Okay, so there should probably be a 'probably' somewhere in the title, but it was already getting kind of long. But what if the first few minutes of the first debate actually did go somewhat along these lines?
Obama opens calmly and respectfully, waiting for Romney's inevitable bungled attempt at zinging Obama, either through one of the uglier tacks he been using lately or with the Obama's a nice guy, just over his head gambit. After only a few RWNJs in the audience manage to attempt to fake a chuckle, Obama gives Romney a coldly appraising look and says something like this:
Mitt, before all the events of that terrible night at our consulate in Benghazi had even played out, you issued a statement claiming that I actually sympathized with the murderers of our foreign service staff, including the ambassador I assigned to that country.
Now Mitt, I can assure you that I don't sympathize with those terrorists and I was, and frankly, remain, appalled that you would make such an outrageous and insulting claim. In fact, I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you to repudiate the outrageous lie that I sympathize with those who killed our ambassador and the three others murdered that night.
It would seem likely that such a statement would be followed by extended cheering and applause. During that time, Romney would have to stand there on stage, experiencing a public rebuke like the coddled privileged son has never been subjected to.
And, he would have to decide how to respond:
- Does he back down from the statement and look weak before his birther base by apologizing to the Kenyan usurper just for telling it like it is, and thus, while probably not averting a loss, still nonetheless all but assure that they RWNJs will nominate a 'real conservative' who would make Allan West look restrained and contemplative in 2016?
- Or does he quadruple (or quintuple or whatever the appropriate multiplier is by that time) on his charge that the country's first black president is a terrorist loving fake American who probably wasn't born here, or, at best, lied about being a stinking furriner in order to avail himself of all the free money the REAL AMERICANS are forced to give to all those damn furrin students taking degrees away from our good, though perhaps sweetly dumb, white kids?
I don't think it matters much how he'd answer. As he, his staff, and the few remaining gopers and right wingers not completely deluded into believing their poppycockia are well aware, he's screwed either way. Or am I just being unrealistic?