By NBC's Peter Alexander and Ronnie Polidoro
Rock Center
The Romney brothers could soon become America’s first sons. Ranging in age from 31 to 42, their names are Craig, Ben, Josh, Matt, and Tagg – but you may have seen them spoofed on Saturday Night Live as Taggart, Tanner, Tigit, Targalac, and Tic-Tac. Which one of them is the biggest mama’s boy? NBC’s Peter Alexander found out during an interview for an upcoming Rock Center story airing Thursday, July 19 at 10pm/9c.
Just like any group of brothers, they like to pick on each other, even during their first sit-down interview of the 2012 campaign. They say Josh, the middle son, is the mama’s boy.
“Thanks guys. Let’s take it easy here,” replied Josh, one of three Romney sons who works in real estate. Another son is a doctor. The eldest runs a private equity firm like their father once did.
They are all married and have a combined total of 18 children. If Romney wins, he’ll have more grandkids than any sitting president in U.S. history.
The Romney sons grew up in Belmont, Mass., an affluent suburb outside of Boston. All of the brothers attended the same private school and later the same college, Brigham Young University. Three of them went on and received their MBA’s from Harvard, just like their father.
The boys were raised in a Mormon household where Saturdays were devoted to service. And all five followed their father’s footsteps by going overseas on two-year missions to spread their Mormon beliefs.
They are campaign veterans, on the trail stumping for their father since he first ran for Senate 18 years ago. But when it came to Romney’s second run for the White House, four of his five boys didn’t want him to run.
“I didn’t want him to run again. I really didn’t,” Matt said, “I thought you know, you gave it your best shot in 2008, you felt like you had to do it, you had to go and give back to the country and you tried, and they didn’t take you, so let’s move on.”
Matt and the others eventually came around. And again the Romney 5 have joined in Mitt Romney’s march to the White House.
Along the way, they have heard about how their father has struggled at times to connect with the public. The campaign hopes the sons can help explain some of their father’s more idiosyncratic moments, for example, when Romney told an audience, “It just feels good being back in Michigan. You know, the trees are the right height.”
“He’s a little goofy,” said Tagg, “That’s part of his charm, I think.”
But the biggest criticism is that the wealthy Romney family can’t understand the economic challenges facing the average American family. The sons insist their family and their father are not out of touch.
“We've obviously been very blessed,” Craig said, “And because of that we feel a responsibility to make sure we can do everything we can to make this country as great as it can be.”
They say they are not put off by the accusations, even within the Republican Party, that their father is aloof and a flip-flopper.
“His true identity will come out and we know what a great father he is, we know how much he loves the country, we know how much he loves our kids,” Matt said, “It’s not ambition that’s driving him. It is really a desire to give back. and this is how he thinks he can give back. And we agree.”
Editor’s Note: NBC’s Peter Alexander’s full report ‘The Romney 5’ will air Thursday, July 19 at 10pm/9c on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams.
Leave a Comment:
tony-605003
just comes down to do you want a bozo who screws everything up or do you want somebody who can actually help this country and turn things around.
YOUR RIGHT TONY!!! i DON'T WANT A bozo and I do want somebody who not only can but IS actually helping ALREADY!! Even thought He HAS to finish cleaning up another republicans mess (Bush)! That's why people with any sense are voting:
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!
SOWWY MITTENS BUT LYING, CHEATING, AND HIDDING TAX HAVEN BANK ACCOUNTS JUST DOESN'T DO IT NO MATTER HOW ABOVE THE REST OF US YOU THINK YOU ARE!
lol HOW TRUE LOREN!!! HOW ABSOLUTLY TRUE!!
We have had our token for 3.5 yrs..... have you not suffered enough? Or you must be black, or dont work.
Romney wants to lead us, when during ten years that our Nation has been at war, he couldn't/wouldn't lead any of his five sons to an Armed Forces Recruiting Center......?
They can all go pound sand!!!
Old Squid I was going to make that same comment. I am still waiting for Mitt's response.
you librals are the most hate filled groupe of people i have ever seen. GROW THE F UCK UP!
