Daniel Henninger over at the WSJ is kinda torqued at whoever over at the Romney campaign allowed the indelible image of Romney on vacation be the one of him looking “fabulous” with this “fabulous-looking wife” on a Jet Ski.
And if it was Romney himself, he says it’s over: The Henninger column is subheaded, “If that jet-ski ride was the candidate’s call, his campaign is headed for a Dukakis-like catastrophe.” He elaborated:
What the Romneys thought they were doing with this innocent spin around the lake is irrelevant. Mr. Romney happens to be the GOP’s candidate for the American presidency. That fellow in the jet-ski photo would be the same Mitt Romney described in political analysis the previous week as having taken on water with the public because of the Obama campaign’s attacks on him as a rich guy from Bain Capital.
It would be the same Mitt Romney whom Barack Obama plans to define from now till November as out of step with a middle-class America in which “so many folks are just trying to get by.”
But “catastrophe”? Really? Look at the picture and see what you think.
Is America really that malleable, that much a sucker for a single image? It’s not like he looks like a total dork, like Dukakis in the tank. The comparison that Henninger makes to John Kerry windsurfing is probably more to the point. But if we’re going to attach importance to these things, isn’t riding on a Jet Ski a more plebeian pastime, less effete, than windsurfing? They’s a heap a good ol’ boys out yonder on Jet Skis at Lake Murray of a weekend — right?
Or have I got that wrong? I tend to associate people roaring around on the waterborne equivalent of Harleys as more something Joe Sixpack would either do, or want to do.
But hey, it’s not about what I think. It’s about how it plays. How does it play with you?
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It’s not so much the Jet Ski as the expensive boats in the background.
But his hair looks perfect.
I mean, if we’re going to overanalyze things… By using “fabulous” twice in a sentence with regard to Romney, is he trying to suggest that he’s gay?
That would make almost as much sense to me.
Jet ski who cares, I’m waiting for the images of Romney in London with the wife’s $1M dressage horse (which is actually a business loss on his tax return, you take your hobby as a loss?) Yep, that’s the image.
A catastrophe? No. If I were him I’d trade a hundred jet ski photos for a single meeting with the NAACP.
This guy (Henninger) is a putz. An average voter doesn’t make the fine distinctions between “grand dad in chair” and couple on Jet Ski. Especially when the choice is so defined.
Joanne, lighten up. Those boats are likely not THAT expensive. Do Democrats not own boats?
I know folks who live in double wides who own jet skis.
If anything, the jet ski pic endears Romney – a little bit – to places in America that while conservative, isn’t crazy about Romney.
And I can see the beltway crowd equate jet ski with rick out of touch dude, mainly because that is the only context they understand.
Nobody’s addressing the real issue — would a real man let a WAWMUN drive the Jet Ski while he rides?
I don’t care if the Romneys jet ski, play golf, travel from mansion to mansion, or buy million dollar horses. The overseas bank accounts are troubling. More importantly, I would like to know some specifics about what Mr. Romney plans to attempt to do should he be elected. I’m baffled that better Republican candidates didn’t emerge from the primary process. Many good possibilities decided not to run or were eliminated early in the process.
Now the choice is Obama or Romney. The main reason I will vote for president this year is that I don’t want to have a guilty conscience for not voting.
I remember driving to the county seat and registering to vote six days after my 18th birthday. I had already done a lot of volunteer political work during the four years prior. I didn’t understand the people who refused to register or refused to vote. I’m glad it took several decades for me to become the cynical, disgusted person I am now.
Well as long as we’re over-analyzing…I agree that jet skis are pretty middle class but I think the problem with the photo is more the way Romney looks on the jet ski. He looks out of place and uneasy – something about the way he is leaning back and holding on. He just doesn’t look very comfortable doing middle class things. Which could totally be a misperception – it’s just one random moment in time. Its not really fair that every little moment like this gets overanalyzed.
