Romney chokes up again
I seriously think we need to start sending all the presidential candidates little bottles of Johnson and Johnson’s baby shampoo. Because if there are any more tears on the campaign trail, Election 2008 is going to turn into Lifetime Television. We’ve got Hillary moaning in New Hampshire about how hard it is to be her and then running to Nevada to hold hands with illegal alien women, and now Mitt Romney is choking up again. (He pulled a Hillary before Hillary did on Meet The Press last month.) Henry Payne at NRO reports that the candidate choked up when a voter paid tribute to his father:
In his first state campaign stop in Grand Rapids, a voter fondly recalled his father, George, former Michigan governor and CEO of AMC. “He was a great man and I miss him dearly,” said the candidate, choking up.
Look, I hate to sound harsh, but we live in a time of war. If the Democrats want to nominate a 9/10-era candidate whose eyes leak like a faucet whenever push comes to shove, fine.
But Republicans do not need an Oprah in a three-piece suit.
***
Commenter uhangtight points out the very different contexts in which Romney and Hillary had their public displays of emotion. Point taken. Politicians are human beings, no question. But they are politicians. They know their every move–including eye emissions– is being watched. They’re working to out-kinder-and-gentler-ize themselves in the wake of Hill’s surprise win in NH. That’s the bigger picture here. Sorry I’m not on board.
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I’m sorry, that getting choked up bothers people. I can’t say that if someone were to remind me of my father’s value (to them or to whomever or whatever) I wouldn’t get choked up, too. Romney was obviously close to his dad.
Please, getting choked up over someone else or something else greater than yourself is not what Hitlery did. She was crying in a feel sorry for me narcissistic sort of way.
It would be nice if we had a real conservative candidate to put our support behind.
Billary’s tears were contrived.
I’m less critical of Romney’s given the high degree of stress he’s under and in his remembrance of his father (or either lost parent for that matter).
I’m with uhangtight on this one; if anyone reminds me of my dad, heck even if I think of my dad I choke up. It’s human, normal and natural.
I don’t know but I probably would get a little choked up about my Dad to. I won’t fault him on this one but if he does it again in a Billary fashion then he’s got a problem.
I’m feeling a little verklempt, talk among yourselves, here’s a topic:
Why real leaders don’t cry!
It has to be said…There’s no crying in baseball!
True, the circumstances are entirely different. Hillary’s tears were contrived while she spoke about HERSELF (listen to it again, it’s full of “I” and “me”…then again, if I were Cankels, I would probably cry at the thought of myself too….but I digress). Romney is remembering his father, someone whom he obviously has a great deal of love and respect for. HOWEVER, this guy is running to be President of these United States of Americe. He CAN NOT let his emotions catch him off guard. With the stress that comes with the job of being POTUS, he needs to be Stoic As Spock.
Then again, what do I care? I’m a FredHead.
This public run for the Presidency is involves far too much scrutiny and stress. All of the candidates look tired - Romney was obviously bleary-eyed on Fox and Friends this morning. These people are human beings - well most of them are. Romney’s tearing up was over a personal matter and no one here is immune from emotions when it comes to loved ones. HIllary’s tears were politically motivated and contrived, there was nothing personal involved other than her own ambition.
I am beginning to think that Thompson and Guilliani have it right - don’t get overexposed and too tired to think clearly.
Hillary’s pandering on the illegal alien woman issue could end up costing her severely being that even the Democrats tend to be against amnesty.
80% of Americans are against amnesty, so it’s doubtful this will help her unless she’s counting on those illegal aliens actually VOTING, which is a strong possibility.
Wonder if any of these are being sent out this year.
I cannot believe this whiny type campaign season we are involved with….there are serious issues people and we need serious candidates…not crybabies…jeez…nauseating.
The candidates are verklempt. Maybe we should discuss a topic amongst ourselves.
The Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood is neither torch nor wood. Discuss.
I have no problem with crying, if it is for the right reason. If a President does not cry in certain circumstances, like 9/11 or another national tragedy for example, then I will think he is not human. What Hillary did was self pity, she cried because she was loosing. She has no sympathy for others, in my opinion, only for herself. I was disgusted by her tearing up, what a megalomaniac. Romney on the other hand, I don’t mind getting teary over his dad. I also get teary eyed and choked up when I think of my dad who passed on, and we did not even have the greatest relationship.
