by Mark Silva
"Ask Mitt Anything,'' as the presidential candidate's campaign theme goes.
Just don't ask the former governor of Massachusetts how many counties the Bay State back home has
Campaigning through the small farm towns of eastern Iowa, the Boston Globe found the former governor coming face to face with a hometown civics question that he couldn't answer.
At the Wilton Candy Kitchen in little Wilton, which claims to be the "oldest ice cream parlor/soda fountain in the world," Romney told a crowd of mostly senior citizens that his son Josh is near completion of a 99-county tour of all Iowa's counties.
A woman had a question for the candidate: "How many counties are in Massachusetts?"
"Thirteen," replied Ronney.
To the side, an aide shook his head and said, "Ten."
"Oh, no, I think it's 13," Romney said. "Not like your 99."
Then he paused, the Globe's Lisa Wangsness reports. ""So, anyway, we have very, very few."
"Ninety-nine counties," Romney said, on the rebound. ""Why didn't you get to 100?"
The crowd laughed. A spokesman for Romney said he later "corrected the record.''
It's 14.
• 
• 
• 
Comments
13 or 14 counties? That's a story?
Meanwhile, Sen. Obama's statement in last Tuesday's debate that Canada's leader is a "president" (Canada's leader is the prime minister) goes unmentioned by his Tribune flacks.
Posted by: Bruce | August 9, 2007 10:13 AM
Obama says "President of Canada", Mitty says "13 counties"
The next thing you know, they will be previewing questions before they are asked, just so the presidential candidates can at least look like they have a clue.
Posted by: Bella | August 9, 2007 10:26 AM
For Mitt, county counting is like a NRA membership - it's all so new.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 9, 2007 10:31 AM
As a native ex-pat Iowan, it's always fun to see the places I grew up with in the national news - like the Wilton Candy Kitchen, or the Hamburg Inn in Iowa City, or the Marshalltown Made Rite.
It still seems so weird that once every four years people flock to Iowa by the thousands to cover the pitchmen (and women) roaming the state in search of votes.
Posted by: EK | August 9, 2007 11:09 AM
I wonder if Barack Obama knows how many counties are in Illinois? I've been reading lately how the press will not ask Barack questions about Illinois because Barack can't answer most questions about Illinois. Hard to get Barack to answer a question about the ethics problems occuring in the Illinois Democratic party circles or the fact that it's Aug. 9 and we still don't have a state budget -- a story the Tribune seems to be ignoring or burying as well.
Posted by: John D | August 9, 2007 11:14 AM
I agree, this is not a story. Somebody should have asked Frenchy what his policy is on illegal immigration:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/01/illegal_immigrants_toiled_for_governor/
Posted by: Bubba | August 9, 2007 12:08 PM
Ask Mitty Anything?
How about this sir?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u09CgZ3m5_A&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edailykos%2Ecom%2Fstory%2F2007%2F8%2F8%2F2315%2F38575
Posted by: John E | August 9, 2007 1:09 PM
EK,
I'm a ex-pat Iowan too. The best joke on the subject I ever heard is:
In a hundred years or so, there will only be one Iowan left. He will have a plow 250 miles wide and can plow the state in two passes.
The less flattering joke is: If the United Sates ever needs an enema, Des Moines will be where it is given.
Iowa, a great state to be from.
Posted by: Iowa farmer | August 9, 2007 1:13 PM
You mean the one term former governor from MA doesn't know how many counties there are in the commonwealth of MA?? Does he know what the capital on MA is?? What about the state bird or flower?? What's its most populated city?? Good going Mitty. You the man.
Posted by: Doug R. | August 9, 2007 2:04 PM
"Ask Mitt Anything,''
Nah...loser.
Posted by: Former Brainwashed Republican | August 9, 2007 5:37 PM
Massachusetts doesn't have any counties.
It has Socialist Republics.
Posted by: Lafayette | August 9, 2007 6:05 PM
"MITT ROMNEY CLUELESS IN HIS OWN REPRESENTED STATE"
GOP MAN, DELUSIONAL AT BEST. BUT HE KNOWS WHY HIS SONS HAVEN'T TALK TO THEIR LOCAL RECRUITER.
MITT KNOWS THAT THIS OCCUPATION IS A JOKE AND HE WOULDN'T LET HIS BOYS EVEN WORK FOR HALLIBURTON OR BECHTEL. HE KNOWS THAT THIS IS MERELY AN OCCUPATION FOR CONTRACT.
HE KNOWS THAT THIS WAR ON DADDY BUSH'S SLAP IN THE FACE IS NOT EVEN WORTH THE MENTIONING. HE ONLY DOES BECAUSE IT MAY BE PART OF THE GOP STOOP AMERICA ROLE FOR THE DAY.
GIVE ME A BREAK....HOW ABOUT A MEANINGFUL DEBATE MITT, WE KNOW YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE STATE YOU SO CALLED REPRESENTED.
LONG LIVE NANCY PELOSI!
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 9, 2007 7:02 PM
Let's ask Mitt why he had undocumented Guatamalins doing landscape work at his home.
Posted by: RomanB | August 9, 2007 7:10 PM
Alternate Caption;
'And ever since my hand has been frozen in this position!'
Posted by: C.Morris | August 10, 2007 1:52 PM