Wide-eyed Chipotle worker, Romney photo goes viral
DENVER – The manager of a Denver Chipotle restaurant has become an Internet celebrity thanks to the wide-eyed pose he struck alongside Mitt Romney when the Republican presidential candidate stopped by for lunch.
Marty Arps, 20, posed for a group photo with Romney and Chipotle employees Tuesday afternoon. Arps is seen making a wide-eyed expression while pointing at Romney.
The Associated Press photo is being shared extensively on Twitter and is making the rounds on websites.
“It’s a facial expression I do when I’m excited,” Arps told The Daily. He told the online publication he made the same expression when he met singer Nicki Minaj.
“It’s like, `Ah, it’s them, right there in front of you!’ They’re not from another world,’” he said.
Arps was not at work Wednesday, according to a Chipotle employee who answered the telephone.
Romney seemed unaware of Arps’ pose and the mood was jovial, said AP photographer Charles Dharapak, who snapped the picture. “It didn’t seem awkward. Everyone was having a good time,” Dharapak said.
Romney ordered a pork burrito bowl with guacamole during a break from preparations for Wednesday’s debate with President Barack Obama in Denver. He was joined by his debate training partner, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.
Romney spent about five minutes greeting customers, and he also posed for a photo outside with a 3-year-old girl.
Arps told The Daily he doesn’t know yet who he’ll vote for. He said he’s “not too hip to elections and stuff.
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Please, somebody say it. No? It’s up to me?
OK, 20 year old Arps, saying you’re “not too hip to elections and stuff” is, um, watching my language here, not too…hip. You know, Democracy and all that stuff? Duh. WAKE UP!
You took the words right out of my mouth. *facepalm* This is the first presidential election this kid gets to vote in, and he Doesn’t. Even. Care…?
Susan: it’s not exactly confidence inspiring…….
What is the big deal? He just doin a Rapmaster Ron
was never a headline back in the day
It is pretty normal for someone that age to not be that interested or in tune with politics. He hasn’t been stuck in a dead end job for years (or without work) with no hope to succeed.
You’ll be able to point to that picutre on the wall of your place and say “See me, standing next to the president of the USA! He had one of my burrito bowls!” Your grandchildren will grow weary of hearing about it!
Silas, you are right. That boy is barely more than a child himself and someday he will be fully mature and he will look back at that photo and be very proud. I hope he makes that first vote for the next President of the United States of America, Mitt Romney.
SO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS THAT YOU WANT THE POLITICALLY IGNORANT TO VOTE FOR ROMNEY?….HILARIOUS – I FIGURED THAT WAS A GIVEN!
No, James, WE THE PEOPLE want those who don’t vote based on racial prejudice, “Obama” phones, “free stuff” for those who abuse the welfare systems in our country and those who still blame the “white man” for every thing. The fact that an African American can be excited about voting without racial prejudice IS exciting.
And Mr. Ryan, Mr. Obama is as far from true “democracy” as FDR was. You meant to “Democrat” and you know it. Why don’t you closet liberals just come out and say you’d rather have socialism than true democracy…
Lol. You live in a republic. Far from a “true democracy” read The Constitution.
actually the the crucial taxonomy, as Madison defines it, is not “true democracy” but “pure”. We were designed to be something like what Cicero referred to as a “mixed polity” with different components from different regimes, making a republic. Few thought well of “pure democracy” (we might say direct, unrepresentative, or plebiscitary) in the late 18th century.
X M we do Not live in a republic-anymore.
so Ivan, have you ‘pillar of fire?’ great cicero book
Hi Patricia
I never read it but thanks for the recommendation. The one bio of Cicero I’ve read (and enjoyed) was by Anthony Everitt.
Your snide reference to FDR is telling. Like most Republicans, you probably wish Hitler had won WW2 and then exterminated all the undesirables. No one in Al-Quieda hates American democracy as much as the Nazi freaks who run the GOP.
“Mr” Mitch, You must be talking about your brand of American Talibanism or are you planning to go as far as Nazism. You just want rights for people just like you.You just want anyone not like you to pay your way with these “tax breaks”. You are exactly like the ones that you just complained about. Lazy Taliban.
For over forty years, I’ve voted for white men for president. Now that I’ve voted a man for president that happens to be black, I have to defend my “racial prejudice”.
We republicans are now going to try and recruit the Latino voters?
It’s lazy people like you that don’t do their homework that spread the Romnesia disease nationwide.
The free phone plan was started under GWB/GOP…you know the guy…he’s a Republicrackhead along with his ilk (the entire gop) that brought us to our knees with the worst economic disaster since WWII. Please, go get your GED.