It’s ironic you’d use the Johnson Baby Shampoo brand which is familiar to most of us. Commercialism is a huge part of our culture so I shouldn’t be surprised that some of us are looking for their “conservative brand.”
Holy mackerel, I think the point is that you have to look behold the standard party formula and ingredients and look at the desired outcome that’s best for everyone. The selfishness is stifling. Doing more of the GOP thing has gotten us what? Even under RR spending was astronomical. Sure peace and prosperity, but look at all the armament we’ve got laying around everywhere, which, incidentally, I think we’ve been having to fight against in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The challenge is getting outside your/our various “head addictions” and stop swallowing the formulaic GOP medicine. I’m not impressed with the side effects.
Romney’s shedding a tear over memories of his late father is nothing compared to the absolute bawling Armageddonjad will do if he crosses the line and we round up him and Khameni.
I’m pretty sure Rudy and Bush shed a single team over 9/11, and they were surely horrible leaders in the GWOT, right Michelle?
I think you’re totally off base here. Hillary’s narcissistic weep I can totally understand attacking. Losing a loved one, especially a parent, can always cause one to tear up.
If someone was paying tribute to my deceased father, I might tear up as well. Having served in LRSC during OIF I and III, I doubt anyone would suggest that I was less of a man for doing so. We need to stop looking for every little reason to slam Romney. He is clearly the best choice out of the three candidates with any chance whatsoever of getting the nomination.
Yeah, I’d be tough to picture Fred blubbering away, wouldn’t it?
I remember when this sort of thing used to weed out candidates (Ed Muskie) instead of winning accolades!
Steady, Mitt, steady.
I disagree with this analysis. Whenever Mitt has teared up a bit, he’s had a legitimate reason. Hillary’s crying was calculated.
Why do we yell and say that Romney is some kind of robotic slick politician, but when he shows a human side we bludgeon him with that, too?
Are we suffering from MDS? Mitt Derangement Syndrome? Or is it PDS, Political Derangement Syndrome, where everything is an excuse to attack someone?
Well, at least Mitt isnt shedding any tears for poor illegal aliens or for those horribly mistreated Gitmo inmates, like some other candidate I might mention….
bwaahahaa… everybody leave Micheelle alone… bwahahhaaa…stop ganging up on Michelle… She’s just a blogger and ok maybe she’s not always , like, 100% right or “on target” she’s just a human and ……sniff, sniff… bwaahaaa… LEAVE MICHELLE ALONE…
LMAO
Look, I hate to sound harsh
Ah jeez. Let’s quit getting nuts over these little things.
I can’t talk about my Dad without choking up a bit either. Maybe someday I will. In the meantime, does it reflect negatively on what I do? Of course not.
Now about the issues…
Its about time we begin to compare these candidates on the important things. If they’d quit with the canned yik-yak about their past and how much they adore Ronald Reagan, maybe we could get to their plans about how they want to do things…
It’s obvious from her writings that MM isn’t a Romney fan. But to attack him because he cried in remembrance of his father? Ridiculous.
He’s accused of being phony and wooden, but when he shows true emotion, you jump on him too?
MM probably doesn’t like Field of Dreams either.
Um, what. I am sure many of you, myself included of course, shed tears on 9/11 and 9/12 and seeing pictures from New Orlans after Katrina hit, and other horrible events since 9/10. Sorry that people dying and lost family members make me tear up. I must be some kind of wuss.
Crying does not make you any less “tough.” To equate crying with “9/10″ is ridiculous. I am more mistrustful of people who don’t cry than people who do.
Mitt choking up on MPR was as contrived and insincere as Hillary’s tears in NH. But I think he deserves a pass on getting choked up about his dad.
MPR=MTP
Romney is not the best option for our country. It’s not because of his tears, though. I will well up when someone speaks kindly of my father (of whom I am very proud).
The difference between Romney’s tears and Hillary’s, though? Romney welled up with pride. Hillary broke down at the mention of her appearance. One of these has substance, and the other is more proof that a solialist robot can leak oil from her eyes when it will help her out.
You’re a sensitive, modern Alda/Donahue caring kinda guy, Rusty.
(But try that line on Al Qaeda!)
