What does "Trees the right height mean"?

[Drum God]

When speaking in Michigan several months ago, Gov. Romney said, among other things, that in Michigan, "the trees are the right height" and the crowd chuckled. Why does that statement resonate with conservatives in Michigan? Is it some local expression or something?

[zamboniracer]

It just means that at that point in time, the Romneybot's circuitry was amiss.

[nogravity]

I don't know but the first thing I thought of when he said that was the line from the old Harry Nilsson song 'The Most Beautiful World in the World'

Your mountains when you're mad
Your rivers when your sad
And those deep blue seas
I love you for your snow
Your deserts down below
I love the way you wear your trees
The most beautiful world in the world

[Ludovic]

Originally Posted by Drum God

When speaking in Michigan several months ago, Gov. Romney said, among other things, that in Michigan, "the trees are the right height" and the crowd chuckled. Why does that statement resonate with conservatives in Michigan? Is it some local expression or something?

I had heard that it didn't resonate with anyone in particular: do you have a cite that it does? (I'm genuinely interested and not snarking.) Rather, it was perceived as an "out of touch" moment where he tried to connect and failed, even in his home state.

I'm not sure why, it's just as substantive as a local sports team reference. I have similar similar feelings about the waterfalls, hills, humidity level, and air pressure in Upstate New York, which feel right to me having grown up near them. I could see myself making a statement like that if I were to run for office there.

[Andy L]

Originally Posted by Ludovic

I had heard that it didn't resonate with anyone in particular: do you have a cite that it does? (I'm genuinely interested and not snarking.) Rather, it was perceived as an "out of touch" moment where he tried to connect and failed, even in his home state.

I'm not sure why, it's just as substantive as a local sports team reference. I have similar similar feelings about the waterfalls, hills, humidity level, and air pressure in Upstate New York, which feel right to me having grown up near them. I could see myself making a statement like that if I were to run for office there.

Yeah, I don't think it's got any particular meaning other than "I grew up here and so this is the place that looks right to me."

[ElvisL1ves]

He's done it a bit more than once.

It means he's not comfortable speaking extemporaneously with "real people".

[Drum God]

Originally Posted by Ludovic

I had heard that it didn't resonate with anyone in particular: do you have a cite that it does? (I'm genuinely interested and not snarking.) Rather, it was perceived as an "out of touch" moment where he tried to connect and failed, even in his home state.

I'm not sure why, it's just as substantive as a local sports team reference. I have similar similar feelings about the waterfalls, hills, humidity level, and air pressure in Upstate New York, which feel right to me having grown up near them. I could see myself making a statement like that if I were to run for office there.

Maybe "resonate" was the wrong word. In the linked video, some people in the crowd seemed to chuckle when he made the trees remark.

I thought that maybe he was referencing some local folklore or expression. I was born and grew up in Austin, TX, where it has been more than 100F for the past week. Were I speaking to people there, I don't know that I would say "It doesn't seem that hot to me!" It isn't unusually hot, but it's still pretty darned hot out there.

"Trees the right height" just seems like such a weird way to say "I'm from around here." Referencing your boyhood trips to the local sports stadium or iconic restaurant is a better way. In Austin, I would say "I remember many great afternoons at Memorial Stadium watching Darryell Royal's Longhorns, watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture at the old Americana Theater, and taking dates to Amy's Ice Cream." Trees don't figure much into it.

[drewtwo99]

I thought he was trying to be funny in a folksy way.

[Askance]

The right height for what?

What would be a wrong height for a tree?

[Kobal2]

Originally Posted by Askance

The right height for what?

What would be a wrong height for a tree?

That's the joke, son.

[BobLibDem]

It's Mitt channelling his inner Conehead. "This vicinity appears to be favorable to me....the dominant vegatative lifeforms appear to be of the proper vertical dimension...."

[Frostillicus]

There is a fine line being chuckling at at laughing at.

[Rhythmdvl]

Originally Posted by Drum God

Why does that statement resonate with conservatives in Michigan? Is it some local expression or something?

It didn't, duh. He was talking about trees. It resinated.

[DoctorJ]

I've lived most of my life in eastern Kentucky, where Justified is mostly set. They get way more right about rural KY than they get wrong in terms of sets, clothes, accents, etc., but when they do outdoor scenes (especially with the hills in the backdrop) it's obvious to me that they're not shooting here. The best explanation I can come up with is "the trees are wrong".

I think that's more or less what Romney was getting at.

[Musicat]

Much like Lake Wobegon, "where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."