Would those complaining prefer to see Romney getting out of a private helicopter onto a polo field as if he were a Kennedy?
People who make fun of windsurfing have tried it.
@Scout – “He just doesn’t look very comfortable doing middle class things.”
You’re getting to be as bad as bud.
Dang. Haven’t !!
I thought maybe you were saying something way ironic about windsurfing…
Well, it’s not windsurfing, but he sure does look like a venture capitalist with offshore accounts. Maybe it IS the hair. He should have worn a ratty ball cap and carried a Bud light.
I thought touch football was the Kennedys’ game (or used to be). As to owning one Jet Ski (or even several), I don’t think that’s damning evidence in itself. What Henninger is spun up about is that Romney is apparently clueless about how much his everyday lifestyle separates from the average voter.
Not sure this image is all that much of a big deal but Romney trying to use this to show his middle-class cred is a bit silly. While jet-skis may not be particularly expensive they are certainly not all that common with the $50k and under crowd. I’m sure Romney believes the middle class starts at around a $million/year income. He’s so out of touch with the vast majority in this country I just don’t see how he can represent them effectively.
@Scout – “I think the problem with the photo is more the way Romney looks on the jet ski. He looks out of place and uneasy – something about the way he is leaning back and holding on.”
I think 99.999% of people who are looking back over their shoulder, and especially when sitting on a jet ski, would be positioned the exact same way. The other 0.001% would be leaning forward, arms wrapped around the driver, with the fear of God in their eyes that they’re going to die any second.
I agree, Brad. Jet skis and Joe Sixpack go together very well up here on the Upstate lakes.
I often find Henninger off-key, as in this recent comment on the President’s health care plan being “a legislative monolith out of sync with an iPad world.”
That is probably true, but he goes on to say:
“Electronics, foods, fashion, entertainment, apps, social media, appliances—pretty much anything that escapes the cold hands of a public agency is laid before us in a dazzling, unprecedented array of choices. Despite all the incoming, people learned to navigate the options. Virtually everyone has become adept at customizing a personal milieu that suits them.”
Who is the true elitist here? Food, fashion & entertainment are one thing. But does anyone here feel completely adept at evaluating the “dazzling array” of potentially life-altering investment or insurance products being market to us, for example, in the absence of a robust legal and regulatory environment that offers some guidance and consumer protection?
“Nobody’s addressing the real issue — would a real man let a WAWMUN drive the Jet Ski while he rides?”
That will, indeed, be an issue for some people. I’ve heard comments about him being in the “bitch seat” like on a motorcycle. Now, if they had been on a Harley instead of a jet ski – hooooboy!
That WOULD upset a lot of guys!
I think they look silly and a little awkward. But jet skis are very middle class nowadays.
OMG!11!! IT’S PICTURE OF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON A WATERCRAFT! HOW WILL THIS PLAY WITH LANDLOCKED VOTERS!?!11! DOES THIS GIVE OBAMA A CHANCE IN MORE MIDWESTERN STATES?!11!!?!
@KP – Maybe if he put some mom jeans on the Democrats would have less to find to complain about.
How many people here in who would be in the same financial situation wouldn’t put some of their money in overseas accounts? It’s dumb not to, especially when you look at how weak our financial system is right now. If you don’t believe that others in the same boat he’s in don’t have money spread out you’re kidding yourself. You should be happy that he’s not doing what several billionaires have done recently, and that’s denounce their citizenship because they’ve lost all faith in where this country is heading.
“I think 99.999% of people who are looking back over their shoulder, and especially when sitting on a jet ski, would be positioned the exact same way. The other 0.001% would be leaning forward, arms wrapped around the driver, with the fear of God in their eyes that they’re going to die any second.”
Ha! Very true!
@bud – “While jet-skis may not be particularly expensive they are certainly not all that common with the $50k and under crowd.”
You haven’t been to Lake Murray on a weekend have you?
