Posted on 09/29/2012 12:16:35 PM PDT by rwfromkansas
Buying a house is usually an impersonal transaction. The buyer sees a scrubbed version of the home, artfully “staged,” possibly with a fresh coat of paint and flowers on the table. Once a purchase price has been negotiated, the buyer and the seller sign legal papers in triplicate, and the new owner gets a set of keys and – if lucky – an extra garage door opener. So, when Hal and Corinne Prewitt decided to buy Mitt and Ann Romney’s Park City, Utah home in spring of 2009, they figured they were in for another paperwork hassle. What they got, however, was a great house, interesting interactions with the man who’d just lost a bid to be the previous election’s GOP nominee, and some insight into the character of the possible next President. In fact, their interaction with Romney was so different than what the Prewitts expected, Hal decided to write down his experience in a Google document which has since been downloaded over 100,000 times.
First of all, the Prewitts were impressed – and a little shocked — when Mitt Romney met them at the property on moving day. There were no brokers or anyone there at the house – just the former governor walking around the house to make sure the new owners were comfortable and familiar with their purchase. “He spent as much time as we needed showing us around, answering our questions and explaining how to use and service the home’s equipment,” Hal wrote. “And when he was done, he gave us his direct contact information should we have problems.
Secondly, the Prewitts were fascinated by the way Gov. Romney – worth, by some calculations, hundreds of millions of dollars – decided to move his things. Some people hire professional movers to pack their things, others hire them to transport them, and others prefer a do-it-yourself approach. Gov. Romney fit into the last category. He went to Home Depot, bought wood, and built the necessary containers to transport his possession from the house. Then, he asked a friend and some family to help him pack his family photos, mementos, and grandchildren’s toys. Then, they carried his things into a U-Haul, which he drove to his new home in California.
The home, according to the Prewitts, was built with a focus on their family, even though it had “no swimming pool, tennis court or movie theater. There are no maid, butler or nanny quarters. Clearly Ann and Mitt raised their kids. No gold faucets, no fancy silverware. The kitchen was simple and typical of an average three bedroom home, very much like those in which we were raised.” Because the Prewitts bought much of the home’s contents, they also got to see the way the family really lived in their home: the linens didn’t have the highest thread count, the master bedroom pillows had tags from a discount store, and almost everything — the art, furniture and drapes — were American made.
Plus, there were lots of toys for the grandchildren. Also, in the Romney’s former mud room, Hal and Corinne found the former governor’s ski gloves with holes in the fingers. Apparently, one of Mitt’s sons had suggested he replace the gloves, but Gov. Romney, whom his sons have described as “frugal” and even “cheap,” thought he could salvage them. When Hal and Corinne found the gloves, they’d been altered.
“Mitt had gone to the garage tool box and wrapped them with duct tape. Thrifty? Yes, and the repair provided an immediate practical solution rather than traveling to the store to buy a new pair,” Hal wrote. “His indifference to appearance demonstrated his confidence, true character and priorities. Good qualities, but easily misunderstood because they are quite different from those displayed by many famous people and certainly politicians, who highly protect and prize their appearance.”
In the Romney’s master bedroom, was a prominent painting of Jesus Christ. “Most Americans know little about Mormonism and we didn’t either,” Hal wrote. “But Mitt Romney clearly had a home of faith and family just like the rest of us.”
“One of the most interesting questions many have asked is, ‘as president will he impose his beliefs on others?’” Hal wrote. “Many claim that a President Romney would take away rights and impose his beliefs on all Americans.” However, possibly the most surprising discovery was a small stash of alcohol in the house, which – the Prewitts were told – was for guests only. Mormonism prohibits drinking alcohol, of course, and the Romneys are teetotalers. However, they kept a few drinks on hand to be good hosts and make sure their guests felt comfortable. Hal believes this stash shows the Romneys wouldn’t impose their beliefs on others from the White House, because they didn’t even impose their beliefs on others in their own house.
