The Republican National Convention. In Haight-Asbury. In 1967. With Emmett Grogan as host.

Okay, okay, you might be sick of hearing about Mitt, but what about his father? What happens when Digger Emmett Grogan meets George Romney, from Grogan’s memoir Ringolevio. Read the rest of the story at the Daily Kos.

        One day a strange thing happened which afforded Emmett a golden opportunity to scare the living shit out of a man who might have been and still may be elected President of the United States. It was late in the afternoon, and he had just finished delivering most of the Free Food with only a few more stops to make before he completed his rounds, when he turned south of Buena Vista Park and drove down to Broderick Street, where there was a giant crowd gathered in front of Huckleberry House, the referral center for runaways. The street being blocked by the throng, he pulled over to have a look at what was taking place.
        As soon as he stepped from the pickup, he heard someone calling to him from atop the front stairs of Huckleberry House, insisting, ‘Emmett! Emmett Grogan! Come on up here! Come on!’ It was one of the ministers and leading officials of Glide Church which administered the referral center, and Emmett did what he was told and went up the stairs and inside where he was introduced, with the usual reference to his being a ‘legendary myth,’ to none other than the then Governor of Michigan, George Romney, and his pert, little wife Lenore, both of whom were touring the country to test the water for his upcoming campaign as a candidate in the Republican primary elections for President of the whole goddamn country—
         Emmett was impressed when George Romney told him that he’d been hearing about his fine charitable work among the poor and misguided youth who found themselves alone and hungry and away from home on the streets of Haight-Ashbury, and he had the utmost respect for the alms-giving services that Emmett and his fellow ‘What do you call them? Oh, yes, Diggers!’ were doing for the young people of the nation who strayed to San Francisco.
        A coincidence popped into Emmett’s mind, and he couldn’t pass up the chance to see if he could pull off a fabulous score—the kidnapping of the governor and his wife. In the most sincere and charming tone of voice he could muster, Emmett informed George and Lenore Romney that coincidentally, at that very moment, there were more than one hundred Indians from his home state of Michigan eating in the park with the ‘hippies,’ and it would be wonderful and extremely thoughtful of the governor and first lady to stop by and visit with the people from home. He didn’t have to say anything about what good publicity it would be for the folks back in the Midwest. The good governor had already weighed its value, and Emmett watched as it registered with a click of his eyes and a cluck of his tongue.