Now, as Romney moves toward the center on issues as divergent as tax policy and abortion, his consistently conservative, "anti-amnesty" position on immigration is drawing the attention of people on both sides of the border, who say that political expediency and the way that Romney portrays his own family's immigrant history are obstructing a public move toward more a moderate stance. Yapias serves as director of an immigration advocacy group, Proyecto Latino de Utah. [28][29] While an Obama spokesman called it an attack on a small child, Obama himself has displayed a sense of humor about it. Their dog, Seamus, rode in a carrier on the roof of the family's Chevrolet Caprice station wagon for the 12-hour trip. I don't know what other way to describe it. "I'm tired as it is of hearing this simplistic stuff about immigrants taking benefits and doing nothing but bad in this country," said Yapais, who describes himself as an independent who is planning to vote for Obama. [1][2], Seamus (/ˈʃeɪməs/ SHAY-məs), an Irish Setter, was an active, outgoing dog, and was the Romney family's first pet dog. "No one is advocating that we hold [Mitt] Romney accountable for that. [1][2][3][4] This incident became the subject of negative media attention and political attacks on Romney in both the 2008 and the 2012 presidential elections. Romney had built a windshield for the carrier to make the ride more comfortable for the dog. Yet, Romney has taken this very strident position. [A][15], At the 2012 White House Correspondent's Association dinner, Obama poked fun at Romney releasing an "advertisement" depicting Romney and Seamus. "[6] The dog's date of death is unknown, but Robinson stated that Seamus lived to a "ripe old age" on her farm in California. ", after which Sawyer stated, "You said it was the most wounding thing in the campaign so far", although it's ambiguous whether Romney agreed with this statement. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney offered a disclaimer in the second presidential debate Tuesday before he addressed his stance on immigration, offering a policy mix from "self-deportation" to support for green cards for members of the military and undocumented immigrants with critically needed skills. We need to look at all those issues and make a determination as to whether that's the kind of person [Romney] you want to be president of the United States. All rights reserved. To every request, Romneys were obedient. We had more space, so he could roam more freely. And leaving behind all that they had worked to establish, they yet again pitched themselves against the arid terrain, the cactus, the alkali, quicksand, and rattlesnakes. "He keeps leaving this question and making these references to self-deportation," Yapias said. But he has airbrushed history in just such a way that his immigrant family and the immigrant families he wants to self-deport have nothing in common, no shared goals, risk-taking or fears.". "That is really contrary to the truth and the LDS position. Pearce's position on immigration was untenable, Snow said, but Romney's is puzzling. "[23], A Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey found that 74% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 63% of Republicans consider it inhumane to put a family dog in a kennel on the roof of a car. What Tony Yapias found most troubling Tuesday and throughout the campaign, he said, was Romney's attempt to sidestep the question of what his brand of immigration reform will mean for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. Part of HuffPost Latino Voices. A growing share of those voters rank immigration among their top political priorities, according to a series of Latino Decisions tracking polls. Mitt Romney Family History. Romney, the family man heading to the lake, didn't seem heartless at the time. "[9] Ann Romney, Mitt Romney's wife, has stated that the news media exaggerated the severity of the incident, and compared traveling in the roof-top dog carrier to riding a motorcycle or riding in the bed of a pickup truck. Romney needs to claim about 30 percent of the Latino vote to take the White House. "If you looked at Mitt Romney he is a guy that you would think would be very moderate," Snow said. "I have experience in health care … During a 1983 family vacation, Mitt Romney drove 12 hours with his dog on top of the car in a windshield-equipped carrier. After reviewing public records and information in an Arizona Mormon archive, Biggers said he found that Romney's family fled the United States due to anti-polygamy laws and a perjury charge that Romney's great-grandfather faced in a land matter. The Romney family clearly has a sense of humor — Mitt Romney's grandson dressed up as his alter-ego "Pierre Delecto" for Halloween. The business interests here in Arizona hated Russell Pearce and his extremism. "[22] Neil Swidey, The Boston Globe journalist who wrote the initial article about Romney's 1983 road trip, stated, "[Seamus] always struck me as a valuable window into how Romney operates. [24] As of September 2012, New York Times columnist Gail Collins had mentioned the Romneys' car trip more than 70 times. On Thursday, Tagg Romney, the eldest son of Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, tweeted a picture of his son Thomas' costume, complete with a tux, mustache, beret, sunglasses, and a "Pierre Delecto" name tag. Visit your state election office website to find out whether they offer early voting. But, when he tacks on, 'My father was born in Mexico,' it's