July 1, 2012

The Romneys — 30 of them, on summer vacation — do the Romney Olympics, family meetings, chores from the "chore wheel," and talent shows on the sage that "Papa" (Mitt) built.

WaPo reports from Wolfeboro, New Hampshire:
The Romney Olympics have long included a mini-triathlon of biking, swimming and running that pits Mitt and his five sons and their wives against one another. But after Mitt once nearly finished last, behind a daughter-in-law who had given birth to her second child a couple of months earlier, the ultra-competitive and self-described unathletic patriarch expanded the games to give himself a better shot.

Now they also compete to see who can hang onto a pole the longest, who can throw a football the farthest and who can hammer the most nails into a board in two minutes....

By day, the Romneys kayak and water ski — one sport at which Mitt excels — play tennis and basketball, stage a “home-run derby” and horse around on a slip-and-slide. Most of the grandchildren (there are now 18) put on a talent show on a stage that Papa, as they call Mitt, constructed in the backyard....

At night, the adults gather for family meetings, with each evening focused on a frank and full discussion of a different son’s career moves and parenting worries.

Each member of the family picks a daily chore from a “chore wheel,” so as to share cleaning tasks evenly....
That's so damned wholesome, I don't know what to say. I'm considering something politically cranky like: Imagine how the media would fall over themselves describing the perfection of Obama if his family had a vacation with even one third this much family-osity. Eh. Too predictable! Make your own jokes.

143 comments:

MikeR said...

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire? Don't they have it at Martha's Vineyard?

The Crack Emcee said...

Now they also compete to see whose pole is the longest, who can throw a lie the farthest and who can hammer the most nails into their eyes....

FIFY

edutcher said...

Sounds like the Kennedys, but their Olympics, except for a little "touch football", were mostly on percale.

Think that's "stage", not "sage" on the post (OK on the comment page, though).

ricpic said...

I'm exhausted just reading about it. Hope the Romneys don't turn out to be the Kennedys redux. Well, with the exception of another Kennedy tax cut.

ndspinelli said...

Lake Winnipesaukee is a beautiful lake that even many northeasterners know little about. The Spinelli family had a reunion there in 2009. We aren't as photogenic as the Romneys but I bet we eat better than them.

You should remember this is where Bob Wiley spent his summer vacation.

ricpic said...

I see edutcher is a great mind too. ;^)

ricpic said...

Hey spinelli, isn't Winnipesaukee Wop central? Ooh, what I said!

La Pasionaria said...

Great! We will be governed by the smurfs!

Bill said...

Translation: Mormons being Mormons. Seriously.

More sense of family than any other religion I've come across. Weird undies, though.

Joan said...

If you come from a big, close family, the way I do, this sounds awesome. If you come from a small family and your perception of large families is shaped by tv and movies, you're left wondering why anyone would ever subject themselves to a "vacation" like this. The reality is, it does get a bit wearying being around relatives 24-7 for days on end, but the positives far outweigh the negatives... at least in my family. We've been doing this so long it doesn't even take much thought. Most people I know would balk at the idea of having to cook dinner for 20 or 30 people, but we do it routinely.

We do not, however, have "family olympics" or talent shows -- not that organized. We do often have family meetings, though, when something needs to be worked out.

FleetUSA said...

This just sounds wonderful. Traditions like this are amazing.

Sunslut7 said...

Ann,
eactly why do we need to mock, jeer or critique the Rommneys?

Why is wholesomness worhty of public criticism?

Imagine the press and public reaction if the Romnneys exhibited behaviors that were opposite of what you listed. Would you or the public feel better?

I am grateful that they are enjoying wholesome recreation activities. Better that then a 'skankasaurus sex marathon'.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

You just know there's got to be a Billy Carter in that family.

Farmer said...

Man. That sounds awesome.

bagoh20 said...

Sounds like Festivus!

edutcher said...

Ann Althouse said...

That's so damned wholesome

That's so gosh-darned wholesome.

FIFY

ricpic said...

I see edutcher is a great mind too. ;^)

I remember those days well.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Olberman called.. asking where are the black faces?

pm317 said...

That's so damned wholesome, I don't know what to say.

Yeah, my impression exactly. No discord! Crack will say it is a mini cult.

Kennedy's are all dysfunctional but these guys seem to have it in control with the patriarch, Mitt. I do like what I am reading in one sense but hope that they allow for privacy for members who don't want to participate.

Shanna said...

I'm exhausted just reading about it.

Me too.

My family reunion is coming up in a month and we will spend it:
1. Beach and pool, reading and playing with kids
2. Eating cake and watermellon
3. shopping
4. optional activities include casino, jet skiing in the gulf, playing rook, deep sea fishing.

Our only family meeting involves details for next years reunion.

Anonymous said...

Working together, playing together, enjoying each others company, how odd.

Shanna said...

Most people I know would balk at the idea of having to cook dinner for 20 or 30 people, but we do it routinely.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Add shrimp boils (by far the easiest 'cooking for 30' option!)and fish fry night (if people go deep sea fishing).

God, An Original A-hole said...

So if Mitt Romney has that ultimate family life... the ne plus ultra of wholesomeness... then why does he need to run for President? Not only once, but a second time around... after losing on the first attempt?

Is power more important for Romney than even the most absolutely perfect family life? Is the idyllic life of a jet-set rich Mormon aristocratic patriarch somehow not satisfying, or not satisfying enough, for him???

Chef Mojo said...

Sounds pretty Southern to me.

I come from a family that has a family reunion annually. We do it over the weekend after the 4th of July. Back in the day, we did the cooking for it and potluck for it, but now we cater a part of it. There's always things to keep the kids occupied. Golf on Friday. Softball and volleyball on Saturday. Plenty of beer, wine and booze for those so inclined, which would be most of us. In the evenings, there are informal family meetings, covering a range of issues from trivial to monumental.

Family has always been important to us, even though the individual "families" tend to be small; one to three children. But the "cousins network" is huge and very close knit. When help or support is needed, it's always there. I've really found that out recently with my cancer. Always some place to stay when traveling. I can range from New Jersey to Georgia and I'll always have a place to lay my head.

Reading an article like this makes me smile, because I certainly understand the dynamic of a Romney vacation.

Roger J. said...

I liked George Burns as God rather than the current curmudgeon posing as God :)

Henry said...

Shanna wrote: Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Add shrimp boils (by far the easiest 'cooking for 30' option!)and fish fry night (if people go deep sea fishing).

