The third debate has concluded, and “horses and bayonets” is the phrase on everyone’s lips this morning as Americans, especially undecided voters, dissect the showdown and assess which candidate they feel is best to move America forward after the November election.
The phrase “horses and bayonets” (hashtag #horsesandbayonets ) is still trending this morning, referring to one of at least two “zingers” unleashed by President Obama in last night’s debate. When accused of diminishing the military and making it smaller than it was nearly 100 years ago in 1916, Obama replied with what is actually a two-part burn:
“Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets. … We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines. And so the question is not a game of Battleship, where we’re counting ships.”
The other moment of levity from an Obama crack came when Romney named Al Qaeda a threat to America’s security at the beginning of the debate. Obama took a slightly sarcastic tone and stunted on Romney, insinuating his foreign policy knowledge was dangerously dated:
“Gov. Romney, I’m glad that you recognize that al Qaeda is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia … The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.”
The remark echoed one made earlier Monday by Obama when he quipped:
“Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s, and the economic policies of the 1920s.”
Did you laugh at the “horses and bayonets” comment? What were your favorite Obama-Romney debate zingers?