And where did you serve, Josh? Still in the Military?? If not, why not???
I don't see 'Jack-Shidt' on your Bio.......
The "f" word via facebook. Shame on you.
I served with the 1st Cav in Viet Nam and i hate obama with a passion because i dont like people that hate this country and are trying to destroy it
And.......Josh, you would have us believe that conservatives are peaceful, patient, caring, benevolent, ever-truthful, selfless individuals who could not possibly, to the absolute detriment of the American society, shamelessly and with malice publicly announce that their ONLY goal is to make certain that Obama will be a "one term President" Liberals are"hate filled"..REALLY?? Rubber & glue, jerk, look in the goddamned mirror & follow your own misanthropic advice! Have a nice day & remember to vote in November!
get a job, then vote republican
I have a job and i will vote for the BEST PRESIDENT WE HAVE HAD SINCE BUSH!!! BUSH was horrible and left us in the worst recession ever! So would old woody be.... cut taxes on his rich friends and corporations, and keep bleeding the middle class and poor dry.... timessfun..... you need to get a life!
Obama/Biden 2012!!! For sure.... old wooden Rompey is cutting his own throat and I love it!
ha ha..... welfare rats..... libs.... bunch of marxists...... the rich are paying all the taxes now and what we should do is tax the @!$%# out of the 50% that dont pay a dime and take away the welfare and food stamps from all the welfare rats out there that never have worked a day in their life.
Romney & David Duke 2012
Go get them rats baby!! Cure the plague that has sickened this country
One of them isnt his real sun. He looks very different form everybody else.
REally? That's your comment?
The blond son takes after his Mom. Have you seen his Mom being interviewed with Mr. Romney.
ha ha
Yeah I noticed a little goofyness there...but what charm?
I guess we don't need charm if it's anything like the so-called "charm" you socialist democrats see in barack hussein obama.
It doesn't look like it now, but Romney will win in a landslide and I will be glad. I will think of you and all who think incorrectly like you, and I will gloat .... and I will hold a "Good Bye barack hussein obama Party" at the park. There probably won't be room for everybody though, so I might have to schedule an ARENA to hold all the PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO ATTEND THE PARTY!!!! :-) HA HA HA HAAA! I can't wait. I really really can't wait.
The only landslide ole woody Rompey will see is the landslide of his millions! No way this liar is going to make it to the WH. He makes sure of that every time he opens his mouth and only trash talk of Obama comes out. LOL Why won't he show his taxes like Obama did? We all know why....he's a dirty, sneaky, underhanded 1%er that has shady dealings! One thing he doesn't realize, or then again he might have have a brain to realize that the media is digging and will not give up until all his BS comes to light. So you should hold back on the excitement of this idiot Rompey ever making into the office of the President of the U.S. Obama has got that sewn up for 2012 and funny thing is, Old woody will be helping be re-elected. Pricesless!
Wow 5 sons and not one had the guts to volunteer for military service ,oh yeah right that is for regular American sons to do, you know the 99%
It would be much better to start the draft again and get these porch monkeys off the street and out to war, instead of shooting up their own people
If you had served in the military yourself, your comment might have some umph. but it falls flat, like you and your socialist "99%" arguments.
Flat..
Splat.
you dont even know if they would go to war or not. you pussies dont have room to talk i bet all you libs have never served in anything. so shut the f uck up!
Can you imagine what might have happened if the Pope's boy Rick the Dick Sanitarium became president, or even V.P. under lyin Willardo, the tax evader, of the right wing radical cracked teanuts, the gay, rapist, pedophile catholic priests and the braindead evangelical Children of the Corn zombies. Men will no longer have to purchase condoms, as they will no longer be allowed in this country. All mens sperm must be used to create babies. Cameras will be in every bedroom. Catholic priests don't have to worry however, because, according to the testimony of former raped little boys, they don't use them.
I think Sanitarium is in desperate need of a vaginal ultrasound to find out what happed to his brains.