Lobster rolls is another easy one (we do the family vacation on Cape Cod). Buy the lobsters pre-boiled and assign some volunteers -- usually my father-in-law and myself -- to sit on the porch, enjoy the ocean breeze, drink beers, and get all the meat out. It's a tough job, I tell you. Someone else has to do the hard work of melting the butter and opening up the bags of rolls.

MTN said...

Perhaps Mitt is not motivated entirely by personal satisfaction, God.

Henry said...

Shouldn't God have something more important to do? Must be boring to be God.

Anonymous said...

Is power more important for Romney than even the most absolutely perfect family life? Is the idyllic life of a jet-set rich Mormon aristocratic patriarch somehow not satisfying, or not satisfying enough, for him???

Perhaps a sense of duty to serve others, born of graduate and a recognition of his good fortune and the obligations that flow therefrom.

Have we entirely lost the ability in America to see or believe that someone really just might be a good person, despite their obvious or not so obvious flaws?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Too much family togetherness for me. I wouldn't enjoy it in the least.

However, I'm glad to see the Romney's are a close family and still hold the traditional family values. Values that are deliberately being eroded and distorted by the progressive left. What used to be normal and exemplary is now demeaned and ridiculed by the media and by the so called "liberals".

J.R. said...

I am sure Gov. Romney is running for the Presidency because he knows that he can help the country. It is an opportunity for him to serve his fellow citizens. Much like when he took over the Olympic Games and made them successful. Altruism is part and parcel of the LDS.

I know; just thinking it made me chuckle.

edutcher said...

God said...

So if Mitt Romney has that ultimate family life... the ne plus ultra of wholesomeness... then why does he need to run for President? Not only once, but a second time around... after losing on the first attempt?

Maybe because he feels a duty to help his fellow man?

Maybe because he loves the country which has been so good to him?

(I know, alien concepts for a Lefty...)

Is power more important for Romney than even the most absolutely perfect family life? Is the idyllic life of a jet-set rich Mormon aristocratic patriarch somehow not satisfying, or not satisfying enough, for him???

Maybe it's not the power.

He may want to show the country how wrong it's been about Mormons.

(sorry, Crack...)

He might also want to lift the crushing burden of taxation off the middle class that's coming with ObamaTax.

75% of that "free" health care is going to be borne by people making $120 grand or less.

PS I was right. God is a moron.

Original Mike said...

I'm impressed.

I'm Full of Soup said...

My nieces and nephews started their own Triathalon [brain and physical challenges] about six years ago. It is held between Xmas and NY eve and lasts about 6-7 hours. It has become an event that about 40 people look forward to every year.

It's been cool to see twenty somethings create a family tradition like this. Oh and a lot of drinking is involved too of course.

Geoff Matthews said...

I'm a bit disappointing in Cracked's jab. No creativity.

john said...

So if God has created the entire universe then why does he need to spout non sequitors on Althouse's blog?

There, fixed that for you.

Anonymous said...

Here's an example of what Mitt would be reading in his Sunday School class. Along with the along with the relevant parts from the Bible which are commonly known, this from the Book of Mormon:

"13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

"14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you....

"17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

"18 But before ye seek for briches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

"19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

"20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?

"21 Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other."

God, An Original A-hole said...

@Quayle -

So...

Obama ran for President under false pretenses (because he was born in Kenya!) with the malevolent goal of using the training in manipulation he learned from Bill Ayers and Saul Alinsky to turn the country into an authoritarian Socialist (or perhaps Communist?) state.

But Romney is running because of "a sense of duty to serve others, born of graduate and a recognition of his good fortune and the obligations that flow therefrom".

Hmmm....???

Chef Mojo said...

And Crack?

You've long since passed the point of being like the annoying crank who is constantly raving about The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the Jews.

Where that is annoying, you're quickly reaching a nadir of ugliness that is usually monopolized on this blog by the anti-semitic Cederford.

Your comment up top there is just ugly. It's ugly the way a person who spray paints swastikas on synagogues or "Die Ni**ers!" on AME churches is ugly. Your obsession with Mormons has you wallowing in the dark gutter of your mind, and has completely robbed you of any credibility when it comes to criticism of cults.

Crack, you've seriously jumped the shark and now the shark is taking a good, long look at you and probably finding you lacking. It's gotten that ugly, man.

Piss off.

john said...

The Romney olympics could make a really great movie.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Vacation Obama style:
The Obama's live large as they burn through tax payer dollars.

Chip S. said...

Dear God! As a matter of fact, it's entirely possible to think that Obama's motives are far worse than Romney's. Whether it's correct or incorrect, it's a logically consistent belief.

My own guess would be that Romney looks at the fucking incompetents and liars currently running the show and thinks that he could do better than that while still spending tons of time with his family.

And to hammer dozens of nails into their eyes on weekends. (Yeah, you're really flashing your creative chops this morning, dude. Seriously--get help.)

bagoh20 said...

This like most of what I've seen and read of Romney seems to indicate that he is likely an uncommonly good, decent, capable man in politics.

I vote as if my vote is the only one that will be counted, therefore I will vote for Romney to avoid giving the country again to a clearly incompetent and not very wise man, prone to wasteful if not dangerous selfishness and narcissism - a man I now expect to get at least 9 out of 10 decisions wrong, and often catastrophically so.

I don't expect much from Romney once elected, although I hope I'm wrong. I expect he will be similar to W or his dad, who I had many problems with, but I have no doubts that the country would be in better shape right now if the last four years were under a Bush (with or without the capital).

Until we get a total collapse under a leftist or 4 more years of decline under this one, the country will not elect the kind of reformer we need. We are pretty badly addicted to our poisons, and will need to hit bottom to get much of the other half of the electorate to see it.

Of course the best thing would be if Romney surprised us and went all reformer on us by simply doing in office exactly what he will be campaigning on, but who does that?

ALH said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ALH said...

Whitest. Modern Olympics. Ever.

Michael K said...

"
Olberman called.. asking where are the black faces?"

I turned on ABC with Stephanopolis this morning and saw Olberman. I quickly switched the channel.

Michael K said...

"Is power more important for Romney than even the most absolutely perfect family life? "

So, you would prefer that John Edwards be president ?

ndspinelli said...

ricpic, No pc in me, use Wop, dago, etc. You do get some Boston and NY Wops @ Winny, but Wops tend to head to the ocean. Lakes seem to be more WASP and Jew havens in the northeast. I don't know why that is.

Chip S. said...

Lakes seem to be more WASP and Jew havens in the northeast. I don't know why that is.

Simple: no wops.

Unknown said...

I know lots of families in the Midwest who do versions of this same thing. What's wrong with it? It's basically the same as FDR at Campobello or the Kennedy summers, minus the drinking and drugs and fornicating, of course.

