Rick Perry to put his money where is mouth is, out of touch. How many people do you know, at any income level, who wouldn’t take a guaranteed $10,000 for speaking the truth? The American people are a lot smarter than your spin implies.
Posted by: S. Peterson | December 11, 2011, 11:28 am 11:28 am