In the debate, look for the Romnesia brand

The first known use of "Romnesia," according to the Politico website, was last March 23, in a tweet by an Obama supporter, "@breakingnuts." This individual defined Romnesia as "a severe form of amnesia that strikes dishonest politicians."

Why was it only last week that the Obama team picked it up? Most likely because the blog/twitter world is a mammoth haystack in which sharp points – needles – are almost impossible to find.

But it doesn't matter. As @breakingnuts defined it, Romnesia was too weak, too general, and not quite true: "a severe form of amnesia that strikes dishonest politicians." It was named for Romney, but it could have applied to anybody, lying about any subject. It was not quite true because the author used the wrong definition of "amnesia."

By the time Obama used it last week, the term had acquired specificity provided by Romney himself, as he started to move away from his severely conservative positions of last spring toward his moderate right positions of the general campaign.

The way Obama used it – "If you come down with a case of Romnesia and you can't seem to remember the policies that are still on your website" – it could only apply to one man: Romney. That is why it works. The Romney camp wanted to pass it off as a joke, but it's not. It's a brand: one memorable word that sums up the Mitt Romney product.

Obama carefully did not say, "have forgotten the policies," which was important, because Romney hasn't forgotten them. Obama said, "can't seem to remember the policies" to invoke the Webster's definition of amnesia that applies in this case: "selective overlooking of events or acts that are not favorable or useful to one's purpose or position." This is the link which connects "Romnesia" to a slang term from the 1920s that meant "rubbishy nonsense; baloney; bull; euphemism for bullshit." That word was "Bushwa." I am not making this up.

When Mitt started his shift toward the middle, during the August convention, many writers sought original words to describe the shift. I used the device of a dock – the severely conservative base – and the boat – the moderate right shift. Romney had to keep one foot on both as he – . Well. My effort was feeble, and all other efforts feeble, when it could be nailed down in one word. Romnesia. You'll be able to see Romnesia on display in tonight's debate, and know instantly what it is. That's branding.