Oh, now I get it. The Romneys actually believe in this "family" crap! *Sneering knowingly*

Ann Althouse said...

"Ann,
eactly why do we need to mock, jeer or critique the Rommneys?"

You're assuming a lot there!

Wow, that's so wholesome... that's considering mocking/jeering/critiquing? The question is: Why do *you* see it that way?

Hagar said...

I think anyone has to be more than a little nuts to run for President; however, Romney's nuttiness appear less threatening to our general welfare than most.

I think he is a facilitator/manager. You want a firm reorganized to become profitable? Romney can do that. Stop the squabbling and get people together to have an Olympics in Salt Lake City? Romney can do that. The people of Massachusetts, our bluest state, want a universal prepaid medical care plan? Romney can do that.

So I hope that Romney also can maneuver Congress into ditching Obamacare and passing something that will at least be workable.

Chip S. said...

If you're going to argue with people over their interpretation of your words, you should discuss what you actually said.

You didn't say "Wow, that's so wholesome..."

Your exact words were That's so damned wholesome...

It does not require an imaginative reading to find irony there.

And a word of advice: Don't lie when it's so easy to call you out.

Unknown said...

Chip, I took the post to be mocking the NYT, not the Romneys.

Shanna said...

Lobster rolls is another easy one (we do the family vacation on Cape Cod).

I'm sure that would be lovely, but Lobsters are prohibitively expensive in Biloxi, MS. Shrimp, otoh, is easy to come by.

ndspinelli said...

ChipS, Come on now, Althouse doesn't lie, she's an attorney so she dissembles.

And ChipS, wouldn't you love to see a bunch of dagos on a big boat playing Dean Martin and ruining the serenity of these "damn wholesome" vacations.

Cedarford said...

Chef Mojo said...
And Crack?

You've long since passed the point of being like the annoying crank who is constantly raving about The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the Jews.

Where that is annoying, you're quickly reaching a nadir of ugliness that is usually monopolized on this blog by the anti-semitic Cederford.


===================
Not really. I have no personal animosity towards communists, radical Muslims, Jews, militant gays, people who want more Euro-socialism and Obamism in America. Add I have no personal animosity towards lifetime parasitic welfare mommas and evangelicals that revel in their scientific ignorance.

What I do want is people in all those groups, and many others .....
to not get in a position of such power and undue influence that they damage America and help cause it's decline.

Shanna said...

I had to look up dagos and wops, but now that I know you're talking about Italians, I will comment that the one time I went to a lake in the northeast (Lake George, NY), it was with an Italian family. That's a pretty lake, btw.

Chip S. said...

Pat, you're probably right, but I think the other commenter's point can't be dismissed as "assuming a lot."

Althouse knows--or should know--about the use of ironic italics in cases like this. It seems that she enjoys posting in ambiguous ways, thereby allowing herself to shriek about being misinterpreted in that schoolmarmish tone.

Chip S. said...

...wouldn't you love to see a bunch of dagos on a big boat playing Dean Martin and ruining the serenity of these "damn wholesome" vacations.

I've seen the script. It's called "National Lampoon's Lake House".

jacksonjay said...

Didn't read the article! Not a word about "... all that magic underwear"?

Brian Brown said...

Imagine how the media would fall over themselves describing the perfection of Obama if his family had a vacation with even one third this much family-osity

We already know.

See: The Kennedy's.

MayBee said...

Valerie Jarrett probably read this article and immediately called an Obama family meeting.
Between now and the election, each girl must be seen holding hands with her parents at least 3 times a month. There will be more trips to church. And an Obama family tennis tournament.

Ready set go!

Farmer said...

Chip S. said...
It seems that she enjoys posting in ambiguous ways, thereby allowing herself to shriek about being misinterpreted in that schoolmarmish tone.


Also, thereby blogging about things that interest her without feeling the need to clumsily lurch around brandishing her opinions, trying to proselytize and only succeeding in pleasing the true believers and annoying everyone else.

It's art, Chip. She's giving you Van Gogh and you're complaining that you're not getting a Bob Ross landscape. There are plenty of Bob Ross blogs out there. In fact, almost all of them are. What good would another one be?

Original Mike said...

While not wishing to speak to Althouse's meaning, it's fair to say the word "wholesome" is used as a pejorative by liberals. The denigration of "family values" by liberals is one of the most destructive forces in our society today. The Wall Street Journal had a review of Jonathan Hait's book "The Righteous Mind" yesterday in which he decries the "moral rot" of the liberal ethos.

Making good-natured fun of the Romney family is harmless, but anybody who seriously believes this criticism really needs to re-examine their core beliefs.

The Crack Emcee said...

Chef Mojo,

And Crack?

YEEEEES!



You've long since passed the point of being like the annoying crank who is constantly raving about The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the Jews.

And you've long since gone passed the point of putting your fingers in your ears and singing while others are talking. I challenge you:

Posit a single negative about Mormonism. One. If you have, I've never seen it. There are people openly resigning from Mormonism today - a MAJOR act in Salt Lake City - why are they being so open about it, if Mormonism's so great? Are you dealing with THEIR issues? Or is it all about the wholesome "image" for you? Is "imagery" all you're about? Not me - because I live and work with Mormons and know better.

Joseph Smith was a con man - a "confidence man" - the whole point of Mormon imagery is to suck you in so they can fuck you. But you won't consider that, will you? You're a Mormon Moron.



Where that is annoying, you're quickly reaching a nadir of ugliness that is usually monopolized on this blog by the anti-semitic Cederford.

Sure, there's absolutely no nuance in any of my criticisms, I'm just willy-nilly with it. 



Your comment up top there is just ugly. It's ugly the way a person who spray paints swastikas on synagogues or "Die Ni**ers!" on AME churches is ugly. Your obsession with Mormons has you wallowing in the dark gutter of your mind, and has completely robbed you of any credibility when it comes to criticism of cults.

Like I ever had any credibility with you - liar.

Look, I can accept some responsibility for your perception of my comment - I maybe wasn't clear enough - but it was an attempt at dark humor. Any reading of the Romney family gathering should tell you my comment has nothing to do with what they're doing but was an answer to Ann. You're goofy in your resistance to the truth of Mormonism:

I actually admire their family orientation, but I despise their isolation from the rest of us, their cult dogmatism, their racism (where ARE any other faces, black or otherwise?) their easily-debunked lies, their subversion of the "good" for the needs of the "church," their multiple con games of all kinds (including the wholesome image canard), their charades to hide reality, their denial of history and science, their "belief" in polygamy (which is no longer prosecuted in Utah) and so on. Mormonism's wholesome image hides a lot of shit - and a lot of it harmful to children. Children you obviously can give a fig about in your desire to look "open-minded."

