Post-debate, Obama staffers reveal Seinfeld strategy

Social Security Shrinkage

Springfield, MO – One week after the final presidential debate in Boca Raton, Florida, speculation has surfaced that the Obama team used some unorthodox tactics while preparing the president for his most recent public appearances.

“The rumors are true,” one anonymous source said. “During Monday’s debate, the President was eager to engage in what insiders have come to call ‘Castanza’-ing.’”

The source went on to confirm that when prepping President Obama, aides have in fact looked to episodes of the 1990s situation comedy Seinfeld for rhetorical devices. The most public evidence took place during last week’s debate, when the president gave a nuanced nod to George’s infamous line: “The jerk store called, and they’re running out of you!”

OBAMA: You said Russia. In the 1980s, they’re now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.

Fair City News political blogger Debbie Jingle gave that comment four “Oh Snap!”s on her debate wrap-up—the highest rating given for whatever exactly she means by that—noting: “The Prez really made the quotation his own. I mean, if he would’ve been all, ‘The rich white guy store called, and they’re running out of you!’ we would’ve gotten it, but it wouldn’t have been the same.” Too true, Debbie Jingle.

Analysts have noted similar quote-change-ups by the president during other campaign appearances in the last few weeks, including this statement from a media event in Denver on Wednesday:

“Governor Romney wants to give tax breaks to the richest 1%. There’s a deal with that…What is it?” The Romney campaign has released a statement in response, calling this “a new low in partisan Jerry-mandering. …See what we did there?”

President Obama has also accused the Romney-Ryan economical platform of “Social Security Shrinkage.” Then, when asked to clarify his policy on the war in Afghanistan during a campaign stop in Virginia, the president simply said, “Get OUT!”

Strategists are puzzled that the White House would make such a risky move this close to Election Day, basing rhetorical strategy on a show that’s been off the air for more than a decade—not that there’s anything wrong with that.