Romney has choked up twice and both times it was when the conversation turned to his father. I lost my Mother in 2004 and I still can’t talk about her or our relationship without the tears flowing. I don’t want someone crying over politics, but when the conversation turns personal, I don’t want an unfeeling robot either. People who are unaffected by highly emotional events scare me. The loss of a parent is one of the most traumatizing losses in life, second only to the loss of child.
The cynicism Michelle reflects indicates a coldness to my way of thinking that I hope never becomes the norm.
I want a President who can control his emotions.
Real men don’t cry in public.
Get Real….I have no issue with Mitt on this one. Are we looking for robots? They were talking about his dad !!
Romney did control his emotions. He didn’t actually cry, he didn’t lose his composure. There is a difference between NOT SHOWING emotion and CONTROLLING emotion.
It reminds me of a Mark Twain quote (I think it was Mark Twain) along the lines of “Courage is not the absence of fear but going ahead in the presence of fear.” Similar concept here.
So, I shouldn’t have been crying when two members of my team, Kyle Griffin and Zack Long died just outside of Mosul? I guess I’m not a real man.
Lighten up will you Michelle. He remembers his Dad and gets misty and you compare this to Hilary? If I hear “Ave Maria” I can’t help tearing up. Every one cries sometime.
Mitt’s “I miss him dearly” tribute is world’s aways from Clinton’s “it’s not easy” comment.
And if Hillary had offered up the same response about her father (even though he was a life-long Republican
) I wouldn’t fault her either.
Frankly, this entire post makes me extremely uncomfortable.
Save the tears for laying the loved and fallen to rest and Memorial Day.
From this day forward — steely-jawed, eyes wide open, carrying their memories and guidons — let us lean into the work ahead.
Any man, who is a man, will get choked up over a tribute to his deceased father. That has nothing to do with his ability to be hard at war time.
Give the guy a break.
I don’t take issue with Mitt shedding a tear. Everyone crys. It happens. It’s a natural biological reaction. However, there is a time and a place for it. I’m sure President Bush let a few tears hit the dirt on 9/11…but when we saw him in public, he was the Leader of the Free World. He stood tall. He expressed regret at the loss of life, and he vowed vengence on those that perpetrated the act. THAT is what I want in a president. If I were in Romney’s shoes and someone asked me about my grandfather (A Korea and Vietnam veteran, and Ranger Hall of Fame inductee) I would say something similar to what Romney said. I’m proud of everything he did and I miss him dearly. But, instead of letting a tear flow, I would emphasize my pride by standing a little taller, puffing my chest a little more. I would look PROUD.
It’s control. A president who can’t control his emotions has a good chance of being ruled by them. That is, as we say, a NOGO.
Weak-Kneed President Visits Auschwitz - Blubbers Like Girlie Man
I agree…
Same here with the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Genuine tears about a loved one are one thing, contrived tears…not so much.
Bill Clinton at Ron Brown’s funeral speaks much about contrived tears.
If he got soggy eyed as the average Joe, I would say he loved his father and let it go at that.
We are living in a time where our next president will have to come face to face with people who would rather kill us then look at us. Our next president will have to keep his tears between him and his wife. We can not let the Militant Islamist see any weakness in our Commander and Chief.
Geez, Michelle, my father is 80 years old, his father has been dead for 58 years, and he still chokes up a little when he talks about him. It is called being human.
Reagan cried all the time. GW cries all the time. Were they unfit to be Commander in Chief? You people are out of your minds.
With me, anytime I hear “Danny Boy”
No, you are a real man, a real man is not afraid to show his true compassion, empathy and sympathy of another human being. Your buddies died fighting for something I believe all of us enjoy FREEDOM, God Bless them for their sacrifice and you and may he heal the pain in your heart. Thank’s for your service and your friend’s for their sacrifice.
My Father in Law was in WWII he made it back and when in his later year’s when he decided to tell me some of his experience’s would get tears in his eyes when he would tell of those buddies that lost their lives in his presence one comment he made was during the Battle Of The Bulge when the 4th inf div was getting torn up by the german’s he shook his head and repeated “I just could’nt save them” 4 or 5 time’s, it was a tramatic experience for him as it is for our young men now.