That's what's ugly.



Crack, you've seriously jumped the shark and now the shark is taking a good, long look at you and probably finding you lacking. It's gotten that ugly, man.

Being judged by a shark of the likes of you - someone who has proven, over time, they're in denial about Mormonism as badly as any Mormon - is the least of my concerns.



Piss off.

I've pissed on you instead.

Darleen said...

Hope the Romneys don't turn out to be the Kennedys redux

Somehow, I think if the Kennedys pulled out a chore-wheel, it would be to see who's hired household help did what.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Four guys, one from Maine, one from Vermont, one from New Hampshire, and one from Massachusetts were riding in a car. At one point, the guy from Maine opens his window and starts throwing lobsters out the window. The guy from Vermont asks him why he is doing that. The Maine guy says 'In Maine, we have so many lobsters, we're always looking for ways to get rid of them.'
A little while later, the guy from Vermont opens his window and starts throwing out bottles of maple syrup. The guy from New Hampshire asks him why he is doing that. He says 'In Vermont, we have so much maple syrup that we're always looking for ways to get rid of it.'
A little while later, the guy from New Hampshire opens his window and throws out the guy from Massachusetts.

ndspinelli said...

Van Gogh was crazy and killed himself.

Shanna said...

I think if the Kennedys pulled out a chore-wheel, it would be to see who's hired household help did what.

Heh. I think the chore wheel thing is strange. Is there some reason you can't just get out a piece of paper and figure out who is doing what? Does the wheel make it more fun?

The Crack Emcee said...

Hagar,

Don't be offended - I'm only writing this because of Chef Mojo's criticism - so let's contrast your comments about Romney's wholesome image with a bit of reality about Mormonism:

I think anyone has to be more than a little nuts to run for President; however, Romney's nuttiness appear less threatening to our general welfare than most.

Only if you want a president who will answer to the Mormon "prophets" as Romney has proven he will do - along with taking an oath to put his "church" before everything else - which is a potential constitutional crisis in the making.



I think he is a facilitator/manager. You want a firm reorganized to become profitable? Romney can do that.

Sure, like the bogus supplement industry Romney and Orrin Hatch have set up to swindle the American people (who are all evil "gentiles" to Mormons - including Jews) while writing the bullshit DSHEA law to make the scam work. Whattaguy.

Stop the squabbling and get people together to have an Olympics in Salt Lake City? Romney can do that.

The Olympics in Salt Lake City were sponsored by said supplement industry (which means Romney made money - something few looked at) and the Olympics in Salt Lake City were involved in, both, a doping scandal (laid specifically at the feet of Orrin Hatch) and a bribery scandal.

Can Romney do that? Yes He Can!

The people of Massachusetts, our bluest state, want a universal prepaid medical care plan? Romney can do that.

Sure, and now Massachusetts is BROKE specifically because of Romney's work, which doesn't strike me as a great example of leadership but that "facilitator/manager" you spoke of. 

A leader doesn't lead people off a fiscal cliff, but gets them to see reason. Oh wait - Romney is a Mormon and doesn't use reason - my bad.

So I hope that Romney also can maneuver Congress into ditching Obamacare and passing something that will at least be workable.

Like I wrote yesterday, the likelihood Romney will repeal ObamaCare just became a lot less likely with the Supreme's blessing, not more. It's as much his baby as Barack's, so I wouldn't bet on it - he's a liar AKA a flip-flopper - and the general attitude of the citizenry should be one of doubt when it comes to politicians' promises.

Where THAT particular bit of wisdom got lost is beyond me,…

Original Mike said...

"Is there some reason you can't just get out a piece of paper and figure out who is doing what? Does the wheel make it more fun?"

I think it does. It's kinda clever in that regard.

D. B. Light said...

If I remember rightly, the term "wop" derives from the Spanish "los guapos" which translates as "the handsome ones". With the shift in language a term of admiration was transformed into an ethnic slur.

MayBee said...

D:I think if the Kennedys pulled out a chore-wheel, it would be to see who's hired household help did what.

S:Heh. I think the chore wheel thing is strange. Is there some reason you can't just get out a piece of paper and figure out who is doing what? Does the wheel make it more fun?


Love that Darleen!
Shanna, I'm guessing the chore wheel has some fun chores and some horrible chores, so the wheel would make it more fun. A game!

Cedarford said...

Shanna said...
I think if the Kennedys pulled out a chore-wheel, it would be to see who's hired household help did what.

Heh. I think the chore wheel thing is strange. Is there some reason you can't just get out a piece of paper and figure out who is doing what? Does the wheel make it more fun?
-----------------
In a smaller family, you could flip for who gets to wrap up unused party favors and who gets to scrub the rug where an invited guest's excited dog barfed all over 2 square meters of it following a party.
But with a large family, it is not a bad solution. Beats the Head person in charge assigning good and bad jobs on whim...or resented "norms" where Mom ALWAYS does the dishes while teen Sally ALWAYS vacuums the house and young Fred is ALWAYS assigned to pick through the trash for the recyclables, Dad and Dad alone ALWAYS has to mow the lawn, while golden child Elizabeth just sets the table.

leslyn said...

it's fair to say the word "wholesome" is used as a pejorative by liberals.

No. It's not. Speak for yourself, if you consider your hatred to be "wholesome."
This post wasn't a criticism. The Romneys have a family vacation. How nice.

The only thing that wasn't "wholesome" was Althouse's crack about an Obama family vacation. It's hard to see how you can compare the guy when he has no grown children, much less 18 grandchildren, much less a billionaire's estate at which to hold the event.

Goodness (or maybe I should say "badness) but your miserable creatures.

Original Mike said...

"This post wasn't a criticism."

I don't think it was.

Gahrie said...

Joseph Smith was a con man - a "confidence man" - the whole point of Mormon imagery is to suck you in so they can fuck you. But you won't consider that, will you? You're a Mormon Moron.



Couldn't an un-believer describe any religion this way?

Only if you want a president who will answer to the Mormon "prophets" as Romney has proven he will do - along with taking an oath to put his "church" before everything else - which is a potential constitutional crisis in the making.



Didn't we already deal with this in 1960?

leslyn said...

Sunslut7 said... "Ann, eactly why do we need to mock, jeer or critique the Rommnegys?"

What's wrong with you? That's so damn wholesome. Don't you know how to read?

Bruce Hayden said...

I think if the Kennedys pulled out a chore-wheel, it would be to see who's hired household help did what.

