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.
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I just love those Rightwing Redneck racist Romney supporters who can't even spell. Didn't they teach you spelling as you were home schooled in your trailer park? Hey Mitt went to Harvard and actually knows Middle Class person. His chauffeur.
Tonie...
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, that was a double leg slapper, oh man, I laughed so hard, I will be chuckling tomorrow, so funny and original as well, particularly the "chauffeur" part... Oh man, you are so bright........
Looks like Tony is the under educated here. How many grades did you fail before you were too old to go to school anymore? How is that GED working for you? LOL at anyone who would vote for Obama once and praying for those who would do so twice.
They are a hoot. Can't answer a straight question ... then attack us. Then they point their finger at us saying we have no answers and just attack them.
Larry314720 is a great example. He can't disprove anything .. so he posts a personal attack. Isn't easy defending liars and crooks is it Larry :)
Josh you don't have to , but it would be nice but I do respect your opinion, on the other hand here comes Mr I'am correct who obviously has never picked up an M-16 but who knows all about socialism, what a buffoon, people like Mr correct should just stay in their trailers and let the big boys talk. You sir are a moron
Do we really need some religious weirdo, that being mormon run this country? Next thing you'll know is this religious freak will have us all going to services on Saturday like the rest of his weirdo family or better yet we all must now have 2 wives or 2 husbands.
women are not allowed , only men and for many of them two is not even close to enough
Mormons don't go to church on Saturday, but congrats on making it on the "Bigot" list. You two probably are horrified when someone makes racist comments, right?
Why would rascist comments bother me? I live in the biggest rascist country on this planet, enough said.
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. MAybe Lis, if you read the article you can clearly see that his pack of religious freaks did have service on SATURDAY.
Hum .... Hard question ... You know if he allows me to have many wives .. I just may vote for him :)
I'll have to think about if it's worth ruining the USA .. just to have more fun at night ...
DOING service is not the same thing as GOING to services. Maybe you didn't read the article.
Whatever the article meant, Mormons don't have any prescribed activities for Saturday. It might be the Romneys' tradition to do some acts of service on Saturdays, but that isn't part of the faith. Mormon services are always held on Sunday.
We are given an opportunity to succeed in this country not a guarantee. If you work hard you can become more than you are. Those who succeed took risks that a lot of others would not. I am sorry that some of the whiners did not work their way up, I wish everyone was prosperous. Quit moaning about it and do something productive.
That's rich coming from his goofy sons Turd, Tarmac, Tingle, Tutti, and Toboggan? Is it charm that ties a dog on a car roof so the wind can ruin his eyes and he gets violently sick from stress? Is it charm that outsources jobs, hides money overseas, is a racist, has no vision or plan, is a school yard bully, is a man with a religion that is not Christian(put this in for all you goofy Evangelical hypocrites)is a liar, has no commitment to anything, and flip flops so much he flattened his a__? Is it charm that the Romniac wishes people would lose their homes to teach them a lesson. Then by far he ooozes charm like a snake sheds its skin. Give it up boys, your old man is a lying, crooked, immoral, piece of crap and you will probably all follow right in his footsteps. Be sure and clean your shoes, you dont wanna smell like poop for the rest of your lives.
look on the bright side evn if he does win, the liberals still win because everyone knows thats the way he will go, he's been basically a lib his entire life so the dems win no matter who wins, the tea party ends up with egg in their face!!
yeah thats true, not even man enough to admit he was liberal!!
So you say "goofy", I say "dishonest, secretive, smirky and dumb" - same, same, eh?
Remember when running for President of The United States of America wasn't all about politics and self indulgent separate agendas...But, instead for the greater good of the people of The United States and its prosperity as a Nation. And the pride that goes along with that....
No, I cant remember 200 years ago.
Following this campaign is better than watching re-runs of Gomer Pyle, and just as goofy too.
Just the person I want for president. A fool.
topryder1
"Just the person I want for president. A fool".
Boy, I'll second that, thank god he will not get a second term...
Romney/? 2013
Thanks for the story, but everytime Romney has spoken, I already noticed how goofy he is- especially when he is debating. He truly would make a good one for the comedians to imitate. Thank you boys, for making sure that more Americans associate Romney with goofiness. What is family for, anyway.
so are you saying this campaign is goofy vs curious george??
