After being asked by George Stephanopoulos during the ABC GOP presidential debate who is the most consistent conservative among that group that would be best able to defeat President Obama, Mitt Romney rattled off a list of reasons for nominating him, among them being that Romney's "spent his life in the private sector" and "understands how the economy works."
Gingrich responded with this zinger which drew a few moans from the crowd.
GINGRICH: Let's be candid. The only reason you didn't become a career politician is you lost to to Teddy Kennedy in 1994.
(Met by groans from the audience.)
ROMNEY: Now wait a second.
GINGRICH: Do I get to continue?
ROMNEY: No please.
GINGRICH: And I'm just saying I looked at it. I'm a citizen and I've served the country in many ways. You're a citizen and have served the country in many ways. But it's a bit much. You'd have been a seventeen year politician by now if you'd won. That's all I'm saying.
