Posted on 01/22/2008 6:08:43 AM PST by maui_hawaii
Mitt was born in 1947 in Detroit Michigan. He was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
This bit of information will tell you a substantial amount about Mitt’s upbringing and political leanings. Now let me expound.
According to Wikipedia the land making up Bloomfield Hills is dominated by wealthy families. According to them famous people associated with the area are the likes of:
• John Delorean (maker of Delorean cars)
• Dominic Dimarco (President of Ford)
• Joe Dumars (General Manager of the Detroit Pistons)
• Aretha Franklin (no explanation needed)
• Lee Iacocca (ditto)
• Rodger Penske (Penske auto parts)
• Rasheed Wallace (Detroit Pistons)
• Robin Williams (the comedian)
The list goes on and on. One can safely say that the neighbors are of stature—at least now—and from the looks of it the neighborhood has had somewhat of a long standing.
Currently the per capita income in that area is $104K per year, second to only Barton Hills Michigan.
The State Senator, Federal Representative, and State Representative from the area are all Republicans. From the sounds of it, it has been Republican a very long time too.
The topography of West Bloomfield is covered 20% by water, IE lakes. It is a wooded area.
While growing up Mitt was active in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and went to Cranbrook High School. At the same time Mitt was raised in a very religious home where his parents undoubtedly urged him to participate in many worthy activities.
Now we need to rewind backwards 50 years and get a clear picture of what society and topography was like in his growing up years…
Undoubtedly as a whole he didn’t grow up hungry. He grew up very religious as well as was into scouting as a youth. He later went on to become an Eagle Scout as well.
The question now is, how does one get to be an Eagle Scout? Undoubtedly he was outdoors camping and fishing to be able to earn this type of award. Some of that was possibly at the direction of his parents.
While I am not completely familiar with the terrain of Bloomfield Hills, from the sounds of it, back 50 years ago it was a semi rural community of upper crust folks who had homes nestled in wooded areas on the outskirts of (then) town.
In 1960 only 2,600 total people lived in the area of about 5 square miles. That would be about 600 homes or so (roughly). That would equate to about 5.5 acres per home in the 1950s to 1960 time frame—when Mitt grew up there.
So you have a semi suburban cub scout/boy scout living in a wooded area on the then outskirts of town and based on interviews they would work on cars. Paint the picture yourself.
Given, he wasn’t down in the bayous playing with gators or wrestling wild Arkansas hogs, but none the less you get the idea of where he is coming from. Where he grew up and the kinds of values we are talking about.
I am trying to paint a picture here not on any specific issue, but rather what kind of childhood he had, which in my opinion sways a lot of how he thinks on certain issues.
True, he did not grow up out in the rugged wiles of the outdoors where dad had to hunt for food. He wasn’t and isn’t from ‘the country’ as some define it (IE need to pipe sunlight in). He probably didn’t eat fried squirrel either.
He probably never had to skin a deer or butcher a hog but at the same time I would hesitate to call him ‘hostile’ to that lifestyle.
None the less growing up where he grew up and how he grew up does not resonate well with some of the very rural voters.
People speak based on their experience. If people want to go fishing and hunting and camping Mitt doesn’t mind. He identifies with that in fact. However he identifies based on where he is from.
With that being said, one must take into account everything when seeing a candidate. Is there a likelihood of him banning guns outright? Nope. Is there a bit of a disconnect with many of the more rural “country” voter? Yup. When you come from two different sides of the tracks these things happen. It does not hold hostility from either side (in theory) but just the identity is different.
People give Mitt flack for saying he was a ‘lifelong hunter’… but think on it. Using the above information what could he have meant? Was it just a pander or was it something more?
He wasn’t Davy Crockett for sure, but considering all factors where do you think that is coming from? Personally I don’t think he meant to imply that he was Davy Crockett.
Did they learn to hunt and fish and camp or shoot guns in the Boy Scouts in the 1950’s? Anyone? I was no where near being born at the time but I would like to hear from some of those who are more familiar with this.
In summation, does this prove that Mitt isn’t some lying liberal? No. It’s not intended to prove anything, but it is intended to put things into context and tell us who this man is.
He’s “Da Man”!
ping
Interesting post. That does give some perspective on who Mitt is and where he is “from.”
The way I see it, and I’ll keep repeating it:
If you vote Romney, you get someone who’s changed positions significantly since running, but now has pretty much solid conservative positions.
If you vote McCain, you get someone who’s hardly ever changed positions, a man of values, a man of character. The only problem is that his positions and values (on most issues) are basically indistinguishable from the Democratic Party.
I know who I would choose, given those two options.
Can’t trust them Eagle Scouts...
An interesting post. I appreciate the fact that you didn’t fall into the usual populist “class envy” pitched by Huckabee and Edwards.
Thank you.
I don't care if he ever skinned a deer. It might matter if he ever poached a deer.
The new book by Bill Bryson on Shakespeare debunks the story that Shakespeare had to leave Stratford to avoid prosecution for poaching deer at Charlecote...Bryson comments that we don't know if Shakespeare ever poached so much as an egg.
‘If you vote McCain, you get someone who’s hardly ever changed positions’
Really? Explain why he voted against the Bush tax cuts twice, and is now calling for them to be made permanent?
Then please enlighten us all about how his change on Amnesty isn’t a ‘changed position’ that occured in the last six months....(eyes rolling)
Johnny woke up a week ago, and realized he can’t win without the Conservatives he loathes.
No thanks.
McCain is NOT a man of character or values.
He has become the darling of the mainstream media by stabbing conservatives in the back.
If he had any honor or character or values, he would have joined the Democrat party a long time ago.
That’s where his “values” lie, and that’s where he belongs.
Voting for McCain is voting for a democrat. Not a dime’s worth of difference between him and any of the democrats, except that McCain gets to work his treasonous mischief from inside the Republican party.
I prefer somebody who is willing to change when he sees he’s wrong than a recalcitrant, pompous, self-important, narcissistic, OLD lunatic bent on destroying conservatism from within.
Very good. I want more, more. Next issue vanity please.
Another ping please
If that is what you are thinking then you missed the whole point of the thread.
My brain works only so fast and my fingers can type only so much.
Thanks for your great effort.
live in Vegas and wanted to see Mitt and ask him a question about a mutual friend.
I went to his rally, jammed to the ceiling with people, thought to my self, I will never ever get close to him.
So I went around to the door I guessed he would enter and waited 20 minutes in the cold for him to show up.
The rally was running a 1/2 hour late.
Soon up pulled these cars and he got out, said, “Where is my family?”. His son Josh was there with his grandson and he told his Dad that he had to get the boy to the doctor as he was sick with a bad cold.
After that exchange he walked right my way and I approached him and introduced myself and wished him luck and asked my question.
I want to tell you, now being the rally was running a 1/2 hour late, he took time to talk to me, about 4 minutes, listened to everything I had to say and was so very, very polite.
His suits were giving me the evil eye but he was very nice.
I want to say how impressed I was with him, he truly seemed to care about what I had to say.
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