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With 'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts,' Romney Can't Lose?

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

On the trail, Mitt Romney has a new rallying cry.

MITT ROMNEY: Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose.

CORNISH: But wait - we've heard those words before.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SERIES, "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS")

CORNISH: That's coach Eric Taylor and his football team, in the TV show "Friday Night Lights."

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Whenever the going got tough, the hero - played by Kyle Chandler - would rally his boys in the locker room with those words; a motto for the football field, and for life.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SERIES, "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS")

(CHEERS)

CORNISH: The TV show, which ended last year, had a small but extremely passionate following, which includes Mitt and Ann Romney. In the past week, the Republican candidate has repeated that slogan - with his own twist.

ROMNEY: This is something that we share, in this country - men and women of clear eyes and full hearts, and America can't lose.

(CHEERS)

DAVID AXELROD: It doesn't surprise me that he's drawing inspiration from fiction because almost everything he's doing, right now, is a fiction.

SIEGEL: That's the response we got from David Axelrod, one of President Obama's top campaign advisers. Axelrod does, however, agree with Mitt Romney that "Friday Night Lights" is a very good show.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CORNISH: So where did all this come from? Before last week's debate, Romney was waiting in a locker room at the University of Denver. His aides put up a poster there, with the slogan.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CORNISH: And just as in the TV show, Romney tapped it as he passed by, heading out into the glare of the Wednesday night lights, to score some touchdowns.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

US