Ann Romney on 'Good Morning America': How'd she handle burning cookies?
Ann Romney of ABC鈥檚 鈥�Good Morning America鈥� Thursday a.m. At least, she was the focus of several segments, interviewed other guests, and cooked. Whether that makes her a co-host or a super-special normal guest is something network producers may argue about.
In any case, whatever her role, how did she handle it? She鈥檚 not as practiced at appearing on TV as is first lady Michelle Obama, after all.
As is normal in these situations, she seemed to do fine. The show staff should do its best to make her look good, after all: Ratings are at stake, as well as future guest spots if her husband wins the presidency. We say 鈥渟hould鈥� because there were a few glitches. The stove in the "GMA" kitchen seemed to be a Democrat, for one thing.
Mrs. Romney began her appearance standing in the kitchen baking her signature Welsh cakes. When host George Stephanopoulos threw the shot over to her, he asked her to talk about the background of the cookielike goods.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e burning.... I鈥檝e got a cookie emergency. The griddle鈥檚 too hot. But I鈥檓 here. I鈥檓 making Welsh cakes,鈥� were her first words.
She recovered quickly and ran through her spiel: Her Welsh grandmother had taught her how to make them, and now she was teaching her own grandkids. Her grandfather had gone to work in Wales at age 6, while her grandmother ate the cakes every afternoon at 3 p.m.
Her other notable turn was outside in Times Square, where she helped interview a Paralympian equestrienne named Becca Hart. Ms. Hart said her horse Lord Ludger (also present) had helped her maintain health in the face of crippling illness.
Romney, who has multiple sclerosis, agreed that riding has healing powers.
鈥淚鈥檓 right at home now. This is my most favorite place to be, with a horse,鈥� said Romney.
OK, then 鈥� does all this help her husband鈥檚 candidacy? We鈥檇 say absolutely. There is nothing like a compelling spouse to humanize otherwise stiff and/or remote politicians. See 鈥淢ichelle Obama,鈥� above.
Ann Romney鈥檚 own . Since April, her favorability ratings have gone up 12 percentage points, making her more popular than Cindy McCain was in 2008.
And there鈥檚 some evidence that Romney is a driving force behind the sudden revival of her husband鈥檚 prospects. Prior to last week鈥檚 debate, she and son Tagg intervened to push for a new and softer approach, according to a in Politico.
That doesn鈥檛 mean there aren鈥檛 potential pitfalls in some of the things Mrs. Romney is bringing up. Take the Welsh cakes. Her grandparents are a nice story, but what about her parents? Is she avoiding talking about them? Her father was a wealthy industrialist, after all. That didn鈥檛 come up on "GMA." Nor did her days at Kingswood, a Bloomfield Hills, Mich., school so lavish it鈥檚 used as a background for auto commercials.
The horse might be more problematic. Is it a reminder of Mrs. Romney鈥檚 own love for dressage, an expensive riding sport?
Of course, it鈥檚 possible the Romney campaign has decided that the dressage thing is a positive. We鈥檙e sure they鈥檝e polled about it, and if voters reacted badly to reminders that Mrs. Romney likes to ride, there is no way she would be appearing on morning TV next to a horse whose first name is Lord. It could be that voters see it as revealing a positive aspect to her character. She鈥檚 obviously passionate about the subject.
