Ann Romney Says No to ‘Dancing With the Stars’

[DonViejo]

Source: ABC News

It looks like Ann Romney’s dancing partner will still only be Mitt. Despite an offer from “Dancing With the Stars” to dance for the mirror ball trophy in the upcoming season, she turned the show down.

A Romney adviser confirms to ABC News that she was approached by “DWTS” and she declined the offer. The news was first reported by TMZ.

The adviser notes that Romney “loves to dance” and is a “fan of the show.” She went to last season’s finale with her son Matt as former TV personality Melissa Rycroft won, claiming the title of “Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars“ champion over former Olympic athlete, Shawn Johnson.

TMZ reported the one-time potential first lady “seriously considered” the offer, but the adviser says she only did in the context of her love of dance and the show and “seriously considered” is going too far.

-30-

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/01/ann-romney-says-no-to-dancing-with-the-stars/

[jsr]

1. And she can't send her horse?

[LibGranny]

38. ROLFMAO!

[Zorro]

47. She'd say yes to "Prancing with the Stars", though

[Kalidurga]

2. Well I am hating her a little less

Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Now, go away Ann.

[tk2kewl]

3. and i say...

thank goodness!


...and some dancing mormons...

#!

[snooper2]

12. Mormons like to get down like everybody else!

FLASHMOB LOL

[MADem]

23. The kid with the buzz is the only one who knows what he's doing, it would seem...

That said, there are professional dancers on DWTS who are Mormons...not sure how "devout" they are, but they were raised in that culture.

Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has been one of the most recently publicized Mormons, but he is not the only notable follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Several competitive dancers made the list, including ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” alum and girlfriend to Ryan Seacrest Julianne Hough. Raised in Utah, Hough is no longer on the show, and has been pursuing a career in singing and acting. She has been in the films “Burlesque” and 2011 remake of “Footloose.”
Hough’s “Burlesque” co-star, Christina Aguilera, is rumored to have been raised Mormon, as her parents were said to have met at Brigham Young University, a private Mormon university in Utah.
Julianne Hough’s brother, Derek Hough, who is also Mormon, is still competing on the show. He has won the competition’s mirror ball trophy three times while partnered with the shows current host Brooke Burke, Pussycat Doll songstress Nicole Scherzinger, and “Dirty Dancing” actress Jennifer Grey. He made it to the finals in the last season, with television host Ricki Lake.
Lacey Schwimmer, who is also a professional dancer on “Dancing with the Stars,” was raised Mormon.

Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/12-celebrities-you-didnt-know-were-mormons-66832/#eCRvrk4WO3wTEoWX.99

Can't have a drink? Might as well dance, I suppose...

[WI_DEM]

4. Dancing with the stars keeps wanting these Republican hacks on their show.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Ratings.

The Bristol Palin brigade can't be easy to top.

[Tom Ripley]

5. Meghan McCain anxiously waits by the phone

[BainsBane]

7. I thought she already did it?

Seriously. Am I wrong?

[MADem]

27. Nope. Not asked. They keep asking Sarah Palin, too, and she keeps giving them the stiff arm. nt

McCain works for NBC part time; DWTS is an ABC franchise. Perhaps that's the difficulty.

[BainsBane]

6. Lol

I just knew their fate had to do with Dancing with the stars. Surely Tagg or Josh can pinch hit.

[RedstDem]

8. good for her

she has a modicum of dignity, unlike others that shall remain nameless

[WeekendWarrior]

11. Dignity?

She ain't from Downton Abbey, for chrissakes.

[MADem]

28. Dignity? Did she lose that when she used the "You PEOPLE" term to Robin Roberts?

I have known spiders with more "dignity" than Queen Annie.

My fervent wish is that she saddle up and prance off the public stage forever, never to return.

[RedstDem]

45. I hope for the same....

but, plz spare our little 8 legged buddies the shame of being compared to America's queen in waiting.
they do a lot of good things, eating stink bugs comes to mind....lol

[AllyCat]

9. Well, that is a good decision.

Glad to see she can think straight on something.

[WeekendWarrior]

10. OH, THANK GOD. nt

[beveeheart]

19. My thought exactly!

[FarPoint]

13. I heard during the campaign season

That she has Multiple Sclerosis. Makes sense to decline a dance competition show.

[MADem]

26. Paul McCartney's ex-wife only had one leg--didn't stop her.

An illness or some other condition that must be overcome (like weight or a missing leg) makes the challenge more interesting to the viewer. It's part dance contest and part popularity contest--perhaps she didn't feel sufficiently popular?

She probably has two left feet, or she doesn't want to deal with the riff-raff on a regular basis. I thank her for her decision; my family watches that program!

