Willard is on vacation this week

[jaxx]

Mitt Romney’s summer vacation full of competitive sports and family meetings

By Philip Rucker, Published: June 30

WOLFEBORO, N.H. — This weekend, Mitt Romney is starting his annual summer vacation on his lakefront compound here — a week of fun and family, though not entirely carefree.

The Romneys, 30 in all these days, spend their time away from the stresses of everyday life — like, say, wrapping up the Republican nomination for president — by following a highly orchestrated, highly competitive regimen of sports and games known as the “Romney Olympics.”

<..> How Romney vacations at his $8 million estate on Lake Winnipesaukee — with his time structured around competitive sports, household chores and group activities — offers a rare window into the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s rhythms and proclivities.

<..> The Romneys like to gather here around the Fourth of July, when Wolfeboro has what one resident called a “bang-up parade,” complete with a “lawn chair brigade” that performs routines tossing folding chairs in the air. Mitt Romney and his family plan to march in Wednesday’s parade, likely his only campaign event during his first full week of vacation since last summer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/m...l_cuzheads

There you have it. A regimented vacation for the family. I begrudge no one a vacation, to each his own. I'd go once and then be too busy every year after that. Vacation is to relax, not to be told what to do and where to be.

[Treestar]

I loathe vacations like that! Where everything is organized and you're always running to be on time for this or that - may as well be at work.

I'd especially hate the competitive sports. Many of the Rmoneys might enjoy them, but I hope they don't pressure those who don't like it!

[azmouse]

I wonder if his vacation schedule includes competitive Etch A Sketching?

[SeattleGirl]

(07-01-2012 10:54 AM)azmouse Wrote:  I wonder if his vacation schedule includes competitive Etch A Sketching?

[janedrake]

1) I'm so happy I'm not a Romney

2) I'm so happy my ears will have a week off from having to listen to Romney's non-stop litany of lies.

[KonaKane]

I'm thinking there will be a Car with Dog Strapped To Roof race.

[SeattleGirl]

(07-01-2012 01:09 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  I'm thinking there will be a Car with Dog Strapped To Roof race.

Ba-ZING!

[Brewman_Jax]

He's got time to go on vacation? I thought he had people to bully and fire and jobs to create overseas.

[sandnsea]

Huh? All the money in the world and the best thing they can come up with is ways to humiliate the loser?? Who *are* these people?

[jaxx]

Maybe Willard is going to Israel on part of his vacation to undermine PBO?

Matt Brooks ‏@Mbrooksrjc
I had the pleasure of going w/ @MittRomney to #Israel in '07 on @RJCHQ trip. Glad he's going now to show solidarity. Where's @BarackObama?

[Treestar]

Quote: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.

that doesn't sound like any fun.

[jaxx]

(07-02-2012 04:03 PM)Treestar Wrote:  

Quote: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.

that doesn't sound like any fun.

It sounds like group therapy with Willard being the psychologist. Just like he was when he told that woman to give away her baby or she'd have to leave the church. Reminds me of Charlie Manson....the family was told how to think.

[sandnsea]

(07-02-2012 04:03 PM)Treestar Wrote:  

Quote: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.

that doesn't sound like any fun.

My jaw just hit the floor. I guess teaching the parents how to relax and say "fuck it" wouldn't be accepted as a response to "parenting worries"? lol. I have never heard of such a thing. It's a psychiatrist's dream.

[pappy]

Didn't Willard proclaim that he was unemployed?

Taking time off from being unemployed doesn't compute. Then again that description of his "vacation" sounds more like work than relaxation so.....never mind.

[Born_A_Truman]

Wolfrum
Synchronized Firing. #RomneyOlympics

TrueBlueLiberal
Tax Dodgeball #RomneyOlympics

laughingliberal
#Romneyolympics Corporate Raiding

brucepknight
#RomneyOlympics Cross-Country Lying

zpg410
#RomneyOlympics Speed money laundering

Wolfrum
Post-Mortem Baptizing. #RomneyOlympics

DavidCornDC
Judging the height of trees. #RomneyOlympics

delrayser
Etch-a-Sketch Shakeathon #RomneyOlympics

oats23
Bland-off. #RomneyOlympics

scottRcrawford
Synchronized Skimming #RomneyOlympics

anamariecox
Dog toss. #RomneyOlympics

[Treestar]

