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Carole Mikita reportingPolitical reporters have talked for weeks about Mitt Romney's well-organized army of volunteers, including members of his extended family. We talked with one of them today, who lives in Utah.
Timothy "Mitt" Robinson grew up in a large family in which politics was topic A during family reunions.
"Political events, world events, those kinds of things were discussed, usually vehemently," he said.
He worked for his Uncle Mitt's Senate campaign in Massachusetts in 1994, and then again when Romney was elected governor of that state in 2002. He remembers a big family meeting in Park City when there was talk of a presidential run.
"In July of 2006 we had this family reunion. He kind of raised this issue that he might run for president of the United States," Robinson said. "Mitt said at that event, when you run for president, if you lose, it's because more people in the country hate you than like you. So, those are the stakes, kind of."
Robinson credits his grandfather, Governor George Romney, as the inspiration behind the presidential candidacy.
"My grandfather was the one that really pushed him and prodded him to enter public life and give back in that way. [He] had that vision for his son," Robinson said.
Robinson was in Iowa for the straw poll when his Uncle Mitt came in first. But he says no one in the family expected him to stay there unchallenged. Robinson says he's confident about Iowa and New Hampshire, but whatever happens, it's been incredible.
"He could take one, he could take both. He could lose both. But he could be the Republican nominee. He has as good a shot as anyone else, if not slightly better, and for that to be true is just remarkable," he said.
Robinson travels to New Hampshire Saturday where he will spend 72 hours before the primary making phone calls, knocking on doors and driving voters to and from the polls on behalf of his Uncle Mitt.
