He had a different social experience from most of his classmates, since he lived in a Belmont, Massachusetts, house with Ann and two children.
He was non-ideological and did not involve himself in the political or social issues of the day.
I'm not so sure that he was "non-ideological and did not involve himself in the political or social issues of the day."
Mitt Romney's roots are certainly as deeply founded in the Mormon brand of conservatism as is any Bob Jones University acolyte's in the fundamentalist Baptist context.
His residence in Belmont, MA from the late 1960's - 1970's is particularly coincidental. The John Birch Society was (and still is I believe) based in Belmont, MA.
From 1963 - 1974, every 4th of July holiday, the John Birch Society together with other conservative groups at the time held the equivalent of the "CPAC" of its day at what was then known as The Statler Hilton (now the Park plaza) in Boston. This was called "The New England Rally for God, Family, and Country." (chairman of which was JBS's Col. Lawrence Bunker of Wellesley Hills, MA)
It was an annual gathering of "conservatism in the wilderness" of the post-Kennedy assasination era, and 1964 Goldwater election rout, where one could hear speeches of conservative authors (e.g., Taylor Caldwell, W. Cleon Skousen, George Schuyler) politicians (e.g. John Ashbrook, John Schmitz, etc.), ex-gov't conservatives (e.g., Dan Smoot, ex-FBI),Hollywood actors (e.g. Walter Brennan), musicians, academics, WFBuckley's "Young Americans for Freedom," The Bible-Science Association, and "Liberty Lobby." Featured also were religious schools and institutions (e.g., Bob Jones U, Shelton College), "Christian Crusade" (i.e., Billy James Hargis)and a significant presense of Mormons -- Christian and Mormon "End-timers," predominantly.
The JBS slogan, "Will you be free in '73?" was everywhere.
We evangelical Christians had great fun debating the Mormon Missionaries sent to this event to promote that book written by Joseph Smith.
A bumper sticker booth at "The Rally", 1970 (no, that's not a picture of me)
Bible Science Association
American Education Lobby
Liberty Lobby
I mentioned W. Cleon Skousen, author of the exposé-itory conservative tome: The Naked Communist, and a book widely advertised and promoted not only by JBS in their American Opinion and Review of the News publications but also prompted widely by Liberty Lobby and other alternative conservative publications sources.
A little history on Skousen from Wiki: by the way that is Willard Cleon Skousen for all those pointing up that aspect of Mitt's name,
"He was also a prolific popularizer among Latter-day Saints (Mormons) of their theology. A notable anti-communist and supporter of the John Birch Society,[3] Skousen's works involved a wide range of subjects including the Six-Day War, Mormon eschatology, New World Order conspiracies, and parenting.[4] His most popular works are The 5,000 Year Leap and The Naked Communist. A book by Skousen on end times prophecy, The Cleansing of America, was published by Valor Publishing Group in 2010, four years after his death.[5]
"In 1926, Skousen went to the Mormon colony, Colonia Juarez, Mexico for two years to help his seriously ill grandmother. While there, he attended the Juarez Academy. Skousen then returned to California, graduating from high school in 1930. At the age of 17 he traveled to Great Britain as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[7][8]"
Recall Mitt's father, Gov. George Romney. Wiki on George:
"Romney was born to American parents living in the Mormon colonies in Mexico; events during the Mexican Revolution forced his family to flee back to the United States when he was a child. The family lived in several states and ended up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they struggled during the Great Depression. Romney worked in a number of jobs, served as a Mormon missionary in England and Scotland, and attended several colleges in the U.S. but did not graduate from any. The JBS/Skousen - Romney - Mexico - UK/Scotland Mormon Mission stuff is coincidental in a forensic sense and though short of absolute, definitive connection, one has to wonder what influences and interactions Mitt Romney of Belmont MA had with pre-Reagan conservatism.
Granted, even if there was a Skousen - George Romney connection going back to Mexico Mormonism and UK Mormaon Missions, George tended to tack to the "moderate" wing as opposed to the Goldwater wing. He did serve as Nixon's HUD Sec'y for a time.
That said, if someone like me was able to meet W. Cleon Skousen, is there a chance that Mitt Romney actually knew him and not just casually? By many accounts Mitt Romney was a leader in his Mormon faith walk - a church whose faith in many ways (some correct and some incorrect) affirms American supremacy? In many ways he was an active, not a casual participant in promoting what at its core espouses political and social conservatism.
So, I have written all that history not to say that I remember seeing Mitt Romney at the God Family and Country Rallies of the '60's and '70's almost all of which I attended for 11 years, but it is my guess that Mitt Romney should he rise to the US Presidency will be looked at by the American left as one who was a Trojan Horse in their midst.
Let me be very clear again: I am an evangelical Christian and staunch conservative from way back. This is not in any way an endorsement in any way of Mormonism as religion. Where conservatism and American supremacy is the issue we are allied with their conservative positions, though most of us are not aligned with them on religious terms. I knew that 40 years ago.
What I am saying is that if Mitt Romney is given the freedom to tack toward what is his core, and not placed in the position of doing only what he can with a 90% (D) legislature like he had as Governor of Massachusetts, I think we might all be surprised to see how much of a core conservatism might actually reside there.
FReegards!