like, come on. "Well played. The state law in effect creates the kind of conditions which Romney has suggested -- and reiterated Tuesday -- might prompt undocumented immigrants to, "make their own choice," and self-deport. After reviewing public records and information in an Arizona Mormon archive, Biggers said he found that Romney's family fled the United States due to anti-polygamy laws and a perjury charge that Romney's great-grandfather faced in a land matter. Historical accuracy and intellectual honesty, even about one's own family, matters, Biggers said, noting that during the debate, Romney, the son of a refugee and great-grandson of a man avoiding prosecution, used the word "illegals" more than 10 times in 2 minutes. Like what you see here? They built schools and libraries … He dug irrigation ditches and plowed up the desert soil. Miles [Romney] Junior was asked to move again, this time to build a settlement in St. Johns, Arizona. (They have the same great-grandfather, Miles P. Romney, one of the 1885 pioneers.) Mormons fleeing political persecution were welcomed in the late 1800s. And, he's certain a more moderate Romney will emerge after the election. "It's as if he doesn't realize that most undocumented people's lives and their relationship with this country is complex.". ", Your vote is your voice! "Listen, they ran off essentially as outlaws," said Biggers, author of State Out of the Union, a book about extremism and countervailing forces in Arizona. "One would think that the country that gave refuge to my family for whatever reason would always be a dear country and that its people would be seen the same way.". "My dad was born in Mexico of American parents.". Others believe Romney may well be committed to policies that encourage a large number of the nation's undocumented population -- about 60 percent of whom hail from Mexico -- to self-deport. [5] It is generally reported that, a few years after his ride to Canada, Seamus was given to Mitt Romney's sister, Jane Romney Robinson of California, who said, "He kept ending up at the pound. [25][26][27], Responding to Democrats who emphasized the Seamus story, conservative bloggers such as Jim Treacher drew a comparison between the Seamus incident when Romney was a 36-year-old man, and Barack Obama sampling dog meat as a child in Indonesia, where it is a local delicacy, as mentioned in Obama's autobiography. Subscriber Romney stopped at a gas station to wash the dog, the carrier and the car. [10][11] Romney stated that he loved his dog. "First of all, this is a nation of immigrants," Romney said. Looking for smart ways to get more from life? Romney's approach in the debate supports the assessment that historians, political analysts and swing-state voters shared with The Huffington Post: In the final weeks before the election, when and how Romney talks about immigration matters greatly in determining the outcome. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! For your voice to be heard, in most states you must register before you can vote. The shadow of George Romney has loomed especially large over Mitt Romney at every step of his life, according to many people who know him and have worked for him. ", "Seamus Returns – Gingrich Ad Revives Romney's Dog Debacle", "New anti-Romney ad by Gingrich goes to the dog", "Santorum team doggedly resurrects Romney's Seamus tale", "What our fascination with Mitt Romney's dog Seamus says about our culture", "Mitt Romney's dog-on-the-car-roof story still proves to be his critics' best friend", "Complete list of every time Gail Collins has mentioned the Seamus incident", "Mitt Romney and the dog on the car roof: one columnist's obsession", "Conservatives Fight Back: Barack Obama Ate a Dog", "Transcript: Mitt and Ann Romney's interview with Diane Sawyer (page 8)", Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mitt_Romney_dog_incident&oldid=982738688, Political controversies in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 October 2020, at 01:10. Many own businesses and homes or hail from counties where it would not be safe for them to return. Each state has its own rules for mail-in absentee voting. For the Nov 3 election: States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus. Sometimes circumstances make it hard or impossible for you to vote on Election Day. That's the new version of, 'Oh I have a lot of black friends,'" said Snow, who helped spearhead the effort to unseat Russell Pearce, an Arizona Mormon, former State Senate leader and a driving force behind Arizona's strict immigration law, SB 1070. (Biggers has blogged about his findings for The Huffington Post.). since. Reaction to Thomas' costume was largely positive online. [13] Responding to PETA, Romney said, "my dog likes fresh air". "He's Mormon and I know he's a good Mormon. On Thursday, Romney's eldest son Tagg tweeted a photo of son Thomas' costume, complete with a tux, beret, and bushy mustache. He's a businessman. GREENCASTLE, Pa. (AP) — Mitt Romney is known as a man with millions of dollars, but he wants Americans to know that his grandfather wasn't one. Mexico has a long history of welcoming refugees fleeing political or religious persecution in their home countries, a Mexican government official said on condition of anonymity because of restrictions barring foreign officials from getting involved in U.S. politics. Romney replied, "He loves it, it's his favorite. He married Anna Amelia Pratt, the daughter of polygamists and the granddaughter of Parley P. Pratt, the apostle with 12 wives.