Mitt Romney's car trip with the family dog.

Message

Bob Juch · #1 Post by **Bob Juch** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:20 pm

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney transported a dog atop his car.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/dog.asp

Guess he saw National Lampoon's Family Vacation and got confused.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #2 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:22 pm

Bob Juch wrote:Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney transported a dog atop his car.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/dog.asp

Guess he saw National Lampoon's Family Vacation and got confused.

What an ass.

I wonder how he would feel to be locked up in a tiny cage and put on top of his car for a long trip.

I wouldn't hose the fucker off if he crapped all over himself.

ne1410s · #3 Post by **ne1410s** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:30 am

I wouldn't hose the fucker off if he crapped all over himself.

I wouldn't piss on him if his heart was on fire.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #4 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:55 am

ne1410s wrote:
I wouldn't hose the fucker off if he crapped all over himself.
I wouldn't piss on him if his heart was on fire.

He doesn't have a heart.

VAdame · #5 Post by **VAdame** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:55 am

Guess he saw National Lampoon's Family Vacation and got confused.

Nope -- Eddie Murphy's Dr. Doolittle!

Beebs52 · #6 Post by **Beebs52** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:55 am

! I have no words.

ghostjmf · #7 Post by **ghostjmf** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:11 pm

I can't believe you all are just learning this story.

We in Mass have known it forever. I believe we knew it before the Republicans Amongst Us (Heeeeeeelp! They're everywhere!) elected him Gov. I believe it was originally told as a story to "humanize" him. Ha.

The dog did not fly off the roof & become one with the traffic (or at least that's my understanding), so it was considered to be a homely family epic story at the time it was told.

Y'know, since Romney's dad was in the car business before he was in the Gov business himself, you'd think Romney (& all his personal millions!) could have just swung himself a "big enough for pooch too" car.

silvercamaro · #8 Post by **silvercamaro** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:34 pm

This happened in 1983.

I'm not a fan of Romney, nor could I imagine putting a dog on top of a car under any circumstances, but I consider it more "stupidity" than "intentional cruelty."

We all did stupid things in 1983, with the possible exception of the not-as-yet-born among us, and I'm not sure about them.

ne1410s · #9 Post by **ne1410s** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:37 pm

We all did stupid things in 1983,

Tell it, sister.

mrkelley23 · #10 Post by **mrkelley23** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:01 pm

My stupidity was inclusive of, but most definitely not limited to, 1983.

To me, the part of the story that's most telling is not the supposed cruelty to the dog (which we would have been far more forgiving of in 1983, let's face it) but the "we're going, and we're not stopping anywhere until I say so, at these pre-planned locations" approach to family trips. If he's that much of a control freak with his family (even in 1983) I'm not sure I want him in the White House.

BackInTex · #11 Post by **BackInTex** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:11 pm

silvercamaro wrote: We all did stupid things in 1983,

I did three stupid things in 1983.

1) Proposed to her.

2) Gave her the ring back after she threw it at me in a heated argument about midway from engagement to wedding.

3) Said "I do".

It all self corrected about a year later. But I didn't put no dog on top of my car!

tanstaafl2 · #12 Post by **tanstaafl2** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:02 pm

I guess I am a cold hearted bastard, not that I care much one way or the other if people think that, but I can't see what possible relevance this has to anything.

Not sure how else he was supposed to transport his family in 1983 short of a renting or buying a full size van or a trailer for the trip. It was a station wagon after all, not a frickin' Pinto. In 1983 the minivan and the SUV didn't really exist yet. An adult Irish Setter if that is what it was, is a pretty large dog, not to mention pretty dopey if it was anything like most Irish Setters I have known (most of them have had their common sense bred completely out of them and purebreds may be one of the dumbest dog breeds I know of. So much for the days of "Big Red".). And fer crissakes he had a wife, five kids and luggage to transport. He is Mormon after all! Even if he did put the luggage on the roof and the dog in the back I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to drive twelve hours with the dog and the kids all in the car.

From the story on Snopes it sounds as though he had built a windshield for the cage as well. Wasn't like he wasn't trying to consider the animals well being.

And I know when I travel I try to arrange pre determined bathroom breaks as well. Might not be very practical with five young kids but hey, its worth a try! I seem to remember hearing something similar to that from my own father on long trips in my youth.

If you don't like Romney that is fine. Not sure I am particularly enamored with him either. Although I am not sure having a few qualities consistent with being a control freak is such a bad thing for a president either.

But this seems like a pretty silly incident to base your judgement of him on to me.

Not that there is anything unusual about that in an election year...

T_Bone0806 · #13 Post by **T_Bone0806** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:50 pm

silvercamaro wrote: We all did stupid things in 1983, with the possible exception of the not-as-yet-born among us, and I'm not sure about them.

Amen to that. I married my first wife in 1983.

T_Bone0806 · #14 Post by **T_Bone0806** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:51 pm

Of course, without that first marriage I wouldn't have my son, so it wasn't a total fiasco.

tlynn78 · #15 Post by **tlynn78** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:51 pm

I don't think I did anything stupid in 1983. Of course, the fact that I was living in a foriegn country at the time lessens the possibility that any of you could have heard otherwise....

t.

Beebs52 · #16 Post by **Beebs52** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:50 pm

Hmmm. I was pregnant in 1983 with #1. I was the observer of stupid shit. Oh. You mean before I got pregnant. Well then.

Perhaps it's true that his instance shouldn't be a defining moment for someone, but just as an incident it's pretty stupid. Why would anybody attempt a trip with all that baggage, human, animal and Samsonite-anyway? I mean. We had a cat that year and took him on the plane with us when we transferred.