[FarPoint]

32. MS is a neuromuscular, autoimmune disease.

Legs are frequently the target. Such stress of a daily dance competition could also trigger an exacerbating cycle and/ injury. I think with MS there are brain lesions.

[MADem]

33. I know what it is.

She got the best care, and she's pretty much asymptomatic. She didn't have any trouble with the grueling campaign trail. She didn't take many days off, either.

Heather did it on ONE leg. Fucker Carlson did it from a chair.

They make allowances on that show. She just didn't want to do it, and for that, I am pleased.

[FarPoint]

34. No need to be snippy.......

I don't like her as a person either....I just thought I would add that her disease is probably the real deterrent. We won the election...I'm so over her princess persona...it-she is just another citizen.

[MADem]

35. Huh?

I am not being "snippy."

I think you misread my tone.

I am familiar with that program...it's a staple in my home; when it is on, I do not control the remote.

I'm familiar with how it works as a consequence. It's more about the viewer's votes than the judges' scores.

[FarPoint]

36. Okay........

[LibGranny]

39. bRISKET PALIN and that mother of 8 (I forget her name) but did the show with steel

rods up their butts!

[bitchkitty]

43. I can't stand Ann Romney.

But that sure is one heartless fucking point of view.

Read up on MS. As a friend to several people who are struggling with this disease, you make me sick.

[MADem]

48. What is a heartless point of view?

Another person who hasn't seen DWTS, I'm assuming.

Same to you.

[AtheistCrusader]

15. 2016

Mark my words. Her and her shithead husband will be back. Guarandammntee it.

I bet Romney can't even do the two-step. WHY YES I LOVE TO *ISSUE OF THE MOMENT* HERP_BLEEEP SQUAK THIS DANCE FLOOR IS PRECISELY THE RIGHT VALUE OF HARDNESS BOOP EEEP

[AAO]

18. And made from Michigan trees - just the right height!

[Beacool]

17. Why would they even ask her????

The woman has MS, did they really think that she could handle the training or are they just being cruel jerks????

[MADem]

24. They've had very overweight people, very old people, a one-legged person...

and people like Bristol Palin who dance with the grace of a zamboni gliding over gravel.

They were looking for the GOP demographic, and maybe a little of the Mormon one.

It's not just a "dancing" contest--it's a popularity and personality contest, too. People who suck on that show get pushed on to the next round because people vote for them over the telephone.

[Beacool]

40. I didn't know.

I really hate reality shows and don't watch any of them, but I do know that the training is very hard. I do remember Bristol being a participant, but I wasn't interested in watching the show.

[MADem]

41. It's hilarious. It's live, which adds to the interest, they have variety acts on the "results'

portion (a famous singer, like, say Adele, and a dance troupe, often) and you see people fall on their butts, make the wrong steps, faint dead away, get dropped--all high drama. Wild costumes, very ambitious dance numbers, and yes, a lot of work--they all improve, even the ones who SUCK so bad you're in pain watching them (Bristol Palin was horrible, but she got slightly better even while still stinking, eg--Martina Navratilova was ghastly too, though her costumes looked good).

If you're so into it that you're "vested" you can vote on the phone (or hand the phone to the kids and let them fight over it) as well as on the internet.

And of course, Tom Bergeron, local Massachusetts gent out of Haverhill, is the host. He keeps things moving, he's witty, and it's all a great deal of fun. It's one of the better things on network tv, IMO! Not that I have a choice...majority rules and if I didn't care for it, I'd be surfing the net!

[Beacool]

52. Thanks for the explanation.

It does sound like fun. I'll watch one episode and see if I like it.

[bitchkitty]

44. She won over Brandy, who performed a breathtaking waltz,

because her fans found out how to beat the voting system.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/112618/are_bristol_palin_dwts_fans

http://jezebel.com/5691445/how-palin-conservatives-are-cheating-the-dwts-voting-system

Some quotes from teabagger fans:

Here's a hint: They don't have to be VALID email addresses to register them with ABC.com, there is apparently no validation process. The just have to be formatted like a valid email address, and you must use a valid zip code and a birthdate that makes you old enough to vote. I'm voting like a democrat, all night long…

No, it doesn't have to be a valid email address – I had one of my anonymous ones [e-mail] that I used, and then just did the sign-up process all over again with [e-mail] and it worked.

Got my 80 votes in online…took 2 hours. I am beat

I only got 42 in, I have some catching up to do!

Lord have mercy, I voted for 3 hours online! I got 300 in.

[Beacool]

53. So in the long run it's more about popularity than talent?

It sounds like high school.

[MADem]

56. It's a bit of both...but the geeks often get pushed forward.

It isn't always the "cool kids" that win. So it is like high school, but a high school where the cheerleader and the varsity athlete don't always have the advantage.

