This story has been around for some time. How much TV air time has it received? (TV news + older voters). They like sensationalist stories with celebs and animal mistreatment.

How did that work out with Mitt?

In Romney's defense - Irish Setters are the uppity stuck-up assholes of dog world.
Who the hell wants that sitting (or setting as it were) in the passenger compartment?

oldfarthenry: In Romney's defense - Irish Setters are the uppity stuck-up assholes of dog world.
Who the hell wants that sitting (or setting as it were) in the passenger compartment?

That's why you take them to a reputable kennel, or have a friend watch them

/Dogs don't belong on your vacation

Here's the 2008 (new window) greenlit thread, with a link to snopes.com, which also confirms what he did to the dog.

Everything old is new again!

cameroncrazy1984: Everything old is new again!

I Googled for this picture and Google took me to a Fark thread from last year. So I hotlinked it.



I hope I didn't just cause a time warp.

Party Boy: This story has been around for some time. How much TV air time has it received? (TV news + older voters). They like sensationalist stories with celebs and animal mistreatment.

How did that work out with Mitt?

if that story is true (and I suspect that most of it IS true...) then it says a lot about Romney's character. And none of it good.

Hmmmmmm this might just work. People get more outraged about cruelty to animals than they do about cruelty to people.

A man beat his wife? Meh, it happens.
A man beat his dog? CRUCIFY HIM!!!!!!

Walker: Hmmmmmm this might just work. People get more outraged about cruelty to animals than they do about cruelty to people.

A man beat his wife? Meh, it happens.
A man beat his dog? CRUCIFY HIM!!!!!!

animal abuse is an indicator of sociopathic behavior. Romney seems to have been showing early signs of a mental disease. sure, the story is old as dirt...but unless he sought treatment/therapy and actually was mentally ill, then odds are his disease has only gotten worse.

granted - being a self centered sociopathic dickhole probably only helps your political career...but it's probably a bad idea to give a remorseless authoritarian dickhole the keys to the nuclear kingdom.

Bears repeating (Sorry, Bathia, I know how you feel about that)...

From the click-through: Story about that trip: The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt Romney climbed behind the wheel to begin the annual 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario.

Romney put his boys on notice: He would be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it.

As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.

As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management.

Holy farking schitt. "Emotion-free crisis management" my lily white ass. This guy is scum, incapable of setting his personal convenience aside in favor of basic human decency. His dog had no power to stop him - so fark the dog. What's he gonna do about it? I can only imagine the solutions he'll come up with if given real power to determine the fates of people who have no power over him.

Anyone who would treat a dog this way is farking disgusting. I would never have voted for him in the first place, but fark all if I ever do anything that might remotely benefit him.

Benevolent Misanthrope: Holy farking schitt. "Emotion-free crisis management" my lily white ass. This guy is scum, incapable of setting his personal convenience aside in favor of basic human decency. His dog had no power to stop him - so fark the dog. What's he gonna do about it? I can only imagine the solutions he'll come up with if given real power to determine the fates of people who have no power over him.

Anyone who would treat a dog this way is farking disgusting. I would never have voted for him in the first place, but fark all if I ever do anything that might remotely benefit him.

I really do wonder if that's an indicator of a mental illness. that level of emotional disassociation seems almost unreal to me. And you're right - if Romney so detached from his emotions that he can offhandedly abuse his own pet, then why would anyone have reason to believe that he would have any sort of compassion towards his fellow human beings?

Weaver95: I really do wonder if that's an indicator of a mental illness. that level of emotional disassociation seems almost unreal to me. And you're right - if Romney so detached from his emotions that he can offhandedly abuse his own pet, then why would anyone have reason to believe that he would have any sort of compassion towards his fellow human beings?

I think we have a tendency to excuse this kind of behavior by saying it's a mental illness - the implication being, the guy isn't actually responsible, he's just sick and can't help it.

Fark him. I hold him personally responsible for his actions, including this one. He's not sick, he's an entitled, inconsiderate asshole. But I do agree it's only a matter of time before we start to hear about similar behavior toward humans.

Benevolent Misanthrope: I think we have a tendency to excuse this kind of behavior by saying it's a mental illness

For a presidential candidate?

Stories digging into old divorces, old sexual harassment issues, and old news letters got heavy rotation.
This country absolutely goes apoplectic over animal abuse.

Weaver95: if that story is true (and I suspect that most of it IS true...) then it says a lot about Romney's character. And none of it good.

Wheres the coverage equal to the negative coverage from other candidates?