The Pope's first order to his boy would be to release all catholic rapist pediophile priests from prison as the Pope is running out of people to continue the process of shearing his sheep. He is running out of collection pot fillers. After all, he needs the money to fight off all of the lawsuits against the church worldwide.
His second order to RickyDickyDo would be to move the White House to Vatican City.
Have you been sleeping for the last 3.5 yrs of total disfunction?
if obama had sons i could say the same thing about them, but he doesnt have sons know why? because it takes a man to make a man and romney has five lol.
Only a pathetic, braindead repuke dunce can back lyin Willardo, The Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader and draft dodger. But then again, so do the centrists of the repuke dunce party-the abortion clinic bombers, abortion doctor killers, federal building bombers, and your favorites, the radical right wing southern anthrax spreaders-the true men of the repuke dunce party, led by Willardo the GOOF.
"if obama had sons i could say the same thing about them."
But he hasn't so you can't.
life? i dont even know how to respond to that. sounds like youve been hanging out with that occupy crowd. your a waste of life.
obozo only had one son, Trayvon marting the gangbanger thug
A man have x and y chromesomes and females have 2 x chromesomes. The gender of a human being is based on probability, and not who is more of a man than another.
The above illustrates that the male determines the sex of a child. An XY you get a male child and a XX you get a female child.
Lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter, Etch A Sketch Champion, job outsourcer and draft dodger may be the worst repuke dunce of all. This guy has yet to provide his tax returns for the last 5 years. It should show how much he has evaded in taxes and how much unreported income he has stashed away in Cayman Island and Swiss bank accounts. He is your typical right wing thief.
There have been many rumors going around that little lyin Willardo was seen in a baby carriage in Tijuana. with a bottle of Corona Light in one hand and an Etch A Sketch in the other. The side of his carriage had the name "Little Lyin Willardo" on it. So when we see the long form of his birth certificate and it says Willardo on it and not Willard, we will know something is wrong.
Isn't it funny, that his new buddy Fox Top Trump never asked lyin Willardo for a copy of it?
What a joke. Less and less of the stupid right wing nuts come out to back lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader and bankrupter and they rave about it. As most people know, the evangelicals consider the mormons an evil anti-christ cult. The mormons have been converting dead jewish people, without their knowledge to become mormons to enhance their religion. They baptise them when they are dead. These sick aholes were caught when they tried to convert Anne Frank to be a mormon. The Church of the Latter Day Saints has now ordered these mormon priests to cease this immediately.
These repuke dunces best bet is to bring back Herman (9Kampf) Cain, the dress slitherer. He can draft Jerry Sandusky for V.P. Who cares what they have done in the past, they are against abortion, that is all that counts.
CAIN/SANDUSKY 2012. The true repuke family values candidates.
President Goofy, Vice President Mickey Mouse and Secretary of State Donald Duck.
All campaigned against each other in tough, bitter primary campaign vying for the number one spot. In the end they united and formed an unbeatable ticket for the general election.
I think it could be wild to see Mr. Romney work with the CIA, ASA, DOD and the Military Industrial Complex from the innocence of a Conscientious Objector. It might just be the laughs this country needs. Amazing five sons and no military service between them and they could all be transported around by military pilots.
Romney has showed more leadership in business alone than obama has the last three years. they spend their whole campaign on trashing a mans reputation. if obama was a good leader he would be running on his record of success but you all know he cant do that.
Josh
Get lost.
What an idiot. It is obvious that you listen to Fox Lies with David Asswipes, Eric Bowlegs and the Sludge. Even Miss Piggy has more brains than you, she knows that Faux News is only a pretend news channel and only a poor excuse for a comedy channel.
We have had 28 straight months of employment gains. Why go back to the policies of Bush Bin Lyin and his criminal gang- led by President Cheney, which almost destroyed our country
let me guess msnbc? they dont even show the news. if it deosnt help obama in any way they wont show it. msnbc the most bias news channel ever.
What are obama accomplishments that have resulted in this country in total decline.......... well.......