“Obamaphone” represents the most recent federal expansion of a well-intended program originally sponsored by states for Landline phones for indigent elderly, disabled, and needy families. To ensure that anyone could call for Ambulance, Police, Fire services, etc. The state program cost the recipient between $3 and $10 a month, and was often free. But it was managed by the States and the utilities and was very inexpensive. Under Clinton aned Bush the feds got involved. Under Obama, it is now a very expensive and expansive program billed to the Federal taxpayer. Obamaphone is rife with opportunities for *fraud* as recipients can often get more than one phone, more than one account, and phones can get “lost” (sold) etc. Cell phone marketers are way, way ahead; the owner of TracPhone and his wife have donated or bundled over a million dollars to Obama’s campaigns. http://granitegrok.com/blog/2012/10/obamafone-funnels-your-money-to-big-obama-donors
Mr Stutsman: My are we not clever. Maybe you should help Obama prepare for the next debate.
US elections these days are mostly a media-fueled ballot war among the ignorant. Don’t kid yourself.
I guess there’s much to that but I wouldn’t paint the picture with so broad a brush. What fascinates me now is the issue of late season undecided voters: what is going on in their minds? Surely there’s no dearth of information for them to consider and process. Is undecided a generous euphemism for flippantly indifferent?
I’m inclined to agree. I wish that all candidates that could theoretically reach 270 electoral votes on election day were allowed to participate in presidential debates. And I wish that folks who are fed up with the political climate that exists today, and the way the electorate is treated by the two major parties, would wake up and cast a vote for a third party candidate instead of sitting out the election altogether (as so many do). That would serve to shake things up and make for a more vibrant, more responsive system for we, the people — which is to say, a broader and more thoughtful system than what we are currently stuck with…
@Ivan: “Flippantly indifferent”? The last indifference thought I remember hearing was the apathy held by the common person while the road to Auschwitz was built. Fortunately the road to the White House was not paved by hate even though many have a passionate dislike for our electoral system and our President.
The undecided voter has been able to entertain the idea of both parties without accepting the doctrine or label of either. However, I do agree we risk becoming the most informed peoples that may just die ignorant.
Well, why not??? In the 2008 election all those morons voted for Ohbongo!
I like the cliche, “If you voted for Ohbongo in 2008 because you didn’t want anyone to think you are a racist, then you need to vote for Romney in 2012 so no one will think you are stupid!”
The contagious disease you’ve contracted — Romnesia — can be cured with a lot of professional psychological treatment.
LMBO nice statement
I want everyone to vote for Mr. Romney; the smart, the dumb, the politically astute and the politically ignorant. Hell, I even want the dead to start voting Republican. The demonrats have had them long enough!
Well said Mrs. Jane.. I wish more folks had the positive, kind and considerate communication you have exhibited here.
Leading by example is something I truly respect and that is one of the many reasons I will cast my vote for a man of integrity whose entire life has shown a stable, selfless and loyal character for this country, his family and for the countless/many people he has helped throughout his own successful American life, which were not even of his faith. It is hard to believe we allowed a man whose allegiance is first to Islam and then to himself run this country for four years and the fruit of his administration has been disastrous and divisive creating class and race war at it’s worst in my lifetime.
Another 4 years will mean total destruction of all we know as true and good and just in the only nation in the world who has helped so many others and have asked for nothing in return.. Blessings to you and yours!
Myth Romnesia leading by example is almost as perverse as your comment about Islam. Romney did not enhance businesses the old-fashioned way. There was no blood, sweat, or tears (other than from the thousands who lost their jobs) to remanufacture a new product or service. Romney spent 15 years destroying jobs and raising the debt load at companies he purchased and soon cast them off on Wall Street for enormous profits, profits at the expense of jobs that were shipped off to China. And this is a many you want to lead our country?
As an investor in Bain Capital I would have truly enjoyed how Romney “led by example”. As a master financial manipulator speculator Romney bought, sold, flipped, and stripped businesses of their fat. The Romney technique was to lop off heads, maximize debt, remove as much cash as possible, and hold back on capital spending. The not-so-hidden agenda was to dress-up the company like a high priced hooker and putting it up for sale to the highest bidder.
The problem with the Romney “example” is that it created no economic value for our overall economy. There was no profit for the remaining workers at those companies, even if you assume the company stayed intact and they had a job (at less pay & benefits) when Romney-Bain was done ravaging the inherent value of the company. Remember, these were privately held, versus publicly traded companies. The only return on investment was for Romney-Bain! There were no shares held by workers or other middle-class investors. The only people who made money from his deals were the ultra wealthy elite who held positions in Bain as investors or insiders. Yep, I would have loved those 50% annualized returns!
So, liberal trolls, insert “talking points” from your favorite Journolist, NYT, or DNC rant here…
Do you guys ever think for yourselves? How much do you get paid to re-post this endless trash? Or is this how you really spend your time while collecting all that money for college tuition… Homework for your Poli-Sci 202 class?