Road trips are evil. Nobody should do that shit, regardless. It's too Great Santini-ish.

#17 Post by **littlebeast13** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:57 pm

I'm sure I did a lot of stupid stuff in 1983, but then again, I was only 8 years old....

lb13

wbtravis007 · #18 Post by **wbtravis007** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:00 pm

I still consider him to be the odds-on favorite for the nomination. So, since I'd prefer any of the three viable Dems over him, I'm happy to see the reaction that a lot of y'all have to this story.

We used to ride in the backs of pickups on the highway, singing songs in the wind. And there were plenty of times when we had dogs back there with us.

I still see quite a few dogs in the beds of trucks. Most of them seem to like it. They're eager to jump up in, knowing what's coming.

When people used to ride with the windows down, a lot of dogs would fight to put their heads outside.

I've known of a lot of dogs who seemed to love to have the top put down in a convertible.

If a dog shits when it's in a pen, you wash the dog off and hose down the rest of the shit. If they really did power-spray the dog, as punishment, like they were "de-lousing" a prisoner or something, then I can see being pissed. I really doubt that that happened, though.

Anyway, I really do hope that a lot more people get upset about this.

Beebs52 · #19 Post by **Beebs52** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:14 pm

wbtravis007 wrote:I still consider him to be the odds-on favorite for the nomination. So, since I'd prefer any of the three viable Dems over him, I'm happy to see the reaction that a lot of y'all have to this story.

We used to ride in the backs of pickups on the highway, singing songs in the wind. And there were plenty of times when we had dogs back there with us.

I still see quite a few dogs in the beds of trucks. Most of them seem to like it. They're eager to jump up in, knowing what's coming.

When people used to ride with the windows down, a lot of dogs would fight to put their heads outside.

I've known of a lot of dogs who seemed to love to have the top put down in a convertible.

If a dog shits when it's in a pen, you wash the dog off and hose down the rest of the shit. If they really did power-spray the dog, as punishment, like they were "de-lousing" a prisoner or something, then I can see being pissed. I really doubt that that happened, though.

Anyway, I really do hope that a lot more people get upset about this.

Snort. Flapping one's doggie ears out the window or in the back of a pickup is quite different from being perched on top of the Buick. Also, who puts their dog in a pen? Oh, I know, hunting dogs and such. Was that Irish Setter a hunting dog?

You still may be right about the outcome, though.
There is going to be so little acrimony in most discussions this time around. Seriously. May be a good thing. The apocalypse is upon us dude.

wbtravis007 · #20 Post by **wbtravis007** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:31 pm

Beebs52 wrote:
wbtravis007 wrote:I still consider him to be the odds-on favorite for the nomination. So, since I'd prefer any of the three viable Dems over him, I'm happy to see the reaction that a lot of y'all have to this story.

We used to ride in the backs of pickups on the highway, singing songs in the wind. And there were plenty of times when we had dogs back there with us.

I still see quite a few dogs in the beds of trucks. Most of them seem to like it. They're eager to jump up in, knowing what's coming.

When people used to ride with the windows down, a lot of dogs would fight to put their heads outside.

I've known of a lot of dogs who seemed to love to have the top put down in a convertible.

If a dog shits when it's in a pen, you wash the dog off and hose down the rest of the shit. If they really did power-spray the dog, as punishment, like they were "de-lousing" a prisoner or something, then I can see being pissed. I really doubt that that happened, though.

Anyway, I really do hope that a lot more people get upset about this.
Snort. Flapping one's doggie ears out the window or in the back of a pickup is quite different from being perched on top of the Buick. Also, who puts their dog in a pen? Oh, I know, hunting dogs and such. Was that Irish Setter a hunting dog?

You still may be right about the outcome, though.
There is going to be so little acrimony in most discussions this time around. Seriously. May be a good thing. The apocalypse is upon us dude.

The article said that he built a windshield-type thing.

Yeah, bird-dogs (and others) are put in pens sometimes -- (maybe "pens" is the wrong word here) -- to make sure that they don't jump out of a truck or just to keep them stationary in a vehicle. Or in airplanes.

Or on the tops of cars (with windshield intact) of people that we're pulling for right now.

Anyway, I have to conclude that y'all wouldn't have been the best when it would have come to being in a covered-wagon train or on a cattle drive or stuff like that, considering y'all's sensitivities about animals being outside and what not.

Who are you for, Beebs?

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #21 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:52 pm

wbtravis007 wrote: Anyway, I have to conclude that y'all wouldn't have been the best when it would have come to being in a covered-wagon train or on a cattle drive or stuff like that, considering y'all's sensitivities about animals being outside and what not.

A dog perched in a covered wagon going 10 to 15 miles an hour is a lot different situation than a dog in a cage on top of a car that is probably going at least 50 miles an hour.

I drove from Connecticut to Arizona with Sebastian, my cat. He had a litter box, food and water in the car. If he was distressed, I could pull over and see what was wrong with him. He was inside my car, where the climate was comfortable, and I could make sure that he was handling the trip well.

I think that how people treat their pets says a lot about their character.

wbtravis007 · #22 Post by **wbtravis007** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:22 am

PSM wrote:

I think that how people treat their pets says a lot about their character.

I agree.

I'm reminded of what Bixby (I think) posted here one time, which I had seen before, too. Something like: "If your date is not nice to your waiter (or waitress), he (or she) won't be nice to you.

I'm just visualizing a more comfortable set-up for the dog than most of you are, I guess.

WWTBAM Bored

Mitt Romney's car trip with the family dog.

Mitt Romney's car trip with the family dog.

Re: Mitt Romney's car trip with the family dog.