Remember the Romney sons? They were everywhere back in 2007 and 2008, riding around the campaign trail in the "Five Brothers Bus," not unlike what the three Huntsman girls are up to this time (albeit without the fake moustaches and rather unsettlingly sultry crooning on behalf of their dad.) Tagg and Co. seemed like an asset for Romney -- a good-looking, successful quintet that served as further proof of their dad's wholesome, productive life -- until one day in Iowa when Romney made a highly unfortunate choice of words:
A woman at an Ask Mitt Anything forum earlier today in Iowa raised the question again, asking whether any of Mr. Romney’s five sons are serving in the military, adding pointedly, “If none of them are, how do they plan to support this war on terrorism by enlisting in our U.S. military?”
Although his campaign said his remarks were taken out of context, Mr. Romney’s response is drawing criticism, because he said, in part, “one of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected.”
That did not go over well. And it may be the lingering fallout from that remark that has led the campaign to decide to keep the sons almost entirely absent from the trail this time around. That is, until this week, when Josh Romney has been stumping for his dad in Iowa.
Well, based on this eye-catching report, it looks like the campaign may have been better off without the help. Josh Romney's attempts to recalibrate the family's message for the era of the 99 percent came off as just a wee bit off key. Then again, maybe this should not come as any surprise, since he is after all the son of a quarter-billionaire who recently referred to the middle class as "the 80 to 90 percent of us in this country."