Reminds me of a story told at the funeral of a neighbor when we were growing up. The father had a shooting range put in when they built the house. It was essentially a big metal culvert or something that was installed under the corral. Then, they would apparently shoot to see who got to do the dishes every night. Boys and girls all turned into crack shots as a result.

Remember it from when I was in Boy Scouts, and that is one of the places I learned to shoot, though not having doing the dishes hanging over my head, I never got that good, even though they were only a couple houses west.

Anonymous said...

Anybody who believes these folks do chores is delusional. I am sure they have plenty of nannies and servants along for the vacation to do those mundane things. I think that fooling ourselves into seeing this family as we see ourselves is ridiculous. They are not average working stiffs. Not there wrong with that, but sheesh just face reality.

Carol said...

See: The Kennedy's.

See the Kennedy's what?

leslyn said...

Lake Winnepesaukee!--OK, since the cranky have hurt feelings, we can have some fun instead:

The Three Stooges, "No Census, No Feeling" (1940) === The Stooges are census takers. Moe enters a kitchen and sits. Curly is wearing a chef’s hat with his back to Moe. Neither knows who the other is. Moe: Good afternoon, Chef. I’m the census taker. Curly: Well, you got me at a busy time. Moe: Oh, it’ll only take a few minutes. Now, where were you born? Curly: Lake Winnipesaukee. Moe: Lake Win... How do you spell that? Curly: W-O-... *WOOF!*... Make it Lake Erie, I got an uncle there. Moe: What was your family decomposed of? Curly: Well, I'll tell ya, there was a litter of three, and I was the one they KEPT! Nyuck-nyuck-nyuck! (snicker)

(2004) H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer -Portions filmed in Gilmanton.

(1995) To Die For –This film was inspired by Pamela Smart, the NH teacher who had her husband murdered. Nicole Kidman plays a local TV weatherwoman in New Hampshire. When the weather map is displayed, it is clearly Lake Winnepesaukee.

(1957) Peyton Place -Portions filmed in Gilmanton.

TV show: Cheers, season 5, episode "Abnormal Psychology", first aired 16-Oct-86 === The gang is watching the bar TV and we hear the announcer say, "So grab your rod and reel and join us next week when Jim takes us trolling on Lake Winnipesaukee"

And what about Bob? Since Lake W seems to have its share of loons (no wonder Bob's psychologist went there)--did Bob get invited?

leslyn said...

Reminds me of a story told at the funeral of a neighbor when we were growing up. The father had a shooting range put in when they built the house.. And...this reminds you of the Romneys...

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I'm guessing the chore wheel has some fun chores and some horrible chores, so the wheel would make it more fun. A game!

Plus it makes it so that one person doesn't get stuck doing the same chores all the time. If you are a good cook, everyone says..."Hey. Dust Bunny. You are in charge of the kitchen"......again. Grrrr.

I also makes it pretty fair. Everyone has a chance of getting stuck with the not so fun chores once in a while. Mitt, your turn to clean the bathroom/do the dishes :-D
The

Rick67 said...

@Crack - I have my profound disagreements with Mormonism but some of your comments strike me as unfair.

As for "where are the black faces?" well several years ago I was asked to give a presentation at the local LDS ward. I was mildly surprised to see several "black faces". Some of them spoke up during the Q and A and were quite passionate about the "restored gospel". There must be people of "darker complexion" who find the LDS religious vision compelling enough to overlook something that was repudiated in the past.

Look at Southern Baptists. Let me tell you the vast majority of churches joining the local association are predominantly African-American. This ain't your 1950's and 1960's SBC where blacks were often not welcome.

Point? Very simple. Groups change. Religions change. People change.

Original Mike said...

"Anybody who believes these folks do chores is delusional."

It appears they do the chores on their vacation; else the chore wheel makes no sense.

Anonymous said...

OM, maybe the chore wheel is for the servants, "your nanny has to do the kids laundry tonight".

I have a very hard time believing they do household chores, maybe the chores more related to their boats, horses, stables, etc.

ndspinelli said...

Shanna, Lake George is beautiful and you can combine a trip there w/ nearby Saratoga Springs, a classic horse track for the whole family. But seriously, who doesn't know wop and dago?

Unknown said...

"That's so damned wholesome"

You have a problem with that?

The Crack Emcee said...

Gahrie,

Couldn't an un-believer describe any religion [as a con]?

Sure, but I'm not just any unbeliever and Mormonism is different. Consider:

We have no real idea what Jesus was up to, but Joseph Smith's every crooked step is documented in the papers of the day, from his first days as an occultist with a "seer stone" (which makes current claims to Christianity fraudulent - another fact few Romney/Mormon supporters are asking about) to his death/murder, in custody, at the hands of the latest set of "gentiles" fed up with his bullshit.

And don't get me started at all the BS the illiterate Smith put in his cult - passages from the Bible, Islam, "reform Egyptian" (meaning whatever Smith knew/made-up of Egytian beliefs) and more - like Jesus "returning" to Missouri and Indians being the lost tribe of Israel. Archeology is also not a strong suit.

Mormons consider Joseph Smith a martyr, in the same way of radicals in the Middle East, which cancels out any illusions they have the welfare of the rest of us at heart - we are the enemy to be dominated, absorbed, or defeated, and nothing more.



Didn't we already deal with [a potential constitutional crisis based on religion] in 1960?

Yes but not like this, because of the difference between the Mormon cult and actual religions, starting with the huge difference between the Pope in Rome and the "prophets" (who are self-declared) in Utah.

Kennedy also wasn't a former official of the "church" or described as a "vapid" (Ann's word) panderer, yet having his entire (hidden) identity being bound to his religion - not to his country or good works - which explains why Romney, and other Mormons, can be involved in scams on the rest of us but still see themselves as good people. For instance, now that Romney has won the nomination, Utah authorities have announced they will no longer prosecute polygamists - a promise they made to AMERICA in order to attain the status of a state. And Romney hasn't made a peep about Mormons breaking this all-important promise, despite the fact molestation is rampant in polygamist communities. That's how good the Mormon word is in the real world - when you look past the image they try to project. Their entire focus is on themselves. Promises made to American gentiles be damned.

Further, Catholicism has no history of declaring a desire for a theocracy in America - Mormonism does - openly. And I don't doubt for a second that, if we have a Mormon president, you can bet we're looking at Mormon judges on the Supreme Court, etc., which will be a total fucking disaster when it's exposed as a fraud (as Scientology is now) and the rest of us have got to untangle the leftover mess. Long story short:

Romney has taken an oath to serve his cult above all others. I see no reason, in his current or past behavior, to doubt his commitment to that. He will do or say whatever necessary to get himself and his cult into power, for their own purposes, and they will attempt to bend us to their will. That's how it is in Utah - America's only theocracy.

