Posted on 12/30/2011 5:49:02 PM PST by SeekAndFind
It was Peggy Noonan who suggested that, especially during difficult economic times, voters look for a father figure, which Barack Obama decidedly is not. (He’s the “bright, lost older brother,” she wrote.) Noonan thought Romney just might be the GOP candidate who most evokes the father figures in 1950s and 1960s sitcoms that, in her words, “terrorized and comforted a generation of children from non-functioning families.”
If Romney managed to convey that impression even before his sons started to stump for him, then their presence on the campaign trail can only enhance the image of Romney as a wise, stable head-of-the-household — because, unlike Huntsman’s daughters, Romney’s sons are not snarky or silly, but down-to-earth, sincere and relatable. Yesterday, four of the five Romney sons (the fifth was absent only because he’s in the midst of his medical residency) met with Republican voters at a coffee shop in New Hampshire. What they had to say about their father was fresh and encouraging. Reuters reports:
The boys stuck mostly to the campaign playbook of emphasizing the candidate’s record as a businessman, having rescued the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and run the neighboring state of Massachusetts as governor.
But they also gave a glimpse of their father’s personal values.
“My dad has more energy than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Josh Romney said. “He is also tremendously cheap.”
As children in Belmont, Massachusetts, the boys said they learned not to leave the tap water running too long, or they would get a rebuke from their father, who was in the process of building the venture capital powerhouse Bain Capital.
“Congress would learn pretty quickly that they’re not going to get money from my dad either,” Josh Romney said. …
“My dad’s image couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Matt Romney, 40, who works at a real estate investment trust in San Diego. “If you see him in other settings, he’s the most fun guy out there. He’s always joking around.”
It’s undoubtedly a sign of my wide-eyed optimism that I often fall for campaign gimmicks — from Herman Cain singing “Impossible Dream” to Jon Huntsman’s vamping at the keyboards to this — but it does seem to me that Romney’s case that, as a person at least, he has lived consistently and conservatively continues to acquire greater credibility. I first began to follow Josh Romney on Twitter when somebody retweeted a tweet of his that included a picture of his dad and mom sitting in a couple of hotel armchairs in advance of a GOP debate. When I looked at the picture, I felt an overpowering sense of comfort. Here was a familiar scene. How many times — in advance of some event — has my dad, in button-down shirt and jeans (which happened to be what Romney was wearing in the picture), sat across from mom in a little hotel sitting area, talking about this or that idea? Does any of this make Mitt Romney politically other than he has always been? Of course not. But his sons’ presence on the trail reminds me that we have and could do worse than to nominate him or any of this year’s supposedly “weak” GOP candidates.
Your screen name is missing a couple of words.
Saaaay whaaaat? If so, why post a pro- Romney item?
FREE REPUBLIC is Anti-ROMNEY, period.
In your opinion, is the article referenced in this thread, Pro-Romney?
If so, why would anyone on Free Republic defend it as this is an Anti-Romney site?
How is this Pro-Romney? It just shows the BS his sons are spouting to mess with idiots.
show: The article isn’t anti-Romney, therefore it is pro-Romney. The sons are promoting Romney, therefore the article is pro-Romney.
Pro, pro, pro, get it?
Understand that Free Republic also exposes bias and media tilt whenever possible. The Media will not pick our candidate.
It comes off as Pro-Romney because There wasn’t a barf alert.... Usually if someone posts an article that promotes what Romney’s Sons say in Romney’s defense, a barf alert would be included so that when the Title is read, it’s understood that FR doesn’t support the loser Romney Sons.
Because the person who posted this thread did not include a remark exposing Romney’s sons as losers and didn’t suggest this article was barf worthy, it is important to expose that Romney’s son’s opinions are not valued on FR.
Neither is his Mother. You are new. I would refrain from calling Moderators to your mis-understanding or growth here. :^)
He might be personally frugal. But when it comes to taxpayer money, he’s loose as a goose.
Where is the BARF ALERT in the Title????
Exactly, there isn’t one because it was a drive-by post, which appears to be an attempt to gain traction in favor of Romney just with the Pro-Romney headline.
The headline of the post is PRO - Romney and it’s disgusting as this is an Anti-Romney Web site.
no man REQUIRES a big house??
Who are you to decide that?
And what if a man just WANTS One? I could think of a million ways to use 11,000 sq ft and would gladly build one if I could afford it, and wuld be able to use such space to start buinesses and hire people (but thats me)
But thats MY Choice- not yours
This article is Pro-Romney. Why not bash it?
“Is this the same Peggy Noonan who supported our first affirmative action president? Why in the world should anyone take her seriously?”
Isn’t she embalmed alongside Lenin? I thought she passed away several years ago. I know her writing went through rigor mortis before it utterly decayed.
You don’t understand. You could supplant his sons with any family member or NBCBSABC reader.
SeekAndFind is exposing a bias. Wait to render judgment before you make a decision to attack.
Well, having lived my life in NYC apartments measured in hundreds of square feet, I’ve always assumed enormous free-standing mansions were meant to symbolize or compensate for something.
Romney’s sons are LOSERS and no one cares about their opinion.
I don’t know about them being “losers” but I will say it is amusing that their support actually made the MSM. Get It?
The bias has not been addressed in this thread and Romney will always be bashed on Free Republic because Free Republic is an Anti-Romney site.
And his sons and supporters like Peggy Noonan will be bashed day in and day out on Free Republic.
His sons are losers and Free Republic doesn’t care about their opinions as they are Libtards.
Get it?
For those of us that have been around for 50 years, it’s pretty darn easy. Just imagine Chelsea saying her Dad never gave her anything because he was to darned Conservative. LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.