(07-03-2012 11:17 AM)Born_A_Truman Wrote:  Wolfrum
Synchronized Firing. #RomneyOlympics

TrueBlueLiberal
Tax Dodgeball #RomneyOlympics

laughingliberal
#Romneyolympics Corporate Raiding

brucepknight
#RomneyOlympics Cross-Country Lying

zpg410
#RomneyOlympics Speed money laundering

Wolfrum
Post-Mortem Baptizing. #RomneyOlympics

DavidCornDC
Judging the height of trees. #RomneyOlympics

delrayser
Etch-a-Sketch Shakeathon #RomneyOlympics

oats23
Bland-off. #RomneyOlympics

scottRcrawford
Synchronized Skimming #RomneyOlympics

anamariecox
Dog toss. #RomneyOlympics

Dog Toss. OMG

[KonaKane]

I heard his dog was driving this time, and made him sit in a carrier strapped to the roof for the entire trip.

[DFW]

I'm leaving for a vacation in New England, too in a couple of days (not to new Hampshire, and not to some $8 million estate).

But I go to where I go for some completely UN-structured time where my wife and I decide what we want to do on the spur of the moment and not before. The only thing I do in advance is plan when I'm going to be on the local community radio station, since the show I do has a set time slot. other than that, it's great food and music at night (or not, as we feel) and the beach during the day while trying not to feed the mosquitoes.

Romney's "vacation" sounds more like a Mormonized version of boot camp. No, thanks.

[MandelaObama]

I recognize that Mitt and his aides are trying to turn this whole vacation story into as much of a puff piece as they can (talking about spending cherished time together as a family, how Mittens relates to his grandchildren and so on). The culture in which I was raised from places a great emphasis on the importance of spending time with immediate (and even extended) family and I guess that's why it initially struck a chord with me. I think it's great they get together once a year as a family and have a week to spend with each other and, if you can afford it, then go for it I guess!

But one of the interesting things is despite all the positive spin Mitt, his family and his advisers try to put on many aspects of his personality and character, it usually ends up revealing aspects that have the opposite effect on other people. And if they put all of this out in the public domain in attempt to create an image, they can expect it to be scrutinized. And the more I think about it, even from their own words, the more pleased I am that I'm not part of this family

(1) Mitt's competitive streak sounds over the top and reeks of insecurity. If you're going to play games at a family vacation, you'd think it would be in a fun spirit and with a mutual respect for other members of your family. But if Mitt's reaction to his daughter-in-law almost winning the race is to huff and puff and then add a whole new range of ridiculous games that will guarantee your own victory, that suggests that you are missing the point of what games with the family should be about.
(2) The color co-ordination for the family shots -to each their own, I guess but this again sounds very controlled and coordinated and takes any fun there would be out of a family photograph
(3) The family nights spent discussing each child's career and parenting skills -this is super creepy. If I were a Romney child, I'd hate having to come to these "vacations" for precisely that reason. Family nights at a family vacation should be for unwinding, relaxing, having fun, singing songs and doing whatever else. Imagine how the wives who married into this family must feel because essentially the whole family is delving into your private life with your husband to some extent. And let me guess -Mitt doesn't allow for any scrutiny of his career choices or parenting skills right?
(4) The whole thing with how Mitt spends time with his grandchildren is really sweet until you sit back and think that, according to the own testimony of his family, he has pushed at least one of the faces of his grandchildren into a bowl of food as his form of a practical joke (like any loving grandfather would, naturally). And the sons also say that they do this to their children as well. It kind of takes the gloss of it slightly
(5) This thing about Mitt telling his son that "no, you will come to the family vacation" -well I guess if you're a rich, privileged kid with a dynasty name, you can get away with anything but any other person could well lose their job if they insisted on absconding from work for a week's vacation in normal circumstances. I guess Mitt must have either have known that his son's bosses wouldn't dare say no or he must have figured that at least his son could fall back on family money if he got fired.

I'd rather be an Obama kid than a Romney kid, I think. It looks like vacations would be a lot less stressful and a lot more fun

[SeattleGirl]

(07-04-2012 12:58 AM)MandelaObama Wrote:  I'd rather be an Obama kid than a Romney kid, I think. It looks like vacations would be a lot less stressful and a lot more fun

Same here! I love getting together with my family. but I'm not into the whole regimented thing. And that's not a knock on Mormonism. That's just me saying, don't try to box me into a certain corner 'cause I'nna fiight you tooth and nail about that shit