# Mitt Romney's Dad on Welfare **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 6, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876 "2012-09-06T18:07:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/1 "2012-09-06T18:07:49Z")
Source [here](http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021274919). Romney’s dad got governmental help when he came here. To me this seems huge, but it came out yesterday and doesn’t seem to have gone viral, exploding around the world. Is it a big deal? I think it is. A huge theme of the Republican message this year is ‘We Built This’ and ‘Romney is self-made.’ My mind hears his dad got government handouts and sees this: [del]We Built It.[/del] Agree? Disagree? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/2 "2012-09-06T18:19:55Z")
Give it some time. Things like this take a little while to gather steam. I think it’ll get talked about a lot in the next couple of months. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/3 "2012-09-06T18:26:06Z")
BFD. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/4 "2012-09-06T18:34:44Z")
I didn’t watch the video, as I’m at work. Could you supply a couple of details: George Romney’s father (the primary breadwinner of that generation, presumably) ended up on welfare. How long were they on it? How did he get off of it? How would they have fared if welfare had not been available (i.e. did they have other resources, like extended family or the church)? For this to be really damaging, you’d have to be able to say: Mitt Romney got a head start because his father left him money (true?); George Romney only had money to leave because his family got help when he was a child. That’s pretty tenuous to me, even if the grandfather was on welfare for quite a while. It’s really George that was self-made (as an adult) and Mitt built on his inherited wealth. In short, I don’t think the full, true story of this would work against Mitt very much. I will be surprised if this shows up even in attack ads. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/5 "2012-09-06T19:15:47Z")
Welfare is a stereotype associated with Mormons, particularly the many-wife-having type that was George’s grandfather (Mitt’s g-grandfather). You know, have one legal 1040 wife, the rest are there to get on welfare. Mitt would say something like “times were different back then. Welfare is bad now. My dad was also one of the good Mexicans allowed to be on welfare.” ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/6 "2012-09-06T19:35:24Z")
Mitt’s mom said during that interview (about Mitt’s dad) that “he was a refugee from Mexico and was on Welfare relief for the first years of his life,” so I don’t think he was one of those “bleed the beast” Mormons like the FLDS. Sounds like his dad, or more likely his grandad, required some government assistance to get settled here. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/7 "2012-09-06T19:39:03Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Welfare is a stereotype associated with Mormons, particularly the many-wife-having type that was George’s grandfather (Mitt’s g-grandfather). You know, have one legal 1040 wife, the rest are there to get on welfare. No active, practicing “Mormon” currently has more than one wife: You are thinking of the various splinter groups and offshoot polygamous sects. ---
**Author:** ![moonshot925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/8 "2012-09-06T19:41:50Z")
DU and Daily Kos is not a source. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/9 "2012-09-06T19:48:12Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > DU and Daily Kos is not a source. Are you saying the video is a fake? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/10 "2012-09-06T19:48:21Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > DU and Daily Kos is not a source. Um…did you not see the video of Lenore Romney linked to within? Personally, I don’t give a damn whether his father was on welfare or not, and I don’t see this being played up as a big deal. (And I’m speaking as an Obama supporter.) ---
**Author:** ![moonshot925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/11 "2012-09-06T20:01:54Z")
Here is something interesting. [http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45934570#45934570](http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45934570#45934570) A video of George Romney in 1967. He says: > [@](#): > > **My parents were driven out of old Mexico when I was five. My parents were revolutionary refugees. They had to be fed by the United States government and clothed by the United States government.** ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/12 "2012-09-06T20:24:16Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Here is something interesting. > > [http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45934570#45934570](http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45934570#45934570) > > A video of George Romney in 1967. > > He says: So, “hey, look over there instead!” ---
**Author:** ![moonshot925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/13 "2012-09-06T20:25:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Um…did you not see the video of Lenore Romney linked to within? Personally, I don’t give a damn whether his father was on welfare or not, and I don’t see this being played up as a big deal. (And I’m speaking as an Obama supporter.) Maybe she’s lying. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/14 "2012-09-06T20:29:05Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Here is something interesting. \ No, what’s interesting is that the guy who so desperately wants to be seen as the boot strap puller upper, rugged individualist, self made successful man, the guy who preaches fiscal conservatism to the point of eviscerating the social safety net, the guy who is building his whole presidential campaign on the “I built it” lie – That guy’s family needed “welfare” to get their start. Now that’s interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/15 "2012-09-06T20:30:43Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Maybe she’s lying. And maybe you’re a poorer source of information than DU or Daily Kos. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/16 "2012-09-06T20:37:51Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > And maybe you’re a poorer source of information than DU or Daily Kos. No “maybe” about it, really. > [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > No active, practicing “Mormon” currently has more than one wife: You are thinking of the various splinter groups and offshoot polygamous sects. They call themselves (Fundamentalist) Mormons. Seems like an accurate term to me. Virtually all religious groups would like to disown one sect or another. That doesn’t make it valid. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/17 "2012-09-06T20:39:09Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Maybe she’s lying. This isn’t an argument, it’s just time-wasting. This is going to stop or you’re going to be out the door very soon. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/18 "2012-09-06T20:41:07Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > Maybe she’s lying. I suppose that’s possible, but your own link suggests the same. Honestly, I’m not sure why you linked to it, as it merely confirms what Lenore was saying. Look, like I said, I don’t really care. ---
**Author:** ![moonshot925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/19 "2012-09-06T20:42:57Z")
> [@CannyDan](#): > > No, what’s interesting is that the guy who so desperately wants to be seen as the boot strap puller upper, rugged individualist, self made successful man, the guy who preaches fiscal conservatism to the point of eviscerating the social safety net, the guy who is building his whole presidential campaign on the “I built it” lie – > > That guy’s family needed “welfare” to get their start. > > Now that’s interesting. George Romney and his parents received welfare assistance in El Paso in 1912 before moving to Los Angeles. These events were 35 years before Mitt was born, so what does it have to do with his life and experience? ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876/20 "2012-09-06T20:52:12Z")
> [@moonshot925](#): > > George Romney and his parents received welfare assistance in El Paso in 1912 before moving to Los Angeles. These events were 35 years before Mitt was born, so what does it have to do with his life and experience? Directly? Probably very little (more’s the pity). But there is considerable umbrage feigned by the GOP and its leadership, including Romney, over Obama’s remarks concerning self-actualization and the role of society and social infrastructure in “success”. This seems to include a belief that self made people are in fact just that – self made, independently, regardless of or even despite the infrastructure provided by society at large. And so I find it ironic, although not surprising, to learn that the iconic self made family required the assistance of social infrastructure as a precursor to later success. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-dad-on-welfare/633876.md?page=2)