The Prewitts didn’t support Romney in the 2008 election. Neither Republicans nor Democrats, they knew very little about Romney, Utah, or his former Presidential bid when they looked for a winter home. However, they felt they needed to speak out, because the caricature of Romney on television is such a far cry from the real man who showed him around the house and packed his own boxes that day.
“Mitt Romney… is not aloof or out of touch. He is a man of faith, family and American values. A guy who is well-grounded. It is not beneath him to roll up his shirt-sleeves and get the job done,” Hal wrote. “The fact that he has allowed this to be kept so very private is a true testament to his character and shows how different he is from many other politicians.” If Romney wins in November, he’ll be faced with yet another move. Will the new President show up at the White House in a U-Haul? With $16 trillion of national debt, it just might be a move in the right direction.
“The FACT that as an organized set of people who had finally had enough and came together as ‘tea party’ patriots didn’t happen until 2009 doesn’t seem to bother you.”
So basically when the “R” left the White House and the “D” moved in? Got it. Thanks for proving my point.
Still can’t address what your boy Obama and his wife cost in one year huh. 1.4 billion while America goes further in debt so Mooshell can party.
I don’t expect anything free nor do I begrudge anyone earning money from their own endeavors like Bain. BHO and Mooshell have never earned an honest dollar.
Romney may well not be close to the best choice — he wasn’t mine but he is definitely the lesser of 2 evils. And we are not close to electing some 3rd party candidate yet.
Still can’t address what your boy Obama and his wife cost in one year huh. 1.4 billion while America goes further in debt so Mooshell can party.
I don’t expect anything free nor do I begrudge anyone earning money from their own endeavors like Bain. BHO and Mooshell have never earned an honest dollar.
Romney may well not be close to the best choice — he wasn’t mine but he is definitely the lesser of 2 evils. And we are not close to electing some 3rd party candidate yet.
You are illogical....Note that people were complaining and trying to do something about the spending (folks like Sarah Palin). Look I never said Bush was a conservative....I didn’t vote for him. So keep your high handiness to your own self. The libertarians were doing nothing at the time. The American independent party was doing nothing. Certainly the rest of all known political parties were doing nothing.
And if you are so worried about offending the Ds in government perhaps you are on the wrong board. Oh and yeah I am so underwhelmed by libertarian (non) logic. It is the weakness of the agnostic with all the moral outrage of the atheist
Please indicate what Bush big spending policies Palin critisized from January 21 2001 - January 19th 2009. Take your time. I’ll wait.
The point is too many Tea Party folks were AWOL when it came to Republican schnanigans. And one doesn’t need to be a cynic to notice the coincidental date when they became active. Not that help from RNC backed entities isn’t welcome. But they sure as heck shouldn’t be trusted or seen as genuine or given any plaudits for their past derelictions.
Tea Party folks weren’t AWOL....I would describe them as loosely cast. Like in the 1968 election and again in the 1980 election there are times when people are fed up have had more than enough and take their outrage to the polls. Just because people don’t do things the way you want them to does not mean they were not out there doing the business of conservatives.
Complain all you want. 2010 may have been a sea change if those who helped turned congress around stay active. If on the other hand they do what you do and complain about what was rather than working for what should be they will get the same result
have fun complaining it seems to be what you do best
“Tea Party folks weren’t AWOL....I would describe them as loosely cast.”
Sheesh talk about damning with faint praise. The bottom line is too many on FR and the Tea Party were quite content to see the GOP under Dubya explode Federal spending on nonsense. The reason this hypocrisy needs to be brought up at every opportunity is so that it isn’t repeated! Whether that’s a lost cause is another story. For all of the Tea Party’s vaunted strength, they sure had little impact blocking Romney from the GOP nomination.
No they weren’t they just didn’t do things the way YOU wanted them to. Put your ego aside and get to work rather than carping. Our country DEPENDS upon it.
“No they weren’t they just didn’t do things the way YOU wanted them to.”
I would hope that opposing big government garbage such as Medicare Part D would be something ALL conservatives would champion. Sadly few did. After all an “R” was proposing it so it was kosher.
Wrong again. And for the record I have opposed ( as has my family() ALL forms of medicare since the very beginning (in the late 50s and early 60s).
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