Okay, I admit I’m not for Mitt Romney: he reminds me too much of Robert Morse in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” But I kinda liked his father when, for a moment, back before most bloggers were born, it looked like he might become the non-Goldwater—that is to say, back before he destroyed himself in a radio interview with an ill-chosen word.
But I have to say I don’t share the current outrage over discussions of the Romney family history—outrage not just from the usual suspects but from people who ought to know better. It’s not exactly breaking news that Romney is a Mormon. And I share the general amusement at Kate O’Beirne’s quip that he may be the only GOP candidate with only one wife. But that’s the point: we are all products of our history, and history is irony. It’s a fascinating story, Mormonism, and knowing how Mormons became what they are is just as much a part of the story as the story of what they are today. And it’s not as if the family has been hiding anything; there is a Pratt Family Society, with a website, where you can find a list of Parley Pratt’s twelve wives (one of them is named Hanahette Snively, which is just too cool for words).
It’s a great story, and should not be off limits. But I’m still leaning to Chuck Hagel: I’ve got to feel good about the only candidate who doesn’t smile.
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