It’s interesting, over the years I’ve learned one thing from bud. That is, if he can’t afford something it’s something that can only be owned by someone who is rich.
How many people here in who would be in the same financial situation wouldn’t put some of their money in overseas accounts?
-SD II
Many people might and they’re just a private citizen with a variety of interests worldwide then it would not be of any particular concern. But running for POTUS makes this situation different, very different. Romney is running for president (and has since at least 2007) and as the potential leader of this nation he should have an affirmative obligation to be a loyal American and support American institutions, even if that puts his money at some risk. Plus, this raises the whole specter of “what is he hiding?”
I have been to Lake Murray on a weekend. When I was there the people riding jet skis did not wave banners announcing their income level. So pretty sure being at Lake Murray on a weekend will do nothing to help settle the question of whether or not it is common for people making less than 50K to own a jet ski. I tend to think it is probably more common in the 50-100K range, but unless someone can provide some data – we are all just guessing, and being at Lake Murray on a weekend will only confirm that jet skiing is a common activity and tell nothing definitive about the income level of jet ski owners.
I would imagine it’s like a lot of things — whether you can afford it depends to some extent on how badly you want one.
I’ve never at any time in my life thought of one of those as something I could afford. But I think they are probably owned by some people who make less. They just make it a priority. I never would. I am mildly curious about what it would be like to ride one. But I suspect that my curiosity would probably be satisfied within 5 minutes of trying it.
For me, $100 would be too much, whereas I would spend more than that on other items that I actually want, or think I need.
Although not many things. I’ve never been one to spend money on myself. I could count on one hand the number of things I’ve bought for myself, because I wanted it, that cost more than $100. And I’d probably have three or four fingers left over.
There’s cable TV/internet service — when all I “need” is the internet service. There’s a Nikon camera I bought years ago, and don’t use any more because it’s not digital. And of course I’m not the only one who enjoys those things.
There’s my iPhone, but I really do need a smartphone, particularly to keep up with the blog (approving comments multiple times a day). And all those years when the paper paid for my smartphone, I just got used to organizing my calendar, contacts, etc., that way. So it’s a fun toy, I admit, but one that is deeply woven into my worklife, with all the hats I wear.
People who go out and spend a lot of money on themselves have always seemed… different… to me. I could see buying a boat maybe, if the whole family could enjoy it. But a “personal watercraft”? That’s an alien concept.
I’m not saying that to brag on my virtue. It’s more of a habit of mind, formed over my adult lifetime. When you have five kids, you just don’t get the bills paid if you go spending money on yourself.
You could even say it’s like a neurosis with me. Buyer’s remorse always hits me pretty hard, if I do go buy something just because I want it.
After a bit of research these things vary in price but new ones seem to be in the $7-$12k range or perhaps a bit more with all the bells and whisles. There seems to be a pretty good used market so a person of modest means could afford one.
@bud – “Plus, this raises the whole specter of “what is he hiding?””
I don’t know, maybe his college transcripts???
So now it’s not just envy of the rich man, but it’s envy of the “middle class”? $50K-100K? If $100K is thought of as the top end of middle class, we’re all in deep doo-doo. Of course, isn’t that what Obama thinks? That if you make $100K, you can pay for everybody else?
@Scout – “I tend to think it is probably more common in the 50-100K range”
As if $50K – $80K household income, is outrageously rich. That’s a married couple each making $12/hr. to $20/hr..
@Brad – “I am mildly curious about what it would be like to ride one. But I suspect that my curiosity would probably be satisfied within 5 minutes of trying it.”
That’s why every marina in the world rents them.
@Brad – “When you have five kids,”
You wouldn’t enjoy a jetski, but I think we’ve pretty much figured out what you prefer do do with your spare time.
I don’t care for Romney, and I think he really doesn’t want people to see his tax returns for some reason, but it’s unfair to gig him for having family fun on a holiday.