There is absolutely nothing that even remotely suggests they'll be any different on a larger stage.

shirley elizabeth said...

Allie, I know the wife of one of the Romney boys. She and her husband raise their own kids. No nanny. No house maid. My guess is that's generally how it is around the rest of the family.

kentuckyliz said...

Makes me want to watch the South Park Mormon episode.

Roger J. said...

The Romney family thing seems very much like my lady friend's family reunions--although from the Mississipi delta there are late night poker games lubricated by spirtous liquors--something I am sure the Romney's dont do.

And fish fries are an integral part

Good on the Romney's--sound like a decent bunch of folks

leslyn said...

shirley elizabeth said... "Allie, I know the wife of one of the Romney boys. She and her husband raise their own kids. No nanny. No house maid. My guess is that's generally how it is around the rest of the family."

Hmmm. 18 grandkids. That's a big guess.

Roger J. said...

Allie--you are projecting dear--Its quite possible, although perhaps not in your world view, that the Romney's have a multitude of servants. I suspect that is not the case, but YMMV

My niece married one of the heirs to the browning arms fortune, and on the day she was married she got a check for 6 million dollars from her grandma in law--she still does laundry, cleans the house, and does her own shopping--and she is so cheap she squeaks.

Anonymous said...

Only if you want a president who will answer to the Mormon "prophets" as Romney has proven he will do - along with taking an oath to put his "church" before everything else - which is a potential constitutional crisis in the making.



You know, this makes me wonder if the Mormon "prophets" are telling Harry Reid to not pass a budget in the Senate.

That might be what's up there.

Anonymous said...

Shirley, that is quite unusual for people in their socioeconomic class. My daughter has inlaws from Newport Beach CA, they have three young children and drag their nanny everywhere, even to my lake house when they were visiting family here in WI. Maybe CA folks are less hands on with their kids.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Darleen said...

Somehow, I think if the Kennedys pulled out a chore-wheel, it would be to see who's hired household help did whom.

FIFY

The Crack Emcee said...

Rick67,

@Crack - I have my profound disagreements with Mormonism but some of your comments strike me as unfair.

As for "where are the black faces?" well several years ago I was asked to give a presentation at the local LDS ward. I was mildly surprised to see several "black faces". Some of them spoke up during the Q and A and were quite passionate about the "restored gospel". There must be people of "darker complexion" who find the LDS religious vision compelling enough to overlook something that was repudiated in the past.


I don't doubt the black's commitment in Mormonism, as I don't doubt the commitment of anyone in a cult - it's brainwashing that usually demands deprogramming (or "snapping") to come out of. That cultists are being used and deceived by their chosen cult is nothing new either.

As friend was explaining to me this morning over coffee, the Mormons dropped the public ban on blacks for tax purposes. (I still don't have all the details yet.) Behind the scenes, the cult is still the cult, and it's latest outbursts by a long-standing, well-respected, and highly rated BYU professor of religion, Randy Bolt, are instructive. I ask you:

If racism is really long-dead in the Mormon "church," why is the date on that linked article, above, from the year 2012?

Because it's a lie - one they'll try to keep hidden as well as what Romney's up to. Only if you take cultists at their word can they run this type of deception on you, which is why you should never take cultist's word on anything - they're in a cult. They're not to be trusted. Use common sense, and keep a firm grasp of reality, if you want to see the truth - which they have no concern for.

Mormons dress like pious upstanding members of society while the men cultivate multiple wives from a collection of young girls, and run multi-level marketing schemes pushing worthless items, like supplements, on those they look down on.

It doesn't strike me as strange in the least they'll exploit blacks to gain any advantage they can from it.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

leslyn,

The only thing that wasn't "wholesome" was Althouse's crack about an Obama family vacation. It's hard to see how you can compare the guy when he has no grown children, much less 18 grandchildren, much less a billionaire's estate at which to hold the event.

You have noticed how and where Michelle Obama and the kids have vacationed the last couple of years, yes? It hasn't been on the shores of a lake in New Hampshire. It hasn't been hanging out on the shores of Lake Michigan. And it was a mite more expensive for the rest of us, yes? What was it, $450K for Michelle and the girls to visit Spain? Then there was Mexico...

wv: uBeside 2

Synova said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Synova said...

I knew a family like that. Or a couple of them. I always feel out of place. It's an upper-middle-class thing, actually, and my upbringing... wasn't.

The hoard of children would still play games, but not in an organized, competitive way, with the adults.

But I think it's nice. And it really make a lot of sense that people who are successful tend to put the same effort into family vacations.

chickelit said...

Maybe CA folks are less hands on with their kids.

Maybe you just have stinkin' rich inlaws. :)

Synova said...

For what it's worth, I didn't think Althouse was mocking anyone at all.

But I also thought that she was pointing out, obliquely, the fact that there were undoubtedly people who will think this is mock-worthy.

Anonymous said...

Chickelit, I never saw so many fake faces and boob jobs all in one place, when we were visiting them in Newport Beach, ugh. Maybe it IS a CA thing.

Even the hordes of nannies had them ;).

Made me be happy to live in flyover country.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I have a very hard time believing they do household chores, maybe the chores more related to their boats, horses, stables, etc

Why not? They are on a family vacation. It is a tradition of Mormon families to stress the aspects of daily life, shared responsibility and group cooperation. Chores and being part of the family are a big thing for them. In the Mormon families that I have been antiquated with all the children are expected to pitch in. Even if the family is wealthy enough to hire maids the kids had to clean their own rooms, work in the yard and do dishes.

Why is this impossible to believe? Prejudiced much?

If anything, I would think that they hire professional people to take care of the mechanical things like the boats that are safety issues.

Synova said...

Oh, and the family I knew who was like this also had something like a "chore wheel" when they came to their vacation home (bought the poor farm across the road from us... mostly ponds and swamp (thus, poor) and came to duck-hunt, and ski, and ride motor bikes). It defined what needed to be done on arrival, most of it, and what few things needed to be done before leaving. Work first, play after.

shirley elizabeth said...

Leslyn, my parents have more grandkids than that and none have nannies. Though one of my brothers has a regular babysitter for when his wife is scheduled at the hospital and their schedules overlap. Is that a nanny?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Maybe CA folks are less hands on with their kids.

Maybe you just have stinkin' rich inlaws. :)

California liberals, no doubt. It is a cultural thing.