[lance strongarm]

Originally Posted by Askance

The right height for what?

What would be a wrong height for a tree?

I think he was simply saying that he was used to trees of that height. It was like being at home, after he was out somewhere in the country where the trees were huge, or tiny. It was a completely innocuous comment. The problem was that it was a really really weird way of saying it.

[TruCelt]

I can say that it absolutely gave me the willies. Down in Southern Georgia, where my Mother's family is from, if somebody starts talking about looking for a "A rope of the right length, and a tree of the right height . . ." that would be a relly good time to get the heck out of there. And if you see anyone around who looks like they might be vulnerable, for heaven's sake give them a ride!

[Procrustus]

Originally Posted by lance strongarm

I think he was simply saying that he was used to trees of that height. It was like being at home, after he was out somewhere in the country where the trees were huge, or tiny. It was a completely innocuous comment. The problem was that it was a really really weird way of saying it.

Yep. Not that mysterious really.

[Patty O'Furniture]

Originally Posted by TruCelt

I can say that it absolutely gave me the willies. Down in Southern Georgia, where my Mother's family is from, if somebody starts talking about looking for a "A rope of the right length, and a tree of the right height . . ." that would be a relly good time to get the heck out of there. And if you see anyone around who looks like they might be vulnerable, for heaven's sake give them a ride!

This was the first thing that came to mind. I thought "why, does he want to hang somebody?"

[JKellyMap]

I'm an Obama supporter. I live in Kansas, and I did a family road trip from here to New York and back last month. We passed through Michigan, coming from Chicago, and guess what....the trees in Michigan really DID impress me! Coming from the west, something about reaching a certain level of annual rainfall as you enter that state...anyway, I just had to laugh, because I suddenly had some idea of what Mitt had been trying to say. I dislike the man's policies (this year's policies, anyway!), but I have to say, with the "trees" comment, let's give the man a break.

[Fiddle Peghead]

Breaking News: Michael Moore agrees with Mitt Romney. I wonder how that would play with the conservative crowd!

[gamerunknown]

Hitler eats sugar?

[Zakalwe]

Originally Posted by Patty O'Furniture

This was the first thing that came to mind. I thought "why, does he want to hang somebody?"

Me too! I almost replied to this thread twice, but thought, "Nah, I'm probably the only one..."

[emcee2k]

That whole clip is just some really bumbling pandering. It's like he desperately trying to find the right pander. Trees? Lakes? Wait, no not the great ones, the little ones? Is it cars? It's cars, right?

[Beware of Doug]

But not the little ones.

[Sacrilegium]

Originally Posted by Frostillicus

There is a fine line being chuckling at at laughing at.

Are you OK?

[blondebear]

Trees are always the right height...don't you know? God makes them that way.

[hogarth]

Originally Posted by Askance

The right height for what?

The right height to reach the ground.

[Locrian]

To me it means, "We're white, rich, religious and the poor will pay our taxes."

[mack]

Originally Posted by Drum God

When speaking in Michigan several months ago, Gov. Romney said, among other things, that in Michigan, "the trees are the right height" and the crowd chuckled. Why does that statement resonate with conservatives in Michigan? Is it some local expression or something?

Maybe it's an inside joke for the tweakers in the audience because it sure looks like he can relate.

[Crab Rangoon]

Originally Posted by hogarth

The right height to reach the ground.

Maybe he was trying out a new pick-up line. Hey baby....do those roots go ALL THE WAY up??

[Robot Arm]

Originally Posted by Drum God

"Trees the right height" just seems like such a weird way to say "I'm from around here." Referencing your boyhood trips to the local sports stadium or iconic restaurant is a better way. In Austin, I would say "I remember many great afternoons at Memorial Stadium watching Darryell Royal's Longhorns, watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture at the old Americana Theater, and taking dates to Amy's Ice Cream." Trees don't figure much into it.

It's not always things that you're consciously aware of, though. Years after I moved to the east coast I was travelling out west and was struck by the huge, stacked interchanges where one freeway meets another. They don't really have many of those in the east; not on the same scale at least. The land here was pretty heavily populated already, and they had to squeeze things in where they could. In the west it seemed like they built with the expectation of people coming, and land was cheap so they could do what they wanted.

I could turn 360 degrees in my chair right now and tell you a dozen things that are different here from where I grew up, and that most people wouldn't give a thought to. Romney's comment about trees was kind of an awkward way to phrase it, but if that's the thing that he noticed, it's okay with me.