The rest of America — which works and pays taxes, and is appalled by Mr. Obama’s administration — isn’t fooled by you anymore.
Liberals trolls making talking points? Oh, Elizabeth, go up a bit to Stasea’s post. She hits on at least 5 scripted talk radio talking points. In fact, you can google each of her talking points and add the word Limbaugh so you can read Rush’s exact words when he put out those talking points.
And, I voted for Obama and I pay taxes as well as working a full time job while also starting my own business. Get over your rest of of America who works and pays taxes. That is such a tired talking point.
Your grandchildren wont know what a fast food restaurant is.
Good job on this story about a photo. It really helps that the image is the size of a postage stamp. Really clarifies it.
Here, here.
Here, here, here.
So true! (Given the photo size, I wasn’t even sure the guy talked about in the story HAD eyes…)
Dan – You’re right. His grandchildren will think that all food ALWAYS came that way.
The problem is certainly not necessarily based with the youth voters. Mr. Kenneally, some youth are more politically aware than middle-aged folks who have no connection to politics whatsoever. I am a voter currently and was so at 18. I think that the media has created a vaccuum which has made the perceived ‘wise adults’ believe that adolescents don’t have the capacity to care about our nation. Here is a possible reason that a large percentage of people do not feel inclined to participate in this political system: The fact that we are not getting anywhere in our system. The reason I believe this is because of the show that the parties put on for us all the way up to the election. I think that the political parties do not truly exist anymore because I believe that once they are put into office that the oligarchy, the bankers and the elitists and other leaders associated are the ones who really pull the strings. I still believe that anybody at any age should still make an attempt to vote. I just also believe that the whole political party system needs reform. We need the government to truly represent the people and work on building the morale so more will care about our community and the future foundation of it.
All good points, Ryan, but I think the problem is trying to to make a federal election the gateway of participation for young voters. That will always be a little disappointing since, by design, there is so little immediate gratification. Also, the modern rhetorical presidency is designed to over promise and under-deliver, a difficult premise for a new voter, egged on by inchoate enthusiasm, to swallow. When I taught pol science i used to encourage my students to get active more locally. That great French commentator on all things American, Alexis De Tocqueville, has many trenchant insights on the import of local American politics in his Democracy in America.
Is it just me or does Romney look fat in that photo?
The article is about the PHOTO – so why would you have the photo so tiny, you can’t even see it, and then not provide a link to a larger photo? Stupid.
I’ve got a feeling that , unless things really change in the next few months, this young man will become very “hip to elections and stuff.” Something tells me that runaway inflation, failed Treasury auctions, unrest in the Middle East, etc will focus his mind.
I think his expression is more like- “This is the closest physical proximity I’ll ever come to with a rich, white billionaire in my lifetime, most of whom live in heavily secured, gated communities, the likes of which were created to keep folks like me out.”
To make the picture larger, hold down the Control key on your keyboard, while rolling upward the wheel on top of your mouse. It’s a neat little trick I learned that comes in handy.
I think it’s interesting that a 17 year old is often referred to as a child in legal proceedings, but just a short time later is considered mature enough to choose the leader of a nation.
Someone once said “If you’re not a socialist at 18 there’s something wrong with your heart. If you’re still a socialist at 28, there’s something wrong with your head.” At 18 most of us are pretty idealistic and a bit simplistic in our thinking. By 28, we’ve had a dose of real life-work, maybe military service, responsibilities, experiences, the consequences of our actions. We get a bit wiser.
Lowering the voting age to 18 was a popular idea when we had a military draft and a war. If we were asking 18 year olds to lay down their lives, it sounded sensible to have a voice in choosing their leaders. But we don’t have a draft any more, and I’d support raising the voting age back to 21.
This has been one of our more spirited threads recently, though I’m not sure if that’s due to the content or the pic itself. The state of youthful voters in the US does concern me though but it doesn’t seem to rise to the level of crisis. Some combination of exuberant passion/careless oblivion and/or antipathy/careless oblivion is pretty typical of the adolescent mind
The guy is 20 yrs old. Younger men have fought and died in this country, stop marking off his political decisions as that of “arrogance of youth” and maybe stop to think why such a large percentage of people do not feel inclined to participate in this political system.
Sure, adolescence plays a part in this, but I think there’s more going on here. I feel the current political climate, where representatives of the two major parties scream at one another, call each other names, and treat voters with very little respect, is what’s to blame for much of this problem.
And as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I think that it would really help if any candidate that could theoretically reach 270 electoral votes on election day were allowed to participate in presidential debates, and that folks who are fed up with the political climate that exists today would express their feelings by casting a vote for a third party candidate (instead of sitting out the election altogether, as so many do).
The current system does not encourage thoughtful participation, which is what I believe many voters, both young and old, yearn for.