This is a typical conservative maneuver. He needs someone else to do his job (his boys) to try and create a character point to win the American voter over because he isn't talented to convey or demonstrate this trait clearly enough on his own. Just like his business, and I'd wager most everything in his life was made on the talents and merits of others. The whole we are succesful because we can show it is a loosing argument to anyone with a brain and who actually has worked in the last century. Thieves have something to show as well, does that make them succesful? Jesus, Ghandi, and many more had nothing to show, would you call them unsuccesful? I know plenty of people who are great at taking credit for other peoples hard work. Show me a man who did work I should respect, not just someone throwing money around and I'll consider respecting him. Yet somehow I bet many people will come to his aid and defense on this critiscim as well.
Uh yeah.... no. Now they're trotting his sons out there to try and convince everyone Romney's just another guy, just like you and me, who has "goofy charm"? Pathetically transparent pandering... nauseating. Know what, men?... your ploy to seem like all-American, "just (extremely wealthy and privileged) folks" is not gonna fly, except maybe with the Palin crowd, who tried the same thing with their sorry family. Sorry guys, you're dad's way beyond "goofy charm". He's an absolute DORK. An unfit-to-be-President dork who would set this country back 30-40 years. Not gonna happen, majority of Americans aren't gonna buy.
Didn't we already try goofy before Obama?
One thing you can't say about Bush is he was a flip flopper ... NO ONE can say that of Romney.
I think it would be a BIG risk to take another goofy ... Taking a goofy that's ALSO a flip flopper will be disaster .. just wait and see.
Remember ... I remember what I said last week .. last year ... 10 years ago .. I will be here laughing my butt off at you :).
Romney's sons may find him charmingly goofy and that's probably to be expected. Unfortunately for Willard, it does NOT translate into Presidential Material, necessarily. His goofiness, is you ask me, steams from when he fnds himself in a stressful position and can't think of anything else to say...
What a waste of ink and band width this piece is. Of course they love their father, especially when each of them is in line to inherit a cool $50m or so. The news here is that his boys have confirmed the exact reasons Mr. Romney is not qualified to or prepared to be president. Yep, that's what I'm looking for, Mr. Goofy with his finger on the trigger to vaporize the world or start WW3. Think I'll take a pass on Mr. Goofy.
I really don't care if Romney is "goofy" or whether he has "charm." What I am concerned about is that I don't believe he is being truthful. He skirts the issues, he skirts questions about his involvement with Bain Capital. Really, he's just another politician, and that is what we DON'T need. "We've obviously been very blessed," as one son put it, but at whose expense? Not something I would be proud of, since the very company that Romney was the sole stockholder, CEO, etc., put hundreds of people out of work, denied them healthcare, outsourced their jobs to foreign countries and on and on. Yes, "His true identity will come out" but I believe his true identity has already come out! And I for one am not liking it!
Oh and postcript here Romney, instead of showing how goofy you and your entire family are, how about sticking to the facts we care about....showing us your freaking tax records, all of them. What the hell are you hiding you cowardly thief, you threw your hat in the ring for the Presidency but not your tax returns, honor, or anything that makes up a real man? Word for you dude...starts with a P and ends with Y. You can't take the heat and most crooks can't.
We all know Romney can't show is tax returns ... It would end his chance in a second.
His tax returns are the proof he doesn't care about America or Americans .. he just cares about his bank account.
You're calling Romney a crook, etc., but what do we think of Obama who sat in a church and listened to the Rev. Wright spewing hatred against our own country. If I was attending any church where a minister talked and ranted the way that minister did, I would not and could not sit there and listen. I'd leave and find a different, better place to worship. Yet the Obama family made it their church for many years. Something's rotten there. I don't think this Presidential race is about how much money someone has either. Get a grip and check out the background of your beloved Obama. Some of his close friends were not too pure. Check out the history of Bill Ayers - not a pretty story and no one I'd ever want to be a friend of, yet Obama WAS a friend of his. CHECK IT OUT!!!
