Romney's son polishes dad's 'family man' image in visit

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

June 30, 2007

EDWARDSVILLE — Mitt Romney doesn't like to be scared, loves his John Deere tractor and, if forced to cook, will resort to making pancakes.

Little of that bears on the former Massachusetts governor's presidential aspirations, but those tidbits and other anecdotes are part of the "family man" image cultivated by Romney's campaign. In particular, it's the message being carried by Romney's five sons as they traverse the country drumming up support for their father.

Hence the stories about Romney from his middle son Josh Romney, 31, at a private Republican fundraiser Friday. Today, Josh Romney is scheduled to meet with more supporters in Springfield.

The Romney sons, Josh as well as Tagg, Matt, Ben and Craig, are frequent stand-ins for their father at events around the nation. The Romneys have their own RV, MySpace pages and a blog.

"It's a big asset to have such a large family," Josh Romney said in an interview with the Post-Dispatch.

The family operation centers on Mitt Romney's one and only marriage, something his strategists have used to set him apart from the Republican frontrunners, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who have had three and two marriages respectively.

During an interview Friday, Josh Romney touched only briefly on his father's political views and focused more on anecdotes — tales about the tractor his mom bought, a scary prank in a dark basement and his dad's habit of cooking flapjacks and little else. He also discussed the family's Mormon faith and their businesses.

Family members can improve a candidate's image and extend the campaign's reach.

"Family is always good. Americans want their politicians to be good family people," said Chris Mooney, a political scientist at the University of Illinois at Springfield. "And in this case, the sons are Romney by proxy."