Nope, Steven, not as if 50k – 80k is outrageously rich. I never contended that at all and don’t think it is. In fact, I originally stated that I agree that jet skis are quite middle class.
I agree with you. Jet skis are for louts. Maybe the WSF guy was annoyed because the wife was driving.
At least there wasn’t an Irish Setter strapped to the thing . . .
Personally, I’m more concerned that Romney wants to raise taxes on people making $50K or less a year so he can give still more tax breaks to millionaires.
@kc – Where did Romney say he wanted to raise taxes on those making less than $50K?
If anything, I believe everybody needs to pay “something” to be a citizen of this country. The way it is now, some people actually end up being paid by the government to be citizens.
“louts”??? What’s it like going through life as a snob? I get the impression you probably wouldn’t know “fun” if it came up and tickled you.
What a “WSF guy”?
@Scout – A lot of folks with boats and personal water craft (JetSki is a trademark) probably make less than you think. Same goes for ATV’s, motorcycles, and RV’s. The finance terms on boats tend to be pretty ridiculous – Right now Yamaha is offering a special: two WaveRunners for $241.69/month. Reading the fine print, that’s based on a 96 month term @ 5.99% – but if you are financing a PWC for 8 years you MIGHT not qualify for 5.99%, so your rate could be as high as 21.99%.
Now, if you finance boats for 8 years, chances are you aren’t ever going to be rich, and might not even be able to claw your way into the middle class. But you’d have a boat.
Doing just a bit more research, the local Sea Ray dealer (Hall Marine) is advertising financing out to 180 months on a “Sea Ray 240 Sundeck” – a mangable 372/mo. Even 240 months on a “Sea Ray 330 Sundancer” that admittedly costs more than my house. But HOLY CRAP THAT’S A LONG TIME TO FINANCE A BOAT!
They’ve stretched the terms so long to get the payment down to where you don’t have to be “rich” to own a boat – but I’d argue that a boat isn’t something you should ever finance…
“At least there wasn’t an Irish Setter strapped to the thing . . .”…kc
And, dog wasn’t on the menu at the last Obama fund raiser either, was it?
Arf! Arf!
Transparency at it’s finest:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KahWWKD7Igs/T5kt482jSZI/AAAAAAAAD0k/pFqbHPs6Q2w/s1600/Obama%2Brecords%2Bsealed.jpeg
Jet skis are loud and spoil the experience for everyone else who isn’t on one. Windsurfing is fun to watch and not obnoxious to listen to!
Obama voters:
They even admit it and why.
Mitt’s just trying to pass himself off as a member of the “Red Neck Yacht Club” (music video: Chris Morgan)
Jetskis are a blast of fun! It is fun to use to tour the lake and also make one’s own wake; I’ve put the jetski in a tight circle and then reversed the direction; doing figure eights is fun to creat one’s own wake.
I stay away from docks and other objects because I have CSS. But once, I drove a jetski on Lake Murray with my glasses and the view I saw was incredible. Still, I couldn’t resist the lure of the jetski and had to do some stunts. I don’t know what happened, but the jetski went forward while I went backwards and my glasses sank to the bottom of Lake Murray.
Visiting my brother-in-law on Clark Hill Lake (aka Lake Thurmond), he had a jetski that could top out at 50MPH! The lake was rough, but past an island, the water looked calm. I went out to the calm water and cranked the jetski up to 50! I wasn’t going to do anything stupid with quick turns because I didn’t want to launch myself into Georgia. I just kept it straight and fast. On the return to the campsite, I got lost. All the coves look alike.
Brad, Kathryn:
Try a jetski. Y’all like it!
Not my cup of tea. I dislike fast scary things that can kill me, especially recreational things….
Ralph – “Mitt’s just trying to pass himself off as a member of the “Red Neck Yacht Club” ”
He’s coming to Lake Murray?
Ralph – I wouldn’t wait for some here to ever consider getting on a jetski… to them going on a boat means getting dressed up before boarding. You know, the way they wish they’d see Romney dress so they could complain about how he’s not in touch with the middle class. Seeing Romney on a jetski having fun just pisses them off.