Benevolent Misanthrope: I think we have a tendency to excuse this kind of behavior by saying it's a mental illness - the implication being, the guy isn't actually responsible, he's just sick and can't help it.

the alternative is to believe that Romney is just a sick bastard. which really makes one question just how f*cked up a society are we that someone like that could rise to leadership positions within the Republican party.

Fark him. I hold him personally responsible for his actions, including this one. He's not sick, he's an entitled, inconsiderate asshole. But I do agree it's only a matter of time before we start to hear about similar behavior toward humans.

makes you wonder how he reconciles his authoritarian smackdowns with his professed allegience to christian commandments to be forgiving.

Party Boy: Weaver95: if that story is true (and I suspect that most of it IS true...) then it says a lot about Romney's character. And none of it good.

Wheres the coverage equal to the negative coverage from other candidates?

i'm not sure I understand the question.

Weaver95: i'm not sure I understand the question.

Take Herman "Grope" Cain. Negative story had "X" amount of televised coverage.

Go down the list of GOP frontrunners du jour. Candidate crazy eyes to Newt. How much negative televised coverage of old info was there?

Now, we have a country that goes apoplectic, collectively, with stories of animal abuse. This story has been around for some time. Where is the televised coverage? Television being important for older voters.

whyRpeoplesostupid: That's why you take them to a reputable kennel, or have a friend watch them

/Dogs don't belong on your vacation

I think it depends on what the vacation consists of. If you're going out to a cabin in the mountains, why the hell wouldn't you want to bring your dog? If you're going to Disneyland, yeah, leave them with a trusted friend or relative ideally. If that's not a viable option, board them at a good place.

Either way, when it comes down to it, tie your farking suitcase to the roof before your dog, you farking sociopath.

Oddly, I made this for the debate thread last night. Strange that I would have chosen the image I did for Romney:

whyRpeoplesostupid: oldfarthenry: In Romney's defense - Irish Setters are the uppity stuck-up assholes of dog world.
Who the hell wants that sitting (or setting as it were) in the passenger compartment?

That's why you take them to a reputable kennel, or have a friend watch them

/Dogs don't belong on your vacation

This.

I work in the hotel/travel business and cannot count how many times the family wants to take Fido to a 5 star hotel.

Bathia_Mapes: Here's the 2008 (new window) greenlit thread, with a link to snopes.com, which also confirms what he did to the dog.

Pic from that thread
MrWhipee

Weaver95: Benevolent Misanthrope: I think we have a tendency to excuse this kind of behavior by saying it's a mental illness - the implication being, the guy isn't actually responsible, he's just sick and can't help it.

the alternative is to believe that Romney is just a sick bastard. which really makes one question just how f*cked up a society are we that someone like that could rise to leadership positions within the Republican party.

Fark him. I hold him personally responsible for his actions, including this one. He's not sick, he's an entitled, inconsiderate asshole. But I do agree it's only a matter of time before we start to hear about similar behavior toward humans.

makes you wonder how he reconciles his authoritarian smackdowns with his professed allegience to christian commandments to be forgiving.

In my experience, the religious are extremely adept at doing just that, throughout the ages. It would seem to be part and parcel of the whole gig.

dahmers love zombie: Oddly, I made this for the debate thread last night. Strange that I would have chosen the image I did for Romney:

[i.imgur.com image 595x1100]
[i.imgur.com image 640x266]

updated

Five Minute Standup: I'd say Romney's best bet is to score a couple touchdowns, maybe a Superbowl ring, and let it blow over.

Vick is a perfect example of the US's reaction towards animal abuse.

how did this ever come out?
did he insanely once cite this as one of his management successes/critical situation resolution skills or something?
that might actually make me question his judgement here more than anything else.

We're sorry, but the Presidential nomination process is currently closed!

qorkfiend: Five Minute Standup: Party Boy: Benevolent Misanthrope: I think we have a tendency to excuse this kind of behavior by saying it's a mental illness

For a presidential candidate?

Stories digging into old divorces, old sexual harassment issues, and old news letters got heavy rotation.
This country absolutely goes apoplectic over animal abuse.

I'd say Romney's best bet is to score a couple touchdowns, maybe a Superbowl ring, and let it blow over.

Fine, as long as he does his jail time first like Vick.

Vick didn't do any time for his abuse of animals.

And for the record, every time one of those horribly depressing 'animal abuse' commercials comes up on the TV, I get up and get the cats a treat and apologize to them for the human race being a bunch of assholes.

Party Boy: Bathia_Mapes: Here's the 2008 (new window) greenlit thread, with a link to snopes.com, which also confirms what he did to the dog.

