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Presidential Politics Come Calling

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Craig Romney talks about the presidential campaign road trip he is on for his father, Mitt Romney, during a stop in downtown Sebring on Thursday.

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By Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today

Published: September 28, 2007

SEBRING — When Jean and Larry Lindemer heard Craig and Mary Romney were coming to town, they gathered up the family photo album.

Craig Romney is the son of the presidential candidate from Massachusetts. The Lindemers are from Michigan, where Larry was the chairman of the state Republican Party when Mitt's father, George, was governor.

When was that?

"Oh, gosh," the Lindemers looked at each other. For the record, the Internet says George Wilcken Romney was the chairman of American Motors until 1962, and governor from 1963 to 1969. Like Mitt Romney, George Romney was a presidential candidate in 1968, ultimately losing the Republican nomination to Richard Nixon.

Back to the Lindemers, who were wearing Mitt Romney for President stickers.

"We helped develop a judicial nominating committee to examine the qualifications of judges," Larry Lindemer said. "It's still in place today."

So when Craig and Mary Romney, both tall, thin and beautiful, walked in Marvin Kahn's office, the Lindemers brought out photos galore of Craig's grandfather, over which the current Romney generation oohed and aahed and asked to be photographed with.

The Romneys are in Florida for one week, crisscrossing Collier, Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Brevard and Indian River counties. They're driving the MittMobile, a motorhome.

Craig Romney, of course, was aware of the controversy over Florida's primary. Half of the delegates to the national GOP convention won't count because the primary is being held on Jan. 29, a week before the party has permitted an election.

And even though candidates aren't supposed to campaign here, Craig Romney said his father will be in the state.

"He's definitely planning to spend a lot time here," Romney said. It's just too important to pass up, he acknowledged.

Romney, 26, and his wife are Brigham Young University graduates. His job, at a New York City ad agency, is to set commercials to music. His work can be heard on Chase, Kraft, Marriott and Crayola commercials. These days, he's a freelancer so he can help his father run for president.

For people who say they can't vote for Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon and supposedly not a Christian, Craig Romney is glad for the religious debate, because now voters believe his father "is a man of good moral values, that his family is very important to him, and faith is important to him."

Mormans belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so they believe in the same god as Christians, Romney said.

"In my mind, you know, we believe in Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father," Romney said, "and that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world."

Mitt Romney was born March 12, 1947 in Detroit, and graduated from BYU the top of his class. In 1975, he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and in the top 5 percent of his Harvard Business School class.

At Bain Capital, he invested in Staples and Bed Bath & Beyond. In 1998, Romney was asked to come to Salt Lake City to save a faltering Winter Olympics. Romney slashed costs and at the end, the games turned a $100 million profit. Afterwards, he ran for governor of Massachusetts.

Kahn said he admires Romney because the governor took a state with a $3 billion deficit, and by the time he left office, he'd balanced the budget without raising taxes.

"Not only am I going to vote for him," said Kahn, a citrus grower, "I am the co-chairman of his campaign in Highlands County."

The other co-chairman is Ted Poliac, who said Romney has nothing to gain by running for president, except to serve his country.

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