So you are a Christian but you want a President who is not and does not believe in the Bible? Looks like your Christianity is not as firm in your heart as you thought huh? You want a man who believes in polygamy, angels falling all over the place, gold plates found in New York with prophecies, and the leader was not Jesus, or God, but some wacko leading his congregation out to the wilds of Salt Lake like wandering Jews...so they could have multiple wives....you are the pathetic one moron. The President is a Christian along with his entire family.
T-man-876466 - Your comments could not be further from the truth. Mormons are Christians, and do not practice polygamy. I don't have any idea what you mean by "angels falling all over the place." Mormons believe in God, the eternal Father, and in His son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
And who cares what the religion is of either man running for President? There is no religious test or requirement for that or any political office in this country. If you want there to be one, please find another country and move on.
"JM" said we don't need an entertainer, we need a president. Well where has JM been lately? Does he not know that Obama and his wife have appeared on just about every talk show in the nation! Including the Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, etc., etc. I agree, JM. We do need a president, NOT an entertainer, which is what we have now. He's always trying to be cute in front of a crowd with his jokes. We don't need cute. We need a leader who loves this country and who has no agenda except to want to bring the country back to where it should be. Obama has run us into the ground and we are really floundering. People are suffering. The economy is a mess. Ridiculing Mitt because he is wealthy makes my blood boil. I'm guessing he made his money through hard work and why anyone should hold that against him is way beyond me! The guy has money and SO WHAT!! Did everyone pick on John Kennedy because he was filthy rich?? PLEASE PEOPLE!! It's unfortunate that Mitt's boys used the word goofy. It gives you Obama lovers something to dwell on. Obama appears to be smooth and suave and full of charm, but that doesn't a president make!!! If Obama is in for another 4 years this country will be doomed, without question. We're already more than half way there under his leadership!
Goofy is just the talking point of the day .. this time conveniently supplied by his kids.
What I look at is his flip flopping. when I do it it's a penalty .. when Obama does it .. it's a tax ... I was pro choice .. till I was against it ... The list goes on and on. Maybe you tea people don't have the thinking abilities to remember what was said yesterday .. But I do.
So remember you neocon tea people ... If WE can't trust him what makes you think YOU can?
THEIR DAD IS A DR. JECKAL , MR. HYDE ; this home grown american father stuff has got to stop. this man was brought up believing in polygamy , and fallen angels , verses , THE HOLY KING JAMES BIBLE TEACHING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your dad is '' BISHOP CLOSET POLYGAMY.''
All politicians are loveable once you get used to them. Just like herpes.
I wonder what Saturday Night Live spoofed Obama's daughters as? Oh that's right that would be considered racist. Of course that is why the show scores worse than an Italian B rated movie. Only Liberals watch it because they do not pick on Liberals as they are funny enough already.
Mitt Romney does think about the greater "good" of some American people:billionaires and millionaires,the rest of you peons are not worthy of course. Complain and Mitt will outsource even more American jobs as he gives even more tax breaks for his 1% brethren. Yes a "real" patriot with all his foreign off shore bank accounts.
OH NO! Another goof like Bush? Yea, just what we need in the White House.
At least he woud make good foder for Saturday Night Live!
Mathew Dowd, a journalist and right wing leaning person said Sunday that Romney knew almost 4 years ago that he would be running again for POTUS. "Why didn't he clean up his questionable activities over this time period?" Is he so arrogant that he thinks the citizens of this country won't question his shell company, his Swiss bank account and everything else he seems to be hiding. I believe that one has to GO to Switzerland to open up a Swiss bank Account. I cannot even afford to go to Switzerland let alone have any monery to put into a "hidden account" For more about him read
Mitt Romney’s Bain Controversy: Why It Matters When He Left Company
is Mitt hiding his tax returns in his magic underwear?
absolutely.... right next to his balls they all became invisible
Romney has balls?
If he has these so called balls .. why doesn't he defend his work with Romney care ... Mit can't even stand up to his own party .. he doesn't even have the balls to defend his ideas .. Balls? What balls.
And, of course, these are the same sons whose father thought the best way for them to serve their country was to get him elected as president instead of serving in the military, thus insulting all those who serve in the military.
Yeah having servants taking care of you while you travel the country in luxury is a real sacrifice, the sad thing is they would compare that to serving our country.