“I dislike fast scary things that can kill me”
That’d explain the Prius.
I am a fairly yar sailor, and my idea of getting dressed before boarding is to make sure I have my sailing gloves and boat shoes on. I used to sail a Shields. No motor at all, out of Monroe Harbor in Chicago. #notjustdinnercruises
It’s not often, after reading all those Patrick O’Brian books, that a sailing term hits me in an ignorant spot, but “yar” did.
Apparently, what it means is that you saw the Katherine Hepburn movie in which she used the term. It appears to be a northeastern yacht club thing…
So it’s safe to say Kathryn’s boating experience is no different than what the Democrats view and wish they could snap photos of Romney at the yacht club. But instead they get swim trunks and jet skis.
Maybe Romney needs to take lessons from one of the Kennedy boys… if there are any still alive. Why wasn’t there any big deal made when they were sailing they were sailing their high dollar boats out of the Martha’s Vineyard/ Kennebunkport yacht club?
I’d love to see an article written about Romney’s statement on Fox News:
“What does it say about a president whose record is so poor that all he can do in the campaign is attack me?”
I’d love to see Romney dish back some of the crap that’s coming out of the Obama camp this early in the campaign. I suspect they will, but are holding off until a more strategic time. I’d say the Romney camp could send Obama running to find a place to hide and having him stuttering and stammering in a debate where he won’t have the answers prewritten out and displayed on a teleprompter, and that’s just stuff from the past four years.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/07/team-obama-to-romney-stop-whining/1#.UAQixPXheGU
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/07/mitt-romney-whining-tax-returns-obama-attacks-/1#.UAQi6fXheGU
While O’Brian is a world of nautical immersion, it was just about sailing in one 100 year period. Things have changed a little since 1830…
The Shields is something Romney might know something about – or at least his kids probably do. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would become totally committed to his hobbies. He strikes me more as the guy who goes out on a motor yacht to spectate the Saturday afternoon racing. Been there, but not done that.
I did live in Maine for seven years, so I get to say things like “wicked good.”
@Mark – “He strikes me more as the guy who goes out on a motor yacht to spectate the Saturday afternoon racing. ”
So you’re saying he’d be a good Kennedy. You know, “America’s Royal Family”. Excuse me, I can’t help but feeling like I have to puke whenever I see or hear that.
I’d say the Romney camp could send Obama running to find a place to hide and having him stuttering and stammering in a debate where he won’t have the answers prewritten out and displayed on a teleprompter, and that’s just stuff from the past four years.
-SDII
Not sure where this teleprompter meme got started but it sure is ridiculous. Obama is one of the very best unprompted speakers out there. To all my Republican friends out there everyone uses a teleprompter.
“Obama is one of the very best unprompted speakers out there.”
I do believe if I had an orange drink it would have come outta my nose.
Lots of firsts for President BHO. An impressive list of accomplishments herein:
• First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.
• First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in.
• First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States.
• First President to violate the War Powers Act.
• First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
• First President to defy a Federal Judge’s court order to cease implementing the Health Care Reform Law.
• First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.
• First President to spend a trillion dollars on ‘shovel-ready’ jobs when there was no such thing as ‘shovel-ready’ jobs.
• First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.
• First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat.
• First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U..S., including those with criminal convictions.
• First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.
• First President to terminate America’s ability to put a man in space.
• First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.
• First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.
• First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke-out on the reasons for their rate increases.
• First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory.
• First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN)..
• First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.
• First President to fire an inspector general of Ameri-Corps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.
• First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office.
• First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office, 90 to date.
• First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records.
• First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.
• First President to go on multiple global ‘apology tours’.
• First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends paid for by the taxpayer.
• First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.
• First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense.
• First President to repeat the Holy Quran tells us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.
• First President to take a 17-day vacation.