For Romney Superfan, a New Truck Courtesy of the Candidate

nytimes.com ^ | June 27, 2012 | MICHAEL BARBARO

[BarnacleCenturion]

Jim Wilson, the peripatetic, profane, pipe-smoking volunteer for Mitt Romney whose ubiquitous pickup truck was destroyed in a fire last week, has a new set of wheels, donated by the campaign to which he has devoted a year of his life.

Mr. Romney himself will present Mr. Wilson, a 70-year-old Virginian, with a replacement vehicle during an event in Sterling, Va., on Wednesday, ensuring that, until Election Day, Mr. Wilson can keep popping up at campaign stops in a truck festooned with dozens of giant “Romney for President” posters and stickers.

...

Mr. Wilson, an anti-Obama Republican and former life insurance salesman, had devoted himself with the single-mindedness of a college-age groupie to following Mr. Romney around the country in a beat-up 1998 GMC, logging 40,000 miles, visiting 15 states and attending 150 campaign events. For his fanatical loyalty, he elicited unprintable jeers, tossed tomatoes, honked horns, thumbs-up gestures and letters placed under the windshield wipers from drivers across America.

In the process, Mr. Wilson has brought a humanizing (and humorous) dimension to a candidacy that, for all its organizational prowess and fund-raising might, has sometimes struggled to connect with ordinary voters. He has a penchant for Viagra jokes, carries a three-inch fishing knife and hugs every woman he meets.

Then, last week, his rolling Romney billboard caught fire on a Pennsylvania highway. The cause remains unknown..

[onemiddleamerican]

I am thinking that the flags are laying in the grass because they had been hurriedly pulled out of the burning vehicle. That’s just my guess though.

[US_MilitaryRules]

I sure as heck hope he didn’t buy him a GM or dodge truck. A nice 2012 Ford F250 Super Duty Diesel would be the trick.

[Terry Mross]

When Romney gave him the keys he should have said “Unfortunately, obama is going to collect a gift tax from you.”

[Spktyr]

Sadly, no. One problem with that would be that this would give liberals ammunition to use against Romney - moneybags, buying the election, etc., etc.

What the guy got was a little newer GM pickup of the same model.

[Spktyr]

Hit send too soon. Anyway, clearly that’s a used truck; they don’t make that body style any more. With those headlights it’s an 03-06 Chevrolet Silverado; the badges say it’s a 4WD and the gray bumper says it’s not a higher level model. It doesn’t have much resale value, so Romney can’t be accused of being Mr. Moneybags; trucks like that in my area cost less than $12-15,000. Looks to be in good condition, though; it’d be a decent return on investment for advertising.

Also, bunch of errors in the original report. One that came to mind was their mention of the guy getting a hydrant from Romney. As the picture shows, that’s not a hydrant, that’s a fire extinguisher. A hydrant would make no sense.

[xsmommy]

This was the NY Times and yet the comments after the article were fairly scathing towards Obama. That’s encouraging.

[steve8714]

US flags saved from the fire.

[TurboZamboni]

Were any Dateline NBC crews in the vicinity?

they love burning pickups.

[af_vet_rr]

while the campaign could have just bought the guy a new truck and enclosed a nice letter, Mitt is personally presenting it to Mr. Wilson

What makes you think Willard won't turn it into a photo opportunity?

[mkjessup]

He very well might, which would put him in the same league as any other politician presented with an opportunity to get some good PR.

[newgeezer]

...his rolling Romney billboard caught fire on a Pennsylvania highway. The cause remains unknown...