1. Community agitator
2. Communist Father
3. Communist Mother
4 Communist Grandparents
Raised as a Muslim in Kenya, and Indonesia.... tutored by Marxists and communists, friends with terrorists and communists
And you people question Romney??? At least he is an American and worked for a living..... The Marxist never had a job
Check your facts, check your facts. When you don't check your facts you appear to be unintelligent. No one want to appear unintelligent. So therefore, check your fact.
Start be telling me something i said that was untrue...
Romney Girl? the view from "America Street"
goofy ahh ... for a comic strip. Stick with that. And by the way bring back the millions your hiding in Luxenbourg, Switerland to avoid paying taxes.
Just what I need. These little silver-spoon brats trying to convince me their elitist father is just like me.
Willard Mittens, you are NOTHING like me.
Hey Josh what about you have you served, well guess what yes I'am a Democrat who proudly served 4 years honorably in the US Army so you shut the whatever up. Idiot right wing moron
I have black people for good friends.... What we have in the office right now is one big muslim marxist ni$$er. He is the worst of the worst right along with his America hating wife.... I hope this country wakes up soon and gets rid of this black plague.
well, there's 5 guys not out looking for a job this summer.
Public servants are squealing like pigs thinking if Romney wins the election they will actually have to work for what they get. Elect obama and see how your pension plans and savings go up in smoke.
There are SOOOO many losers on this thread. Comments like, "Does the United States need a president with goofy charm?"
No. But we certainly need to rid the White House of mr. obama and his "notion" (his favorite word) of ever having an absurd impossible socialist utopia in America.
Count the days all you socialist democrats. Less than four months till my Good Bye obama Block Party!
ART why do you have to serve if your father is running for president. what does that have to do with anything. but i can tell you this if their were a draft i wouldnt dodge and im sure his sons wouldnt neither. dont say what they would and wouldnt do because you dont know. but good for you for serving i have respect for those who do.
Americans Serve - Chicken@!$%#s don't.
Get that through your punk'en haid, Josh.....
Sure don't see anything indicating you served.
Novel idea. How about at least one of his brave sons just sign up to serve their country's military instead of asking others to go and die for them, to preserve their vast wealth and "goofiness". Especially since Romney doesn't use his vast wealth to benefit America or its people. He uses it to build up global economies in foreign lands like Asia. You people who are cheering for the extremely radicalized GOP and this global pirate (Romney) deserve to have your jobs outsourced (which he & they will do). And your remaining safety nets stolen (which he and they will also do).
God! Some of you right wingers are so DUMB! So blinded by your hatred and frothing rage of people who simply have a darker shade of your own brown color, that you'll commit financial suicide to prove a stupid and irrelevant lie.
Conservatism and Liberalism are both noble ideologies. Truth be told, no person is 100% one or the other unless they are a "Radical extreme". We all need them both engaged in a respectful dialogue and debate to be credible and survive as a society and civilization. But the modern GOP is not a conservative party. It is a radically extreme, fascist leaning hate group these days. It is just painful to watch Mitt Romney, who really don't share the core beliefs of his party, twist and contort himself to please them. The war of M.A.D. between the radical extremes will ultimately bring everything to a crashing halt in the world.
Flip Floppy, Goofy - Charming? Seriously? Can you say snake oil salesman?
If only he were a Community Organizer. What a horrific person this Romney is, being a successful businessman. What's the unqualified fraud in the Oval Office EVER accomplished?
What a joke.
By all means, give Obama four more years. See where we'll be by '16.
You are the exact kind of idiot I'm talking about in #131 above. Know what the framers of the constitution and founders of America were you fool? Community Organizers. They organized a loose band of communities and colonies into a cohesive force that became a great Nation! Know who the rich privileged regressive morons of that day were? The conservative Brits and Tories. Obviously, your kindred spirits! You and people like you are the "Jokes" who keep losing throughout the entirety of history. Because you never learn or evolve beyond your evil lessons and hatred. People you support are the exact ones who have strip mined the wealth out of America. And used it to build up off shore cheap labor empires. At your stupid expense! And by all means bring them back to finish you off. You better hope Obama gets four more years. Or you will be in a toilet you deserve to be in.