For example, George Hamilton should have gotten the axe long before he did, but his "comedic stylings" (and he was hilarious) appealed to older viewers, so they kept him on with their votes. Same with Cloris Leachman--in terms of absolute ability to do the dips and fancy steps, eh--she was in her eighties, after all--but her "value added" to the show with her personality and clever quips made her a fan favorite. Jerry Springer was another contestant who was too old and too slow, but people voted for him because his performances were "fun" even while not being perfect. Because Chaz Bono was the first transgender contestant, he was "saved" a number of times even though he really didn't have the dancing chops--it was more of a "solidarity" vote than a "talent" vote. Kirsty Alley, who was substantially overweight (though she could dance, with some wheezing) gave it her all and provided a lot of memorable moments. America watched her lose a ton of weight by literally "dancing her ass off" and she almost won. Same with Marie Osmond, who parlayed her DWTS gig into a Weight Watchers endorsement--she provided some drama by fainting dead away after doing one of her numbers.

The professional dancers who teach/train the celebrities and do the choreography and costuming also have fan followings and are well known to the people who watch the show regularly.

Usually, though, at the very end, as the contestants enter the semi-finals, the last people standing have some serious ability. The dances get harder and the judges get shittier the longer the show goes on. The judges can, and do, give out ass chewings to both the contestants and the professional dance partners if they don't "follow the rules" or give a sufficiently rigorous performance. That kind of conflict adds to the drama of the show.

If you've ever lived in UK, this is the same program, almost, as "Strictly Come Dancing" though I think the USA version is a bit more fun. Two of the judges (Bruno Tognioli and Len Goodman) are the same but they seem to cut loose more on this side of the pond.

Watch some drama--Marie Osmond faints:

Jerry Springer--filler piece (the show is full of those and they are fun) and his hilarious samba:

Emmitt Smith--surprising talent (and a winner):

[Beacool]

57. Thanks, it looks like fun.

Springer is not a good dancer. Poor Marie, she dropped like a stone.

[MADem]

58. Paul McCartney's one-legged ex lost her leg on one number, too--I almost forgot about that one!

It's LIVE TV and that does add that "anything can happen" attitude!

[Beacool]

59. Yikes!!!!

[Skittles]

29. ?????

people with illnesses don't like being treated like shut-ins and they CERTAINLY do not like people assuming the state of their physical limitations

[MADem]

49. Exactly. Same with older folks--Cloris Leachman, in her eighties, kicked some ass.

There's no reason why Queen Annie couldn't dance with Corky Ballas or someone else who knows how to maximize the style and minimize the stress if she wanted to give it a whirl.

Chaz Bono was horribly out of shape when starting out, and improved a bit as time went on.

A lot of DWTS is about the fan base and the journey of the contestant. Of course, when the wingnuts fuck with the process, like they have with a few contestants (Palin, Tom DeLay, Sarah McLaughlin) they ruin the fun.

[Skittles]

51. you are so correct

it is Queen Ann's personal choice whether or not to appear but the show did right by inviting her.

[tomm2thumbs]

20. But it's great to be nominated!!!!!

bwahahahahah -- besides, she wanted to leave Mitt the opportunity to turn them down as well

[DallasNE]

21. What, Tucker Carlson's Chair Is Available

They could probably fix it to implode at the end of the routine just like the Romney campaign imploded down the stretch.

[tabasco]

22. She only said she liked that shit to appeal to the plebes n/t

[LeftofObama]

25. She no doubt referred to it

among her friends as "Dancing with the serfs."

[Great Caesars Ghost]

30. Why hide a very truthful post Phlem made?!?

Grow a spine and know your enemy.

[tanyev]

31. Oh, how I would love to see Stephen Colbert on DWTS.

They wouldn't know what hit them.

[MADem]

42. He's competitive--I'll bet he'd win! nt

[agracie]

37. The REAL reason Ann Romney turned down DWTS...

Mitt insisted on driving her to the studio strapped to the top of his car.

[Myrina]

46. Well of COURSE!

... to be on DWTS, she'd actually have to take orders from a smelly, sweaty, dancing person!
And she'd have to wear those tacky - probably right off the rack! for God's sakes - outfits!
And she'd have to interact with those people watching from the audience on a regular basis!
And be at the mercy of popular votes (again) and judges critique!!

How could any of you reasonably expect Dear Queen Ann to do such a humiliating thing?

Tsk!!

[MADem]

50. I think you nailed it!!! Well done! nt

[mokawanis]

54. That's ok, America said no to Ann Romney

No reason for her to think we want to watch her dance.

[marshall]

55. Have they approached Michelle Obama?

It would be a great kick for her exercise and diet campaign.