Those who share similar levels of enthusiasm for both politics and sports are certainly familiar with the 1974 fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire, dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle”, in which Ali employed the infamous “Rope-a-Dope” strategy. Ali let Foreman punch him in the torso and midriff to his heart’s content, sapping away the energy of the now infamous grill connoisseur, allowing Ali to pounce in the later rounds ultimately winning the fight.
David Remnick of The New Yorker argues that this analogy for Wednesday’s debate doesn’t make sense, because Ali eventually fought back. While President Obama didn’t land the first round TKO that Romney supporters believe their candidate achieved, there remains time for the President to fire back off the ropes, or at least let Romney set his own trap.
Pete Carril