Sign of the Times – A Photo Shows Romney Backing Vietnam Draft
EmailMitt Romney might have to prepare to answer questions about his views on the war - the Vietnam War.
The website BuzzFeed today unearthed an Associated Press photo showing Romney, 19, holding a sign at a Stanford University protest in support of the draft in the Vietnam War in 1966.
The poster says “Speak out don’t sit in,” ostensibly referring to antiwar protesters at the school who had taken over the president’s office. The organizer of the 150-person protest in California told the website that Romney had spotted the pro-draft demonstration and volunteered to handle situations with the news media. Romney didn’t make the sign, said the organizer, Carey Coulter.
“He walked up to me and said that he had some experience with the press, and that he would handle the press for me if I wanted him to,” Coulter said of Romney. “He just saw the demonstration, was sympathetic to it obviously, and came up.”
His presidential campaign confirmed that Romney is “protesting the protesters” in the photo.
As a Mormon missionary, Romney was exempt from the Vietnam draft. The London Telegraph wrote last month that during his mission in France, Romney lived in a “palace” with two servants, not the image that the candidate conjured when he told supporters that he was “not living high on the hog” and was showering with a hose.
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I love it. He supports a draft when he knows he won’t have to serve.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | January 4, 2012, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
C’mon! Really ABC? Is Obama paying you to try and trash every GOP opponent with such slime reporting? Sure seems like it when you put out trash like this!
Posted by: Gunner_1959 | January 4, 2012, 4:28 pm 4:28 pm
Most Republicans running for office (Ron Paul is the exception) wanted others to go to Viet Nam and fight. Not them, nope, thats what cannon fodder jerks like my friends and I who believed in duty were for. That’s still the way they see it. They all want to go to war in Iran, stay in Afghanistan, kick North Korea’s butt, but just not with their kids. They’ll use mine thank you. Nope, I’m not voting for any of them. Chicken hawks all.
Posted by: Dave | January 4, 2012, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
The reason Romney doesn’t have a personal story to tell…… Romney was born with a silver spoon in his mouth from day 1. Most Americans can’t relate.
Posted by: rippedpockets | January 4, 2012, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
Why would a Mormon missionary be exempt anyway? I’m sure for Romney though that was a hell of a convenience. When did he become a missionary? Somehow I think in the nick of time!
Posted by: Lori | January 4, 2012, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
Lexington Lady: Just because you don’t like what you read doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Why wouldn’t you believe that Mitt dodged the draft by hiding as missionary in France and had two servants? Most of the so called “hawks” in those days never saw action in Vietnam, especially if their families were wealthy or politically connected. Mitt Romney was in both categories. Its so ironic that he was out there protesting against the protesters when he knew he wouldn’t go himself.
Posted by: Bosoxfan | January 5, 2012, 5:54 am 5:54 am
It’s easy to support a war when you know you won’t be part of it. I guess that means Romney didn’t give a crap about those who fought and came home in body bags, missing limbs, or dying of agent orange cancer – for a war that gained nothing. Well, somebody certainly gained – the military industrial complex and mega-rich investors. Sure it cost 50K+ lives but so what? At least rich people got richer. Hmm… that sounds familiar somehow.
Posted by: Joel Johnson | January 5, 2012, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
“Supporting the draft”???? That is NOT what that counter-protest seems to be about at all. There isn’t a single sign mentioning the draft. They are saying that the anti-war protesters need to TALK and not “Sit In” (ie disrupt the university and/or its classes). Support the Stanford president – not to support the Viet Nam War or the draft. The spin is absolutely ridiculous.
Posted by: Jim T | January 5, 2012, 3:34 pm 3:34 pm
To illustrate the total dishonesty of ABC’s spin, this photo was from 1966, but the first draft lottery didn’t even occur until December of 1969. This photo is from THREE FULL YEARS before the draft started. This is simply a false Democratic talking point trial balloon masquerading as news.
Posted by: Jim T | January 5, 2012, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
Romney was not a missionary at the time of the photo, so was not exempt “As a Mormon missionary” as stated. While he served a mission, he did have a deferral. He later also had a student deferral, but when that passed, he was eligible for the draft for at least three years and was not selected. Wikipedia is more accurate than these partisan articles.
Posted by: Jim | January 6, 2012, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
Even if Romney had been drafted, he would have gotten out of duty just like every other super rich kid at the time. Wars are waged by the rich few to pad the bottom line or crush a burgeoning country before it can show the world its (not-so-capitalist) successes, but they are fought by the poor masses who can’t buy a pass. Always has been, and with chickenhawk apologists in abundance, I imagine it will remain so.
Posted by: Steve | May 21, 2012, 9:00 pm 9:00 pm