Dave Itzkoff of the New York Times Caucus reports today that former Seinfeld star Jason Alexander took a pointed swipe at Mitt Romney after his character George Costanza was cited by the candidate.
During the debate, Romney spouted some of his empty rhetoric: “That was an American promise and it’s been broken by this president. I want to restore America’s promise, and I’m going to do that … ”
At that point, apparatchiks, sundry shills and various political plants in the crowd interrupted his banal banter with applause. Romney then chuckled and suggested that he should stop speaking right there. “As George Costanza would say, when they’re applauding, stop.”
Itzkoff points out that Romney was referring to the “Seinfeld” episode called “The Burning,” first broadcast in 1998, in which Mr. Costanza resolves to walk out of meetings and conversations at a moment of maximum laughter. As Jerry Seinfeld advises in the episode: “When you hit that high note, you say good night and walk off.”
Not long after Mr. Romney’s remark, Mr. Alexander wrote on his Twitter account:
Thrilled Gov. Romney enjoys my old character. I enjoyed the character he used 2 b 2. If he’d embrace that again, he’d b a great candidate.
Ouch.
