First off, let me say that I cannot ever see myself voting for Michele Bachmann. Her world view is so far from mine, I would probably just stay home from the polls. I could never vote for an anti-science president. However, I am going to defend Bachmann against Rick Perry, who spews just about the same nuttiness, in my opinion, as does Bachmann.
You have to respect Bachmann for her work ethic. She has been out there since day one, preaching her message, rain or shine. She makes a gaffe, she picks herself up and moves forward. She is spunky. At first I thought Palin was going to come roaring in, in all her glitz and glamour, and kick Michele aside. To her credit, I think, she did not do so. Palin has never seen a spotlight she didn’t like. And no one has ever accused Palin of waiting in line or playing by the rules.
It isn’t Palin pushing Bachmann aside, it is Rick Perry. He came roaring in to town, in all his male glitz and glamour, and basically shoved Bachmann aside. He might not even have noticed. Huge egos rarely notice who they step on. I feel badly for Bachmann. She is a true work horse. She isn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty and she has been out there for months, socking it to the world and giving her message to anyone who will listen. She has done the work. Now in swoops Perry to claim his prize. The little woman has prepared the way. I hope Bachmann is furious. I hope the base notices. Bachmann should not be slighted. She has done the work, not Perry.
Bachmann is getting the squeeze, no doubt about it. Cain is being ignored, too. What’s funny is watching Gingrich and Santorum get ignored. It’s so obvious, and you can tell they know it.
Slowpoke, yes they are being ignored. I don’t know why they all don;t just gang up on the question format. Its horrible and it singles out people for their vulnerabilities.
I just hate seeing that Texas slimeball pushing Ms. Bachmann out of the way after all her hard work when he has really not done jack.
I might be Ms. Bachmann’s harshest critic but…fair is fair.
Don’t forget Ron Paul. He’s done well in the polls and is being ignored by the media, and squeezed even more than Bachman.
I am not as protective of that little combative banty rooster. I am playing the woman card here. Bachmann has been dismissed. She went out and softened them up for the big boys. Now that makes me sick.
I say that as someone who would probably never vote for her unless her opponent were Castro or Adolph Hitler. I have to respect the hard work she has done. Not the splashy, glamorous work but just grunt work. I was afraid Palin was going to swoop in on her without doing the work also.
Moonhowler is defending Bachmann!
I had to check the calendar to see if it was April Fool’s Day.
I smell a book deal and speaking tour in the future for Bachman ala Palin. I would suspect she won’t be in Congress that much longer. It is obviously more profitable to stand on the sidelines and snipe from a distance than get into the fight and get your nose bloodied.
I think in general female candidates are hurt by the withering attacks on Palin/Bachmann.
Palin and Bachmann have less in common than you think. Bachmann works. Palin makes it look like she is working.
Did you not see it happen to Hillary or were you one of the ones out after her? No one seemed to notice when it was Hillary.
I am not validating Bachmann’s platform. I still think she is a wing nut. But I also think Perry is one and he stomped right on her and Brushed her aside. He hasn’t done the work. She has. She is out there because she worked like a dog to get her place in the sun. I can’t say that about Palin or Perry.
Yeah, I think many femails will find it difficult to attack female candidates obsessively, then later try to stand up for one based on common gender. Feels like lack of credibility. Now, that’s a man’s perspective….does that mean anything to a woman? Probably not, I freely admit.
@Pokie, I clearly said I was playing the woman card and I clearly said I don’t think I would ever vote for her. Why do I need credibility? It is an opinion. I am not trying to change your mind, just express my own opinion.
I have ever intention of attacking Bachmann’s policies and platform. That will not change. I just think she is being screwed by some within her own party. I do salute how hard she has worked. It helps that her voice doesn’t make your hair stand up on end. Now that was a direct swipe at Palin, should anyone need a hint.
femails…..femails?????
Oh, and by the way…..Social Security is actually NOT a ponzi scheme. People participate in ponzi schemes of their own free will. There is no choice about Social Security…..it’s WORSE than a ponzi scheme.
Here! Here! and a big HUUUZZZZAAAHHHH!
Marinm and Slowpoke, why should all female candidates be judged by Palin’s or Bachmann’s performances? Should we judge all male candidates by Paul’s or Perry’s performance? Do you realize how oinky your statements are? “Oh, we tried a couple female candidates once upon a time and women attacked them (just as they would under-qualified candidates such as Dan Quayle or Ron Paul) so let’s not think of having females as Prez again”. From your statements all people with vaginas must vote in lockstep for any candidate with a vagina. No independent thinking allowed.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/drunkblogging-the-gop-presidential-debate/
Kind of humorous. I didn’t see the debate. And I didn’t miss it. When the candidates are down to 3-4 then I’ll care.
Personally, I think that there should be a debate with Cain, Perry, Romney, Newt, and Obama.
I predict that the candidacy will go to Romney or Perry.
