Mitt Romney, a ‘private man in a public world,’ is silent on tales of altruism

[Chris_]

Mitt Romney, a ‘private man in a public world,’ is silent on tales of altruism

By now, many voters have heard that Mitt Romney once put the family dog, Seamus, in a crate and strapped him to the roof of a station wagon. But far fewer have heard that Romney and his sons once raced across a dark, placid lake on Jet Skis, “Baywatch”-style, to rescue strangers and their dog, McKenzie, after their boat capsized.

Or that Romney once temporarily closed the Boston headquarters of his private-equity firm to round up his co-workers, accountants and lawyers and fan out across Manhattan to search for Melissa Gay, his Bain Capital partner’s missing 14-year-old daughter.

Or that as a volunteer lay pastor of his Mormon congregation, Romney spent years counseling neighbors on their marriages and adoptions, helping the unemployed feed their families, and ministering to the sick and the addicted.

The lesser-known stories have surfaced occasionally in profiles of the former Massachusetts governor. But they have not blossomed into any kind of gentler portrait of Romney, who emerged as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Tuesday after challenger Rick Santorum suspended his bid.

Washington Post

I'm surprised this made it past the editor at the Post.

[BlueStateSaint]

Washington Post

I'm surprised this made it past the editor at the Post.

Chris, there's always an ulterior motive at work.  What's the big rub on Romney--that he's less likeable than Obama?  Stories like this ramp up his likeability a bit, and more importantly, put the narrative out there that the Dems just may be wrong about this.  There will be other stories, and they will come from the WaPo.  I've got the feeling that the WaPo doesn't exactly like the Oministration, unlike the New York Times.

[FiddyBeowulf]

Mitt Romney, a ‘private man in a public world,’ is silent on tales of altruism

By now, many voters have heard that Mitt Romney once put the family dog, Seamus, in a crate and strapped him to the roof of a station wagon.

Mitt mistreats dogs. That is the meme they want to stick and are counting on people not to really remember anything in the rest of the article.

[Chris_]

Chris, there's always an ulterior motive at work.  What's the big rub on Romney--that he's less likeable than Obama?  Stories like this ramp up his likeability a bit, and more importantly, put the narrative out there that the Dems just may be wrong about this.  There will be other stories, and they will come from the WaPo.  I've got the feeling that the WaPo doesn't exactly like the Oministration, unlike the New York Times.

Once the GOP names Romney as the nominee, I'm quite sure these nice, positive stories will evaporate from the media as if they never existed.