Did Mitt Romney's Dad Come from a Polygamist...

The newest attack on Mitt Romney originates from Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who made a comment in an interview with the Daily Beast, asserting that Romney's father was "born on a polygamy commune in Mexico." The story, of course, was eagerly picked up by the mainstream media and the blogosphere is abuzz.

Brian Schweitzer at the Big Tent 1 by Left in Alabama

Sadly, while the media is NOT discussing the economy, foreign policy, the price of gas, the murdering of journalists and Christians throughout the world, etc., they are bashing Romney's grandparents.

Schweitzer hinted that due to his family's past with polygamy, Romney will have difficulty obtaining the women's vote. "86 percent [of women] were not great fans of polygamy. I am not alleging by any stretch that Romney is a polygamist and approves of [the] polygamy lifestyle, but his father was born into [a] polygamy commune in Mexico," he stated in the original Daily Beast article. What an absurd notion, that women would not vote for Romney, due to the actions of his grandparents!

Does it matter if Mitt Romney's dad was born on a polygamy commune? Nope. Would anyone want to be held accountable for the actions of their grandparents? Nope. Mitt Romney's father was born in 1907, over a century ago.

This outrageous attack is uncalled for and despicable. Harry Reid is a Mormon, too, but his faith does not seem to be a target in the mainstream media.

Comments: 11

Jeff H. Apr 20, 2012, 7:32pm UTC

Does it matter that Obama's dad was one of the biggest dead beats, leaving children all over the globe, and that there is polygamy in his family as well?

Renee Nal Apr 20, 2012, 7:48pm UTC

"Later he converted to Islam, taking four wives. Obama's father, who apparently converted to Catholicism while attending a Roman Catholic school, was also polygamous in keeping with local custom, taking an informal Kenyan wife who preceded Obama's mother but remained a consort, according to accounts by local people and the senator himself." -New York Times

and

"Frankly, I worry that enemies of Obama will seize upon details like his grandfather's Islamic faith or his father's polygamy to portray him as an alien or a threat to American values. But snobbishness and paranoia ill-become a nation of immigrants, where one of our truest values is to judge people by their own merits, not their pedigrees."

another story:

"the father, who, it turned out, already had one family in Africa, left for Harvard and never came back. "I consider myself a serial polygamist," Obama Sr. once told a friend. "That is, one wife at a time." By most accounts Senior had eight children with four women." -The Daily Beast

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Lisa Westerfield Apr 20, 2012, 8:00pm UTC

Until I read your scribblings on this issue, I had never heard of anything about Romney's grandfather. It seems to me that you are making more of an issue than anyone else.

Jeff H. Apr 20, 2012, 8:15pm UTC

She was reporting on the fact that an Obama operative tried to use Mormonism and family members from a century ago as a thinly veiled attack against Romney but of course, as all of Obama's wars against those he disagrees with, it back fired.

If you watched news agencies that reported on anything other than 'George Zimmerman needs to be executed' you would have seen that Romney was asked about the attack and forced to respond to it. Pull your head out of your ass.

Renee Nal Apr 20, 2012, 8:27pm UTC

"I had never heard of anything about Romney's grandfather."

ABC News, CBS News, Washington Post, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Hill. Perhaps you should read the news a bit more.

Lisa Westerfield Apr 20, 2012, 9:27pm UTC

Jeff, are you sure he wasn't a Santorium operative?

Renee, I wouldn't read a silly bit like this unless it was "related post on Gather" attached to my article. I honestly didn't care and would not have paid much attention to the issue despite reading The Washington Post. It is the fact that you drew attention to it that caught my eye. Then again I getting the idea that you troll for these sort of non-issues.

Please don't bother replying, I now remember one of your past articles and I don't have the time.

Jeff H. Apr 20, 2012, 10:17pm UTC

""Jeff, are you sure he wasn't a Santorium operative? ""

Of course he was. Obama operative, santorium operative... What's the difference? That's why I politely asked you to pull your head out of your ass.

Renee Nal Apr 20, 2012, 10:21pm UTC

"It seems to me that you are making more of an issue than anyone else." I am not quite sure why you are being hostile, Lisa, but you are certainly entitled to your opinion. I was pointing out that in this case, I was not the only one discussing this. From my title, I think you can see that I agree that it is much ado about nothing.

"Then again I getting the idea that you troll for these sort of non-issues." Any in particular?

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Wayne Dequer Apr 21, 2012, 12:07am UTC

Gov. Romney does have Mormon polygamist ancestors. Pres. Obama has East African polygamist ancestors a bit more recent than Romney's. Neither Obama nor Romney are polygamists nor do they advocate polygamy. Both seem to have wonderful families. Can we move on to more pertinent topics?

Does Gov. Schweitzer approve of attacks Pres. Obama's Muslim roots? Let's focus on the candidates life-experiences and policies.

Renee Nal Apr 21, 2012, 12:14am UTC

"Does Gov. Schweitzer approve of attacks Pres. Obama's Muslim roots? Let's focus on the candidates life-experiences and policies." Well stated, Wayne and I could not agree more.

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Scott Flicker Apr 23, 2012, 5:14pm UTC

If Romney's dad was born in Mexico how is it that he ran for president back in 1960s? Perhaps all these stories are bogus. Does anybody have a copy of his birth certificate to prove he was born in Mexico?

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Did Mitt Romney's Dad Come from a Polygamist Commune? Who Cares?

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