Having missed out on the critical prep-school haircut story, the New York Times is playing catch-up. Today’s front-page, deeply reported story concerns — drumroll please — Mrs. Romney’s horseback-riding hobby. She took it up as therapy for multiple sclerosis, the paper acknowledges. But readers will want a glimpse into the “Romneys’ way of life, which they have generally shielded from view.”
The Times’s crack investigative team has unearthed some really critical information here: 1) it’s expensive to buy horses, 2) when buying and selling horses, the parties sometimes squabble about foot injuries, horse tranquilizers, and other fascinating equine stuff, 3) the Romneys are supporting a trainer/Olympic hopeful who does dressage, 4) said trainer was once sued and, oh boy, prepare yourselves, hired a veterinarian who supported Romney for president in 2008.
Well, I guess after this we can just call off the election in November.
Really, doesn’t this agonized search for something — anything — with which to discredit Romney feel desperate and deeply silly? What an absolutely unblemished life the man must have lived if all they can come up with is that he pulled some unkind pranks in high school and HE’S RICH!! Well, let the Times tell it:
Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was also drawn in. He chose the music that Mr. Ebeling has ridden to in competitions, from the movie “The Mission.” He also took up trail riding. In a recent conversation with Sean Hannity of Fox News not meant for broadcast but leaked to the Internet, Mr. Romney showed a familiarity with expensive, esoteric breeds, mentioning his wife’s Austrian Warmbloods and his own Missouri Fox Trotter — “like a quarter horse, but just a much better gait.”
What a scandal!
Addendum: And Romney has demonstrated good taste in music. Great score in The Mission!