Pic from that thread
MrWhipee
[farm3.static.flickr.com image 450x264]

One of my favorite comments from that thread: Wembly81: The dog didn't just happen to have diarrhea. It was so terrified and freaked out that it lost control of its bowels. Romney then hosed it down and put it back on the roof - now wet, in addition to being freezing cold and ridiculously stressed out. This was cruelty. Perhaps out of ignorance, but his response (a hose and a return to the trip) and his further response to criticism shows terrible judgment and horrid empathy. I'd like to strap him to the roof of a jet and let him go for a ride.

Shaggy_C: We used to put dogs in the bed of the truck all the time when we would be hauling across the country. As long as they A) don't have the wind blowing directly in their face, and B) they get to take rest stops just like people do, I really don't see the problem. The way some of you people are acting, he strapped the dog down on the roof staring directly into the wind with its eyes propped open Clockwork Orange-style while driving 90+ MPH in -15 degree weather.

And if they spray fear-diarrhea out their ass do you hose them down and put them back in the same place? If so, you are a truly swell guy. A real problem-solver.

Bathia_Mapes: One of my favorite comments from that thread: Wembly81: The dog didn't just happen to have diarrhea. It was so terrified and freaked out that it lost control of its bowels. Romney then hosed it down and put it back on the roof - now wet, in addition to being freezing cold and ridiculously stressed out. This was cruelty. Perhaps out of ignorance, but his response (a hose and a return to the trip) and his further response to criticism shows terrible judgment and horrid empathy. I'd like to strap him to the roof of a jet and let him go for a ride.

Yep.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your GOP frontrunner.

Shaggy_C: Sabyen91: And if they spray fear-diarrhea out their ass do you hose them down and put them back in the same place? If so, you are a truly swell guy. A real problem-solver.

I suppose you would just never take your pet anywhere if it suffered from car sickness? Our old cat used to throw up every single time we would load it into the car. Now which is more cruel in your eyes, a cat that is forced to become sick once in a while by riding in the car, or a cat that doesn't get its proper shots at the vet and dies a horrible suffering death from rabies? The way the story goes, he even built a special windscreen for the dog - my assumption is that it had a history of shiatting all over the place every time they took it in the car, so he planned on making the trip without the whole family having to suffer through it.

Car sickness? That is what you call it?

Shaggy_C: Sabyen91: And if they spray fear-diarrhea out their ass do you hose them down and put them back in the same place? If so, you are a truly swell guy. A real problem-solver.

I suppose you would just never take your pet anywhere if it suffered from car sickness? Our old cat used to throw up every single time we would load it into the car. Now which is more cruel in your eyes, a cat that is forced to become sick once in a while by riding in the car, or a cat that doesn't get its proper shots at the vet and dies a horrible suffering death from rabies? The way the story goes, he even built a special windscreen for the dog - my assumption is that it had a history of shiatting all over the place every time they took it in the car, so he planned on making the trip without the whole family having to suffer through it.

And yes, of course I wouldn't take a pet with a habit of shiatting everywhere on a long car ride. That would only make sense.

Where was the liberal outrage when Obama....uh....

Well remember how Dems gave Bill Clinton a pass when he took Socks.....errrr....

We're going to have a problem here.

/ACORN
//Rev Wright!
///57 states!!!1!
////anything?

Shaggy_C: Sabyen91: Car sickness? That is what you call it?

Diarrhea is a common symptom of motion sickness in dogs. Do you even have pets, Sabyen?

I have two cats. They don't like car-rides so I don't take cross-country trips with them. And they don't even spray shiat all over the place.

Weaver95: And for the record, every time one of those horribly depressing 'animal abuse' commercials comes up on the TV, I get up and get the cats a treat and apologize to them for the human race being a bunch of assholes.

I have dogs and cats (living together), but I find those ads too depressing to carry the message usefully.

MisterRonbo: Where was the liberal outrage when Obama....uh....

Well remember how Dems gave Bill Clinton a pass when he took Socks.....errrr....

We're going to have a problem here.

/ACORN
//Rev Wright!
///57 states!!!1!
////anything?

Obama eats a live Corgi every single night. It's true. I read it on WND.

Why is animal abuse sometimes thought more emotionally sympathetic than human abuse? It shouldn't be but it sometimes is and it's a complicated question I guess. Some people think of animals as innocent but they're really no more innocent than a human child.

Anyway, the question in TFA, "Does Romney's dog incident make you less likely to vote for him?" I can honestly say that this issue has no bearing on whether or not I vote for him.