SukieTawdry said...

Why, the Romney and Obama vacations are just mirror images of one another, aren't they?

Normally I would look at reports like this with a skeptical eye, but I believe it of this group. I think this will be a nice family to have in the White House.

And those comparisons with the Kennedy's? All that Kennedy good health and physical robustness was a sham, a show. And old man Kennedy fostered competition among his children, his sons in particular, for far different reasons than dad Romney I suspect.

Anonymous said...

DBQ, no not prejudiced, why should I be? I have enough friends, aquaintences and relatives with a great deal of money to know how they live.

Original Mike said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Original Mike said...

Synova said: "I didn't think Althouse was mocking anyone at all.

But I also thought that she was pointing out, obliquely, the fact that there were undoubtedly people who will think this is mock-worthy."

My take as well.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I have enough friends, aquaintences and relatives with a great deal of money to know how they live.

As do I. I am also quite aware that people can have different lifestyles and that not all people with XX amount of money are exactly alike. My step mother could easily hire household help and never have to lift a finger in the home. She chooses not to and enjoys scrubbing the floors herself.

IF (note I said IF) your coastal California relatives are snobby, fake people with money who can't be bothered to take care of their own children/grandchildren and purchase Nannies as status symbols, you can't judge all people in that economic class the same and assume that they all act the same.

Some people, either through their religious beliefs or through their cultural upbring eschew things like being constantly surrounded by maids and excess staff. I have no idea if the Romneys are like this, but it seems from the anecdotes given here and in other stories, they are.

Stretch your imagination a bit.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Yes Allie boob jobs are more common and obvious in CA and also especially Scottsdale, AZ based on my experience.

Anonymous said...

OK DBQ. Calm down, put down the shotgun ;).

I speak from my observations, that is all. Your observations and experiences may be different from mine, nothing wrong with that.

Known Unknown said...

Some people are dense.

Re-read the post.

The Professor is mocking the news coverage of events, not the actual events.

THe Obama "crack" has little to do with Obama, and more to do with the type of coverage he would receive via the NYT.

Shanna said...

But seriously, who doesn't know wop and dago?

IDK, southerners I guess? I never heard 'spic' until I was in college.

Roger J. said...

as a young man reaching voting age in 1960 I went thru the angst because of JFKs catholocism. That seemed to work out just fine. Now it was conservatives who were having cows about it. Now in 2012 liberals are having cows about Mr Romney's belief in the church of latter day saints. It seems to me liberals, are in general, have no capacity to understand history and are bigots to boot.

Shanna said...

Also, if I had the money I would hire someone to clean the house once or twice a week in a heartbeat, but not someone to live in watch clean or watch kids. I think that would be obtrusive. Maybe the Romeny's feel the same? Who knows.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Dust Bunny Queen said...

In the Mormon families that I have been antiquated with all the children are expected to pitch in.

You really don't seem that old from your comments.

Anonymous said...
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Anthony said...

My whole family hasn't been together since probably the last millennium.

Chef Mojo said...

That's ok, Crack.

You just keep on keepin' on, ok?

Spew the hate all you want. I figure you'll be at the front of the line when it comes to the mob screaming, "Mormons Raus!!!"

You're an intolerant jackhole who has arbitrarily decided where the cut off line for accepted religion is.

As I have posited before, I am an Atheist. I have no dog in this hunt, in terms of religion. I'm just REAL cloudy on where you fucking draw the line at what a legitimate religion is. You've never quite gotten down on that, Crack.

So, what is it, hmm? Jesus walking on fucking water? Really? Is that your line?

Raising Lazarus? Is that your fucking line?

The wedding at Cana? Loaves and fishes, dude?

What's the cult here, muthafucker? You explain it to me. You hold Christianity up as something you can deal with, as something that's not a cult and yet you condemn Mormans as cultists?

You are seriously fucked up. Make up your fucking mind.

In the meantime, you don't have a fucking clue. You come across as a lyncher.

C'mon, Crack. Define legitimate religion

David said...

Romney picking contests that he can beat (and I use that word advisedly) all of his wives. More evidence of why the Mormons are a vicious cult.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

"In the Mormon families that I have been antiquated with all the children are expected to pitch in."

You really don't seem that old from your comments.

LOL...I sometimes feel ancient. Damn spell check

@ Shanna. I used to think that about the housecleaning when I was working. Now that I'm retired I enjoy puttering around the house. I don't really want other people in my house and 'messing with my stuff'. I just wish I could find a reliable yard person/guy/gal to help me with the heavy lifting and digging. I WOULD pay for that.

Synova said...

"But seriously, who doesn't know wop and dago?"

I didn't know dago.

Sara (Pal2Pal) said...

This sounds like the Summers of my youth and some of the happiest times of my life.

My Grandfather built a Summer home on a lakefront. His brother built the identical cottage next door. My father and his sister spent every Summer there as did their cousins in the house next door. This generation married and had children (me and a whole slew of 1st and 2nd cousins) and the 4th of July was our big celebration because both cottages were filled to the brim with 3 generations.

We water skied, had organized games, huge cookouts with fresh corn on the cob and the BBQ going all day, always ending with watermelon and sparklers for the kids. I miss those days so much, but now the next generation, the kids of the kids of the kids live all over the country and even though both homes are still in the family, the are rarely used.

I think it is wonderful that the Romney family carries on these traditions. It gives one a sense of belonging as a child, a safe place to be who you are during the years you are trying to figure out who you want to be.

To the person posting as God: Not everyone craves power for power sake. I think Mitt Romney seeks the presidency because he believes his experience and training can help save the best of America, something I also believe is sorely needed.

AllenS said...

Hey, Spinelli, I would never call you a wop or a dago. Guinea perhaps, but never wop or dago.

The Crack Emcee said...

Chef Mojo,

C'mon, Crack. Define legitimate religion

Mojo, I am a cult critic, which I can define easily - and groups with weird beliefs, led by modern day, convicted, con men pedophile polygamists, fits the bill perfectly.

But why should I bother? If a group of *notorious* child molesting polygamists isn't enough to give you pause, before giving them your support for leading the country, then you'll allow anyone to do anything and attack anyone who says "no."

You claim to be an atheist, yet I can give you evidence - including links to the source material - and you still want to act as a apologist and attack dog. What kind of atheist is that?

I'm not following the "teachings" of a convicted con men pedophile polygamist.

I'm not claiming Jesus is returning to Missouri and holding others mentally hostage to that idea.

I'm not claiming the indians are the lost tribe of Israel and holding people mentally hostage to THJAT idea.

I didn't put the racist claims in the BYU professors mouth.

