Veep's focus on what it means to be a politician as opposed to politics has won it many fans from both sides of the aisle. Even so, It may raise a few eyebrows that the straight-laced former Governor and Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and his wife are big fans of the show! Romney even played a part in Season 6, which shows the aftermath of Selina Meyer's devastating loss of the Presidency. Knowing the feeling, Romney spoke with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the Veep staff what he did during and following his loss of the 2012 Presidential election.
He was very generous. The thing about Mitt Romney I should say is that he is very dedicated to his family. He has a life well beyond politics which, of course, Selina Meyer does not. He said a lot of really interesting things. . . . I was asking him [about the '47%' moment], how did that happen, how did he recover, and he said, 'The truth is when you're running, if you're explaining, you're losing.' And I thought that was such a great expression. Anyway, we put it in the show.
Those are some wise words from a guy who was kind enough to recall likely one of his worst moments in the national spotlight all for a show he liked. Still, it's really cool that the Veep team took the opportunity to reach out to Mitt Romney and get his personal perspective on life after losing the Presidency. As Julia Louis-Dreyfus said to Jimmy Kimmel, Mitt Romney had a lot to keep him busy following the loss of the election, so the parallels between him and Selina Meyer are few. Following his loss, Romney shied away from the spotlight, while Sunday's episode of Veep had Selina saying she's going to run for President again.
Perhaps that's why the Veep team was so interested in Mitt Romney's 47% moment. For those whose memory fails them, Romney came under fire during his campaign for a political gaffe in which he stated that 47% of American citizens do not pay income tax. The statement, which Romney was filmed saying at a private event for wealthy donors, took off and caused some controversy for Romney on his campaign trail regardless of his actual meaning behind the statement. Perhaps Season 6 will feature Selina Meyer making some large gaffe that briefly derails her future bid for President, or the show could just be keeping their experience in their back pocket for a later season of Veep.
Showrunner David Mandel recently spoke about how this new season really opens up a new world for the show, and that there's really no telling how long the show can run. Right now, you can watch Season 6 of Veep Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. If you haven't seen the series yet, you're really missing out as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the team deserve every Emmy the series has won. If it isn't already, make sure it's on your list as you start marking down what shows to follow on our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere schedule.