Men have been taught all their lives, Men don’t cry, well pardon me that’s bull sh!t men do cry and men have feeling’s just as women do. It’s just that men have been taught that it is a sign of weakness which is totally wrong.
Do we need a strong leader? Yes
Does he need to appear strong to the world outside the U.S.? Yes
Can he go back to his quarter’s in the face of a tragedy and cry? Yes
Blind_Mule
Well said
Different time, different enemy. The Soviets weren’t busy putting out propoganda videos pointing out our President’s weakness to try and convince young boychiks to blow themselves for the Rodina.
Can’t say that I’m a newshound who catches every bit of media footage, but when? I don’t recall seeing it.
Davenp35, no one says you’re not a man if you cry. You lost some of your boys, and if your unit is anything like any unit I’ve been in, you guys were as close as brothers. But, did you cry while you were out there, on the job? Or did you save your tears for when you and the rest of your boys made it back, and had a few minutes alone, away from everyone else? Something like that, in a family like ours, is best handled out of the public eye. We are superheroes to these people. We need to appear invincible.
Exactly. Time and place.
Four more tears;;;;
Four more tears;;;;
Four more tears;;;;
Exactly right. We need someone steely eyes, not teary eyes.
Malkin is way off base here. She’s quickly turning into a right wing militant… To mock someone for choking up on the mention their desceased parent is pretty pathetic!
LOL……..
Bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” always gets me….sniff.
One thing I have always loved about Pres. Bush is that he isn’t afraid to tear up.
BUT during a campaign like this one…well I question the timing of the whole thing. Mitt has to know that after Hillary’s debacle, his teary moment might looked forced unlike when Pres. Bush teared up the night of Sept. 11th in front of the press in the Oval Office…that really got to me.
Such is politics….
Sorry MM but I must disagree with you on this one. It wasn’t about politics or how he was being treated. It was about his dad.
I’m from Michigan, and George Romney was a great man, a great Governor, and a wonderful person.
I’m a Thompson supporter, but when I think of George Romney, I’m tempted to vote for Mitt.
Ouch. I read that and thought “that’s gonna sting a bit.”
Again, I don’t know if I agree with this analysis. Sounds too close to a conspiracy theory.
When I was in the military I did things in TRAINING that occasionally caused me to “tinkle” in my pants. (like climbing a sheer cliff and then repelling down for the first time).
Now that I’m older, 54, I tend to get emotional and well up a bit. Since my head isn’t lodged in my pants it’s hard to hide. I have no problem with genuine emotion. It’s how the emotion is channeled that counts.
A single tear can provide the strength that holds a platoon together.
That one tear can be the outlet to common sense that allows a clear decision to be made.
All of the people here including Michelle that think that real men don’t cry are fools.
I have amazed myself throughout my life regarding the tragedies that I have witnessed (I was a combat medic) without shedding a tear and the simple things that have made me want to ball like a baby.
Find another topic. Your to young to understand what the weight of the world feels like. And your to inexperienced to understand the depth of character that it takes to plow forward through that millisecond of humanity because you know you will be judged but even more importantly, because you truly do have the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Then there is love. I love my father. I am who I am because of him. He was my hero. I can talk about him all day long and never skip a beat. But there are times that people will come to me and tell me how great he was in their life and I will loose it.
When I see Marines kicking ass, I loose it. When I see soldiers kicking ass I loose it. When I see the navy and Air Force kicking ass I loose it. When I see a mangy dog in a dog pound I loose it.
It’s called humanity.
BTW
Try to hurt my country, my family, or my friends, and I will loose it.
My father died when I was 21 in 1989 and I still miss him. He had cancer and went very quickly and I have so many regrets about things I wished I had said. An emptiness because he was a great man and we never really got to spend a lot of time together when I was a man and could appreciate him.
I don’t know why Michelle is making such a big deal out of a man’s love for his father and his emotional reaction to it. A man and his father have a very special relationship because we want to be that man when we are young. Our father’s are our models for living in the adult world. They are us. So I have no problem understanding why Gov. Romney teared up. I am doing the same as I write this and remember my dad.
I am a pretty big Fredhead but I would not want to see Mitt Romney hurt by this incident. In a perfect world it would be ok for a candidate to have a small show of emotion. So I ask all my fellow Fredheads to lay off of this. To be decent.
