Born And Bred

When Governor Romney comes to Michigan, he says every ridiculous thing
he can think of to say, but never, 'I was born in, or- I was raised, in Michigan."
I imagine he has a lot of unpleasant Michigan memories.
For one thing, his father was head of an auto company, which is supposed
to be one of the penultimate positions and industries in this country, and The
penultimate in Michigan. However, that company went broke, some years after
George Romney fashioned it as a future auto company powerhouse.
For another thing, the Romney family was Mormon; so none of the elite in the
auto baron culture would accept his family into the social folds of their worlds.
Auto elites built homes in the Grosse Pointes, and the women were
eligible for, and welcome in, The Junior League. The Romneys were not going
to fit into any of that. Perhaps their religion would not even have allowed it.
Consequently, he was then, and always will be, nouveau riche.
The Fords wouldn't even accept Lee Iaccoca into their societal bosom; and we all
know a guy couldn't be more top drawer than Iaccoca.
Henry Ford II couldn't get into the Yale club in college because he wasn't a
fifth or sixth generation millionaire. Auto industry titans were not ever after that
going to be in the mood to open their "elites" status to any relaxed rules or
acceptance without extreme rigor in requirements expectations. One either fit the
auto baron part of the Grosse Pointe mold, or one did not. The Romneys did not;
and for all their talk of "dressage", they never will. Though there is not one thing
wrong with that, I doubt 'the Mitt' will ever feel or believe that way.
Auto elite is a tough crowd. Mr. Romney's family wasn't even educated.
He was always on the outside looking in; so I know he would have loved Detroit
to go bankrupt, even though he is as American.
Oh, the scars of childhood.