So why doesn't Romney ever use his actual first name?

[Eraserhead]

Willard isn't exactly a fantastic name but anything is better than Mitt. I do not want a baseball glove as my President.

[ZuWo]

Willard isn't exactly a fantastic name but anything is better than Mitt. I do not want a baseball glove as my President.

Maybe that's what Romney wants to sound like; the link to a baseball glove makes him appear more down-to-earth.

[Ebowed]

Willard isn't exactly a fantastic name but anything is better than Mitt. I do not want a baseball glove as my President.

Maybe he got teased for it as a youth - either way, if I were writing Obama's attack ads, I would refer to Governor Willard Romney's insurance mandate at every possible juncture.  (I mean, Barack Hussein Obama is his actual name, so what's wrong with calling him that?)

[Zarn]

He likes to flip-flop on everything.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Because he's your average Mitt, not some elitist (?)

[Lupo]

I would imagine it's for reasons similar to why Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, and Dwight Eisenhower didn't use their actual first names. 

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Willard sounds too classy.

[Simfan34]

Then why not Will?

[Likely Voter]

[Lincoln Republican]

A lot of people go by their middle name instead of their first name because they like it better or because they have been called by their middle name most of their life.

It's quite common really.

[TheGlobalizer]

A lot of people go by their middle name instead of their first name because they like it better or because they have been called by their middle name most of their life.

It's quite common really.

Yep, I've always gone by my middle name.  But my middle name isn't a baseball glove, either.

[Bacon King]

Yeah there's nothing really odd about this, like half of my family goes by their middle name. I did laugh though in that one debate when he said Mitt was his first name.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Lol at desperate people attacking Dr. Romney

[Lincoln Republican]

Lol at desperate people attacking Dr. Romney

Yes, how DARE they? 

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

What would you rather be called? The elitist, New England, richrichrich, WASPy "Willard"? Or the nickname Mitt?

[Lincoln Republican]

What would you rather be called? The elitist, New England, richrichrich, WASPy "Willard"? Or the nickname Mitt?

If I was Mitt Romney, I would rather be called President Romney. 

(After November 2012 of course) 

[Lincoln Republican]

Yeah there's nothing really odd about this, like half of my family goes by their middle name. I did laugh though in that one debate when he said Mitt was his first name.

And that was exactly the effect Mitt wanted to achieve.  He said that as an attempt for laughs, nothing more.  

Idiot bloggers and commentators pounced on it as a Romney flip flop, stupidly accusing him of lying about his name.  

These anti Romney hate mongers ought to be forced to walk the plank.    

[Peeperkorn]

Because he would look more like this:

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yeah there's nothing really odd about this, like half of my family goes by their middle name. I did laugh though in that one debate when he said Mitt was his first name.

And that was exactly the effect Mitt wanted to achieve.  He said that as an attempt for laughs, nothing more.  

Idiot bloggers and commentators pounced on it as a Romney flip flop, stupidly accusing him of lying about his name.  

These anti Romney hate mongers ought to be forced to walk the plank.    

Oh no, Winfield. I don't think Romney would want his haters to walk the plank. He's just above all those pettiness.

[J. J.]

What would you rather be called? The elitist, New England, richrichrich, WASPy "Willard"? Or the nickname Mitt?

I've never thought of Willard as being elitist, New England, richrichrich, or WASPy (WASPish[/i).

My guess is that is a nickname from childhood.

[Lincoln Republican]

Yeah there's nothing really odd about this, like half of my family goes by their middle name. I did laugh though in that one debate when he said Mitt was his first name.

And that was exactly the effect Mitt wanted to achieve.  He said that as an attempt for laughs, nothing more.  

Idiot bloggers and commentators pounced on it as a Romney flip flop, stupidly accusing him of lying about his name.  

These anti Romney hate mongers ought to be forced to walk the plank.    

Oh no, Winfield. I don't think Romney would want his haters to walk the plank. He's just above all those pettiness.

You are so right, Mitt is so far above all that pettiness.

When I say walk the plank, I mean figuratively speaking of course. 

But thank you for pointing that out.

[Lincoln Republican]

What would you rather be called? The elitist, New England, richrichrich, WASPy "Willard"? Or the nickname Mitt?

I've never thought of Willard as being elitist, New England, richrichrich, or WASPy (WASPish[/i).

My guess is that is a nickname from childhood.

Mitt is actually his middle name.

Romney was named after hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott, his father's best friend, and his father's cousin Milton "Mitt" Romney, 1925–1929 quarterback for the Chicago Bears.  (Wiki)

[Reginald]

Well, Bachmann and Huntsman are the only candidates left who use their actual full first names. So in this day and age, it wouldn't be all that unusual for him to avoid stuffy Willard if his nickname weren't so bizarre.

This is a pretty interesting read: http://babynamewizard.com/archives/2011/11/the-republican-presidential-name-field

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[Lincoln Republican]

But as I stated above, Mitt is his actual middle name.

[Reginald]

But as I stated above, Mitt is his actual middle name.

But Mitt's still a nickname. As you also stated above, his father's cousin Mitt was actually named Milton.