If I were under the stress these candidates are under..(except Thompson) I would be in tears too! Lack of sleep, constant traveling, constant cameras covering their every move…..I would need a padded room about now……….
Ah think it’s so un-fay-uh that Bubba nevuh had the chay-unce to shed a tee-yuh for his miss-tuh-ry Dad.
I’m crying, too, on this one: crying “foul.”
My wife met my father only twice before he died within 3 months of being diagnosed with a brain tumor, the second time during his final days in hospital. I have an 8 year old son who would have made my father so proud who said just before Christmas how much he looks forward to meeting his grandfather in Heaven. I do not have the joy of seeing my own son reflected in proud appreciative smiles from my father.
Thursday, I tuned in for Cal Thomas’s insightful political analysis on the local station that carries his daily commentary and instead was treated to this loving tribute to his late father on what was the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Real men are entitled to wax nostalgic about their fathers, and yes, if so moved, get a little misty-eyed about it, too. Come on. Let’s not be so cynical that we become suspect of every emotion in any national figure. I won’t tell you I’m not disappointed by this post.
“Look, I hate to sound harsh, but we live in a time of war.”
Indeed, Zorro. A candidate should have better control of himself. To publicly turn on the waterworks every time someone mentions his father isn’t a good sign. He should learn to steady himself, if someone says “your dad was a great guy”, he can learn to say “Thank you, my family appreciates that.” If he needs to break down, he can do that later in private with his family.
Unfortunately we live in the age of Oprah, Dr. Phil and Barney. Among other things, it’s being demanded that men “get on touch with their feminine side”. Now it’s become politically trendy and expedient to bawl since it impresses the emotionally-led voters. Now that’s something to cry about - but keep the sobbing personal and private, please.
My father died in 1967 when I was 6 years old. I barely knew the man. I have a picture of him in my room in his army unform from WW2. He had quit HS to join. That’s what he and his friends did back then. What I know of him has mostly been told to me by family and friends of his. I get choked up sometimes when they talk about what a good man he was.
One thing I do remember vividly is the Red Sox that year. We watched them together. Father and son. The Impossible Dream of 67. He wasn’t supposed to live that long. He passed away 3 days after the series was over. So I began an obsession with the Sox. Ups and downs no matter what, it continued, for both of us. in 04 they won. It wasn’t for me, but yeah I got choked up again for him. He didn’t live to see it. I went to the victory parade with a sign that said “This one’s for you dad.” There were a lot of grown men with tears in their eyes that day. And with very similar stories and signs.
I give Mitt a pass on his dad. And I don’t usually give politicians a pass on anything.
And for the record I don’t cry at the drop of a hat. Not a touchy feely guy in touch with my emotions type.
No offense if you are though.
Weak take Michelle…you whiffed on this one.
Is that as in the dinosaur, Rubbble, Fife or Stenson (”How I Met Your Mother”)?
hahaha - I did have the purple dinosaur in mind there, Bird!
The age of Rubble and Fife (both non-criers, heh) is gone. Don’t know about “Stenson”, I rarely watch the telly these days. Probably every show insist the stars sob away now, lol. I stopped appreciateing that phenom long, long before even the cryin’ Anna Nichole judge. Yiiii. Suck it up!
Not to try to speak for Michelle, but for me my problem is the timing. Hillary’s getting killed, tears up on stage, and wins. Whether her tears were contrived or not, it did help her. As a consequence if someone else - especially someone who’s trailing - cries, it’s going to look suspicious.
“in the wake of Hill’s surprise win in NH”
I can’t help it, I just do not believe the Clinton machine won that contest honestly…it worries me as we near the general elections. I’m in the middle of Gary Aldrich’s book “Unlimited Access”, and I just don’t trust those two as far as my 5′ frame can throw them!
This may be a cultural misunderstanding. Mormons meet regularly in “fast and testimony meeting” on the first Sunday of each month. There, they express gratitude for their blessings, which include the atonement of Jesus, and their families. Emotions are discreetly shown, which occasionally involves tears. What Romney did here in talking about his father, and earlier talking about the priesthood revelation in 1978, could be seen as carrying over from the LDS practice of “bearing testimony.” It would take a hard heart indeed to look down on a LDS person who once in awhile shows a little emotion about the things that are most important to him.