I'm not the one who's decided, now that Romney's the nominee, to break the promise on prosecuting polygamists.

I didn't set up the bogus supplement business or write the deceptive DSHEA law - or dope anyone at the Salt Lake Olympics.

This is all stuff that anyone can confirm on Google - but you don't - you spend your time bashing my balls because I did look at it and am unafraid to admit it when you want a political champion so bad you could beat off to it.

Well, I've got news for you Mr. Atheist:

Politicians are professional liars. It is not our job to prop them up but for them to prove themselves to us. I said "prove themselves to us," not give us a bunch of pretty pictures and we assume that's a political platform.

As I said, Romney destroyed the economy of Massachusetts, and THAT'S NOT LEADERSHIP. Romney changes his positions like night follows day, and THAT'S NOT LEADERSHIP. Romney consults with the "prophets" of Salt Lake, and THAT'S NOT LEADERSHIP.

Romney can show me pictures of he and his family making cupcakes at Christmas and I'm not dumb enough to say, "That's a man I want to lead the country!" If it was, I would've voted for Obama in a heartbeat - but I didn't - despite every black friend I have laughing at me, dumping on me, getting angry at me, and accusing me of siding with whites over "my own kind." But I only have one "kind" and that's THE TRUTH. And the truth is, Mitt Romney is in a cult, that cult is up to it's ears in evil shit, and no amount of puff pieces are going to change my perception of what I know - not "believe" but KNOW.

Whatever Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, or whoever was up to is lost in the ether of time - sure, it's bullshit, but all we can throw at it is circumstantial evidence - but Joseph Smith and his followers? That's modern history, documented, proven, from it's first day to as I'm writing this. There's no arguing with it. It's a fraud. And why anyone would consider putting any member of such a group in charge of anything - when it's sins (starting with child molestation and polygamy) aren't even an open secret but simply OUT THERE - is the question I put to you:

Why would you even consider such a risk when the downside is so friggin' devastating?

marylynn said...

We have five grown children, their spouses, and eight (so far) grandkids, the oldest of whom is 5 years old. We frequently spend weekends together at our Summer place up North, which is a 1200 hundred square foot motbile home on a lake. We share cooking, clean up, watching the kids, and other chores. Sometimes we argue, mostly we have a wonderful time and consider ourselves so lucky to be able to do this. So nothing about the Romney story seems odd to me at all - its just part of being in a big, close family. Would not trade that for anything.

tree hugging sister said...

Those of us who grew up with a fucked up parent ruining most every experience we can remember are nostalgically envious right now.

Anonymous said...

The family togetherness isn't odd at all. It's the idea that they do their own chores is what threw me, but hey, it could be true, who knows?

My children and grandchildren spend the majority of the summer here at my lake home, it's the highlight of the year for me. My grandkids know the kids that live along the lake, take sailing lessons and formed plenty of good memories at "Nani's house".

No nannies allowed. Merry maids do come in every other week during summer, a gift from my grown kids.

ndspinelli said...

AllenS, They're all the same to me, but obviously not to you. I would appreciate your thoughts

leslyn said...

shirley elizabeth said... "Leslyn, my parents have more grandkids than that and none have nannies."

And are they all blindingly rich?

leslyn said...

"And old man Kennedy fostered competition among his children, his sons in particular, for far different reasons than dad Romney I suspect."

Why would you "suspect" that? Is competition in family sporting events evil if it's Dems, and laudable if it Repubs? Get a grip your suspicions.

Harsh Pencil said...

I have several relatives who are extremely rich. Some do, indeed, have nannies and maids and cooks do everything and their kids don't do much in the way of chores. But others, just as rich and just as able to afford hired help, have almost no hired help. The mom does the cooking, the kids cut the lawn, and the kids, when they are teenagers, are told to go get jobs in the summer, usually as camp counselors. The parents do this because they think (correctly I believe) that spoiling the children isn't good for them. The Romney's agree (according to an interview I read with Anne Romney).

Unknown said...

Crack, I agree with you in most of your political criticisms of Romney, especially his notorious flip-flopping. Fortunately for me, I don't live in a swing state, so I will not have to hold my nose come November. I will vote for someone very close to my own views, that is, Gary Johnson. I do not think the very real downsides of Romney, however, are any worse than those of a re-elected Obama. Both are crony corporatists, but I suspect Romney's cronies will not be nearly as destructive as the current batch. So, as in 2008, the electorate gets to choose between two shit sandwiches.
I've another question for you regarding your understanding of cults. So many of the wierd and unpleasant things you mention re Mormonism seem awfully similar to attributes of Islam and its founder. Is is safe to infer that you consider Islam a cult? If not, why not?

Henry said...

Chef Mojo wrote: Crack? You've long since passed the point of being like the annoying crank who is constantly raving about The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the Jews.

Agreed. He's also way over on his word count.

Kate Dunkin said...

I came across your post while I was online looking at Martha's Vineyard vacation rentals because I'm trying to plan a family vacation for august. I come from a large family myself and I'm not going to lie we do a lot of the same things that the Romneys do and I love it. There's nothing better than when you can be around family and have a great time with them. Thanks for sharing the article Ann.

Methadras said...

We don't have family reunions. I don't know why and when I ask no one has an answer. So reading this is really neat.

JAL said...

@ Allie --
Anybody who believes these folks do chores is delusional.

A couple other folks have challenged your opinion ... and so will I. Someone else suggested you caught up in a bit of projection here. Or bigotry.

I have serious issues with Moromonism, both from a theological standpoint and a sociological standpoint, having a bit more familiarity with it than your average bear. So I am not being an apologist for Mormonism here.

That said -- I am sure the senior Romneys have employees.

You are sure they have plenty of nannies and servants along for the vacation to do those mundane things.

Your opinion reveals a real lack of understanding about the Mormon ethic and 'salvation'(which is work(s) based. Family is idolized. ...[N]annies and servants ... don't fit in all that well, generally speaking.

You're a casualty of the left's Class Warfare.

You have my sympathy.

JAL said...

WaPo: the childhood pastimes of a bygone era

Right. We always have to be so forward looking that families doing something as families without all the electronic whoohaa is just. so. quaint.

Notice that the grandpa buys things like nails and plywood. Newsflash [Allie]: Lots of normal people buy nails and plywood. He doesn't set up photo ops buying plywood and nails. He buys them because he actually is going to *do* something with them. And he doesn't send one of his "servants" to buy it.

The present president doesn't even know about plywood and nails. And I would guess wouldn't be sure how to hold a hammer.

Interestingly, "normal" is not always connected to how much money one has.