Ann Romney refuses to discuss "hot-button issues"

Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, waves as she walks up to the podium during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

(CBS News) Ann Romney on Friday declined to answer questions about same-sex marriage and birth control during an interview with an Iowa TV station, calling them "hot-button issues that distract from what the real voting issue is going to be ... the economy and jobs."

In the interview with NBC affiliate KWQC in Davenport, Romney delivered a message to female voters: "Trust my husband, he does not fail, he will not fail." But when asked for her thoughts on whether a lesbian mother should be allowed to marry her partner and if employer-provided health insurance should be required to cover birth control, she said she was doing the interview to talk about her husband Mitt Romney and economic issues.

When pressed by the reporter, who said a Pew Research Center poll showed that both issues ranked as "important" or "very important" to women, the wife of the GOP nominee turned to her own experiences campaigning for her husband.

"I've spoken with thousands of women and they are telling me, they're telling me a couple of things," she said. "One they say they're praying for me which is really wonderful, and then they're saying, 'please help, please help. We are so worried about our jobs.

[thebob-bob]

We've told you people all you need to know. We'll tell you what's important in this election. We've decided that your question is not relevant. If you don't ask me the questions that we've decided are important, I just won't answer them. Trust my husband, he will not fail.

Classic religious wife answer. Let the men decide and support them, no matter what!

[AttyFAM]

It is so sad to see her forced out into the public eye by her husband when she is so clearly very unready to meet the press. It makes Romney look bad. He is the tyrannical husband and she the submissive female.

[Lindag20]

She's like a child thrust into a role she's not ready to assume. Obviously she's been under Mitt's thumb her whole married life and only knows how to be the "perfect wife".

[michaelz06]

Geez, what a crock, spewed from an obviously liberal viewpoint. She is doing just fine.

[Verascity]

She shouldn't speak if it would get her husband in trouble or if she has nothing substantive to say.

[AttyFAM]

Do you think that Michelle Obama would have had any trouble with those questions? Or Hilary Clinton?

[calif7]

Ann does not volunteer to answer questions that concern many women. Her husband does not volunteer to serve his country in Vietnam after demonstrating in support of the war, instead choosing five years of academic and religious deferments. Mitt will not voluntarily release more than two years of tax returns(still only one year released,) unlike his father and President Obama, who released 12 years worth. Not one of the five Romney sons stepped up and volunteered to serve in the military during the last decade of war. Seems to be a family pattern. Yet we are told to just trust Mitt. Please spare us.

[Annie0727]

I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you for this thoughtful post.

[Lindag20]

by VooDooChile- September 8, 2012 4:17 PM EDT
How can that be when I'm a straight monogamous married man with kids.
Do you think I want to be like you and your friends?
Yuck and Gross!
LOL! :)
______
If you ACTUALLY are married (which I doubt as no self-respecting woman would put up with you) then you must be married to a doormat.

[Lindag20]

Zenia: He certainly is abusive and the stuff he posts is cyberbullying. Since Fox shut down their comment board a few months ago, these nuts have migrated here.

[Lindag20]

VooDoo: So you're not REALLY married after all. HAHAHAHA

[michaelz06]

Personally, I think her choice to not allow a reporter to deflect her from the message she was trying to convey was politically astute. The most important part of this election is not these side show issues, but rather much more universal concerns like the economy, jobs, foreign policy, etc. These are pretty far down the priority list.

[Annie0727]

Well, Michaelz06, It is a woman's issue and not a side show for us. That kind of view is exactly why the conservatives are losing women's votes. Perhaps if the women in the party sat around to discuss vasectomies, your ability to get prostate checks and that little blue pill you would better understand. Just sayin...

[michaelz06]

Annie, while you are worrying yourself sick over whether lesbians can marry, the country's economy is in the toilet. You will pardon me if I choose to focus first on that...and if you don't, then I am afraid you are a classic example of why Ron White says "you just can't fix stupid".

[walkthetalk]

My Dear Mrs. Rommey Plese! Don't revel anything to our fair and unbiased Media ABC, CBS, CNN, PBS,i.e. and Don't even look in direction of the Voice of Truth The HUFFING-A-TON POST . These Slimball Swallors , Outhouse Cleaners, Sidewalk Slugs and Garbage can Lickers are just Dieing for to make a miniscule miscue. They haven't even dryed off, form crawling around looking DNA evidence in Sarah Palin's Septic Tank. These Perv's Trolls, Minions, Thugs, and Gangsters, live on the Crumbs, Drivel, that fall their Dear Leaders Mouth, While others feast at his Commode. Their Dear Leader has convinced them that all wealthy people or Evil and their money is really belongs to them. DON'T I REPEAT! DON'T GIVE THEM SQUAT,NADA,

[GoUnion86]

People like you would be the end result of Mitt Romney's plan to cut education. This looks like the work of a third grade student.

[EveryWord]

Man, that's like reading a poorly-written comic book, w/o the pictures. If you're a product of American education, then we ARE in trouble ....

[JonnyChepe]

Ann Romney isn't running for public office.

----WAKE UP AMERICA BEFORE IT'S ALL GONE----
---------VOTE CONSERVATIVE 2012-----

[Lindag20]

And let the rich take whatever you have now.

[retmw1]

But her husband is and she will represent America as the first lady.

[jjbologna]

If you are going to ask her about this questions, then you must ask the same questions to Michelle Obama. It's not fair to pick on one side while the other side gets a pass.

This November will be a sweeping victory for the GOP because of all the lies by this administration and the media biased friends. Americans now see through all the BS an know that this President and his party will be fired.

[Annie0727]

Well, if you listened to Michelle Obama speak at the convention, you would have heard her views. Ann Romney either has no views, or does not want to reveal them for fear that they will not be popular and cost her husband the vote. One other possiblity, her opinions are wrapped in her husband's tax records hiding things they do not want the public to know. Go on FactChecker to see who is lying, JJBologna. If you want to vote for conservatives, Godspeed. But trying to justify it but not having the facts is pathetic.

[Lindag20]

VooDoo: If you're the spokesperson for "decent Conservative women", this country needs to be protected from them. The nature and content of YOUR posts leads me to say this.