# 2% of Americans think Romney's real first name is "Mittens" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 8, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195 "2012-02-08T15:25:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/41 "2012-02-09T19:14:43Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > In 50 years when you have to decide between candidates Aiden, Jayden, Kaden, Hayden, and Braeden, you will be longing for the days of Newt and Willard. Preach it. I don’t know any Kadens, but I got all the other ones covered. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/42 "2012-02-09T20:40:05Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I still don’t get it. Why is “Mittens” derogatory? > > (I guess it also sounds like something I’d name a cat whose feet are different colors then the rest of it, in which case I’d guess whether its insulting or not would depend on how you feel about cats.) You hit why I think it’s derogatory. It’s a name people give their pets when they want to give them a non-human name. Even if you like cats, you don’t necessarily think they are capable of running the country, except as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/43 "2012-02-09T23:45:13Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > So our next President will be named Willard, Newt or Barack? Truly, the dream of Millard Filmore, that one day Presidential Candidates won’t be judged by the wackiness of their first name but by the content of their character, has come to pass. i was thinking along these lines recently. newt and mitt have barack sounding like a very common name. newton leroy and willard milton… truely the days of john and mary are gone. i do know the full names of the candidates, i would not be able to resist checking off “mittens” on a survey. perhaps the 2% remembered mr romney was born in the “mitten” of michigan! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/44 "2012-02-10T00:02:38Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > i was thinking along these lines recently. newt and mitt have barack sounding like a very common name. > > newton leroy and willard milton It’s Willard Mitt Romney. “Mitt” might have originated with Milton, but Milton isn’t his legal name. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/45 "2012-02-10T01:12:24Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > It might be if I knew what the heck an Alerican was. 😃 The name of a fictitious culture if I ever write a scifi novel, that’s what. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/46 "2012-02-10T17:38:19Z")
Heard a great slipup on MSNBC this morning–amazed I didn’t think of this: Knute Rockne ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/47 "2012-02-10T17:51:59Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Even if you like cats, you don’t necessarily think they are capable of running the country, except as a joke. I know cats who could a much better job than several of the potential candidates. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/48 "2012-02-10T20:41:51Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Where does the “Mittens” thing come from? I’ve heard it a couple places, but I’m not really sure what the source is. I know Jon Stewart uses it on _The Daily Show_, but I don’t know if it originated there. Two percent? How big was the survey, a hundred people? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195/49 "2012-02-10T22:08:38Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I still don’t get it. Why is “Mittens” derogatory Same reason “Democrat Party” is derogatory. Is it because it is. > [@Chronos](#): > > The most relevant standard by which to judge a “real” name is what that person is most often called, or what they introduce themselves as. And in either case, for Mr. Romney, that means his “real” name is Mitt. As a middle-namer, people will often go “Ah, so that’s your real name?” to which I’ll replay “No, it’s just my first name.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-of-americans-think-romneys-real-first-name-is-mittens/612195.md?page=2)