Obama, Romney both make Peter Berg reference in final debate

Published on October 22, 2012 12:00PM EDT

Peter Berg may be the big winner in tonight’s debate — as both President Obama and Governor Romney perhaps unwittingly made reference to the director’s work.

When President Obama attacked Romney for calling Russia the biggest geopolitical threat, Romney responded with part of his favorite campaign slogan, cribbed from Berg’s Friday Night Lights.

��I have clear eyes on this. I’m not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia or Mr. Putin, and I’m certainly not going to say to him, I’ll give you more flexibility after the election. After the election he’ll get more backbone,” Romney said, taking half of the “clear eyes, full hearts” line made famous by Kyle Chandler’s Coach Taylor on Berg’s show.

In the past, Berg has been very outspoken against Romney’s use of the phrase “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” accusing the former Governor of plagiarism. But don’t worry, Obama used a Bergism of his own. When responding to Romney’s assertion that the United States has less boats in the naval fleet than ever before, Obama responded, “the question is not a game of Battleship.” Battleship, of course, not only being the popular game, but the 2012 summer action movie directed by Berg.

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