MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was certainly not alone Friday night when he blamed President Barack Obama for the current state of the U.S. economy during a forum for potential Republican presidential candidates.

But Mr. Romney used a peculiar turn of phrase when criticizing the commander in chief.

“Families are having a hard time making ends meet. So we’re going to have to talk about that, and housing foreclosures and bankruptcies and higher taxation,” Mr. Romney said on stage at the event sponsored by Americans for Prosperity.

“We’re going to hang him with that,” Mr. Romney said, adding quickly: “so to speak, metaphorically. You have to be careful these days. I’ve learned that.”