The Romneys Have Struggled

[Jamie B]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=160832024&ft=1&f=

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ann Romney says while she and her husband have never had financial woes, they do know what it's like to struggle.
The wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney says her battle with multiple sclerosis has been at times a cruel teacher.

Well, this makes me feel so much better.

If they have not worried about money, they have not struggled like the rest of us.

They are not like the rest of us at all.

[Ron]

Whether a politician is like me or not is of no concern to me.

Whether a politician pursues policies that increase liberty and economic prosperity are what concern me.

The rest is a bunch of class/racial/religious rhetoric that distracts from the real issues.

[French G.]

Who cares?

You want to get really down in the weeds, life is a struggle and we all lose finally. Most politicians might shy from such cheerful talk.

I don't want a politician that is just like me. I'd be a horrible president. My foreign policy would be loved by all though. All the survivors that is.

[Stetson]

I don't want a President that's been what I've been through. 

I don't care if they've been poor or rich, just DON'T LIE to me about it.
I don't care what kind of care the candidate drove, just DON'T LIE to me about it.
I do care if you made your riches legally, but I don't care if you had to lay off people to do so, just DON'T LIE  to me about it.

Are you seeing a pattern here? 

I want someone who is, at least, smart enough to surround themselves with experts in foreign relations, energy, finance, etc who are trusted and respected in their fields to advise.

I want someone who is not going to spend a majority of their time trying to take away my freedoms/rights/money/time.  If the president gets vacations, I should be able to, in theory, take a vacation too.  If I can't because I am paying too much out in taxes/fees/fines, there is a problem.

[Jamisjockey]

Whether a politician is like me or not is of no concern to me.

Whether a politician pursues policies that increase liberty and economic prosperity are what concern me.

The rest is a bunch of class/racial/religious rhetoric that distracts from the real issues.

All that and a bag of chips.

[TommyGunn]

Whether a politician is like me or not is of no concern to me.

Whether a politician pursues policies that increase liberty and economic prosperity are what concern me.

The rest is a bunch of class/racial/religious rhetoric that distracts from the real issues.

+1!

[MicroBalrog]

Whether a politician is like me or not is of no concern to me.

Whether a politician pursues policies that increase liberty and economic prosperity are what concern me.

The rest is a bunch of class/racial/religious rhetoric that distracts from the real issues.

This. The fact someone has 'not struggled' neither makes them a worse nor a better person.

[Waitone]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ann Romney says while she and her husband have never had financial woes, they do know what it's like to struggle.
The wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney says her battle with multiple sclerosis has been at times a cruel teacher.

Ms. Romney, with all due respect. you'd be well-advised to dispense with patronizing bovine skat.  A lot of us have had critical financial woes AND suffered immediate life-threatening medical conditions for which payment could not be paid because of serious financial woes.  Your time will be best spent convincing your husband to implement policies which get off my freakin' airhose so I can afford my own health insurance.  I don't want your platitudes or your protestations that you are just like me.  You aren't.  I want you, your husband, and his government off my airhose so I can live my life in a manner suitable to me.  Is there anything I just said that you do not understand??

[MicroBalrog]

Sadly many - many even among us - confuse patronising with 'caring'.

[lee n. field]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=160832024&ft=1&f=

Well, this makes me feel so much better.

If they have not worried about money, they have not struggled like the rest of us.

They are not like the rest of us at all.

I didn't really think they were.  None of that class is.

[Jamie B]

I don't want a President that's been what I've been through. 

I don't care if they've been poor or rich, just DON'T LIE to me about it.
I don't care what kind of care the candidate drove, just DON'T LIE to me about it.
I do care if you made your riches legally, but I don't care if you had to lay off people to do so, just DON'T LIE  to me about it.

This is exactly my point!
She is stretching to show that they are the same.
I know that they are not.

[grampster]

When in modern times have we had a president that had any connection to ordinary everyday Americans?

[zxcvbob]

When in modern times have we had a president that had any connection to ordinary everyday Americans?

That's a good question...  Jimmy Carter, maybe?  And he totally sucked as a president.  (Made a pretty good ex-president for a while.)

[Monkeyleg]

Why should we or why would we want a president who's like ordinary Americans? Don't we want someone who's more driven, who's been more successful at his endeavors than others? It's an executive position with even more of the sorts of demands put upon CEO's of major corporations (who don't have to order people to be killed, either). It's not a job for Joe Six Pack.

[Perd Hapley]

Why should we or why would we want a president who's like ordinary Americans? Don't we want someone who's more driven, who's been more successful at his endeavors than others? It's an executive position with even more of the sorts of demands put upon CEO's of major corporations (who don't have to order people to be killed, either). It's not a job for Joe Six Pack.

True, but people can also come from less-privileged backgrounds and exhibit those qualities.

it's just human nature to want your leaders to understand your situation, and if they've been there themselves, that helps. It's not a deal-breaker for me, but it's understandable that people might consider it.

[MicroBalrog]

The most important decisions of leaderships are not 'expert decisions', but moral decisions.

That is to say: I would like to have a leader that shares my moral values, my views on the issues, etc. Some people believe that a leader that shares your class background is more likely to share those views, but let us not confuse cause and effect.

[White Horseradish]

This is suddenly reminding me of John Kerry talking up his hunting experience...

[dm1333]

The woman has had both MS and breast cancer.   Why not lighten up on the woman just a bit?  Being rich doesn't mean everything is suddenly easy or painless in your life.

[RoadKingLarry]

Anyone not successful in their life want to tell me who they blame for their failures? Did some rich guy take your opportunity away? What's stopping you from  being the next Bill Gates? Some of you are starting to sound like a bunch of OWS types

I'm fully aware the 99%+ of where I'm at in life is a direct result of the choices I've made, what I've done or failed to do or how I reacted to the various crap sammiches "life" has handed to me.

The wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney says her battle with multiple sclerosis has been at times a cruel teacher.

I don't see anything condescending in that statement. I've watch my dad struggle with MS for more than 25 years. I know what it can do to a person, I've seen it up close and personal.

[roo_ster]

Life's tough all over.  Thinking it isn't means you don't have much of an imagination.

[SADShooter]

Life's tough all over.  Thinking it isn't means you don't have much of an imagination.

But, but, but...having money than you can spend fixes everything! Right?

[roo_ster]

But, but, but...having money than you can spend fixes everything! Right?

Andrew Carnegie could not be reached for a comment to this post.

[longeyes]

We elect them to do what we need done, the practical social and economic stuff, not to share our pain or be "bigger" exemplars of ourselves.  America is not (I hope beyond hope) reality tv, it is a nation.  All of this is part of the romantic take-over of what was once a strong country and culture.

[Tallpine]

Anyone not successful in their life want to tell me who they blame for their failures?

All I can say is that people will pay much more for stuff they want but don't really need, as opposed to stuff they really need.   

I didn't realize that at first 

[longeyes]

If you are saying much of the "economy" is based on fantasy and the buying and re-buying of **** we don't need, you are right.

Check out any shopping mall.  You will see (mostly) women trolling with shopping bags for...well, ask the marketing and advertising people who adrenalize our desires, and they will tell you.  Too much of what we call our "economy" is nothing but an OCD syndrome.

Restless women and men who love them way too much.