I don’t think there is any grand conspiracy here. The two heavy weights (Romney and Perry) are sucking up all the oxygen (to use an expression that we will hear many more times until the nominee is settled). Perry timed his entry well. After all the attention during the Iowa caucus, the media was ready to move on.
@Kelly3406
I don’t think it was a conspiracy at all. I just think it was inconsiderate and she is now politically disposable.
Maybe this is a woman thing.
Actually, it’s not a Ponzi scheme. Real Ponzi schemes have no way of replacing capital other than suckering new investors. Social Security can at least point to tax revenue. He should have said pyramid scheme. Yes, I know it’s like the difference between bank robbery and extortion, but it’s a distinction nonetheless.
I feel no sympathy for her. As one who also posesses a vagina, IU do not let that get in my way as to who “prepared the way” for Perry or any other moronic, zealot who wishes to turn this nation into Plymouth, MA the Sequel.
So Perry came in and rained on her parade. So what. All it proves is that there is always someone nuttier and better funded than you. “Message” has zip to do with it.
What should really scare you is that the GOP is on a race to the BOTTOM in regards to how they can out-simpleton each other.
@not me bubba
I am looking at it strictly from a female point of view. I have already confessed.
I don’t really feel sorry for her….I am mentioning how Perry just swooped in and tromped on her. The criticism is of him mainly. I would have had the same criticism had Palin done it.
To answer your ‘so what’ question…let me begin with, black men got the vote about 75 years before women got the national vote. Perhaps not in actuality but on paper. We haven’t had a woman president and I don’t think we will for many years. The women are still expected to stay home and make cookies in too many minds. Hillary said it best.
Its one thing to be outsmarted, out-spend, or have someone come along with more popular ideas. It is quite another thing to simply be dismissed and crawled over.
I don’t care if it is a woman with whom I agree or disagree. Its the dismissal and reduced to irrelevancy that I find so objectionable.
Then again, I didn’t think a whole lot of the Fritz and Tits comments back in the 80’s. Frankly, we are still in Fritz and Tits mode as a nation when this is allowed to happen.
It’s life in the political arena. There is always someone sneakier and more dubious than the current frontrunner.
And while black men may have gotten the vote 75 years before women, let us also not forget that while they had the vote, many were barred from casting a ballot by poll taxes, literacy tests and just plain old harassment. If you lok at it – REALLY – look at it, black men and women really began voting around the same time….not exact, but close. So yeah, on paper, but it didn’t mean much….when other obstacles were in their way.
And then there is Bachmann and Palin…two women who have taken the successes of the liberation movement and are using the gains to change our nation whereby it will be encouraged for women to return to the kitchen and bake cookies and raise babies. I’ve got nothing against cookies or kids, but I like having a choice, not a more conservative PC status quo of staying home.
So again, I feel no pity for her. Out manouevered, out-funded, out-housed… Heck, it’s so early in the game she may just find herself, if things swing to the GOP, in a very high position in Govt….just imagine her as the Education Secretary. She could run it for a day, close it down and then go home and bake the cookies, and get state checks to raise all those foster kids. :>P
And to add….plenty of male candidates who have been dismissed quickly. If I recall, Bachmann beat out man-on-dog Santorum, Cain, Romney, etc….. So she was not so quickly wiped aside because of her gender. She beat all of them out.
@Moon-howler
For #7 I could add Wittman as well.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/14/meg-whitman-whore-now_n_763211.html
California NOW President Patty Bellasalma told Talking Points Memo in an interview Thursday that “Meg Whitman could be described as ‘a political whore.’ Yes, that’s an accurate statement.”
I think in general this election cycle has been toxic to women. Surprisingly the attacks seem to have all come from the left. My only take on that is: “Friendly fire, ain’t.”
Marinm, you don’t think attacks on women come from the right? Think no further than Nancy Pelosi. (I guess most of the attacks on her come from men so they don’t count.) Again, you’re thinking that all women should vote the vagina ticket.
Censored, no I agree with you. I just didn’t have a good example handy of the right going after women – for being a woman – handy. I think overall the continued attacks on female candidates have made it where I don’t see a female being elected to President for the next 20-30 years.
Not saying that they can’t or shouldn’t but when you have NOW saying it’s ok to call a female politician a whore or a bitch – if she is one – then I think the climb gets steeper.
Marinm, I don’t see the connection. Hillary Clinton is an able candidate. Why should she be held back because of some totally unrelated person calling Meg Whitman a “political whore”? Candidates are called names all the time. Why are women being singled out for different treatment? Is that any different from that guy from SC yelling “you lie” at the Prez? Do we decide that no males from SC should ever represent us again because of that lout’s outburst? Why are women candidates subject to different standards? It would be one thing if Hillary had called Meg Whitman that name – she would rightfully be judged by it. I don’t understand the need to judge all female candidates by some lone person’s outburst. Explain it to me.
@Censored bybvbl
The threads existence pretty much explains it. When it comes to female candidates – at least now – they’re all lumped together as a ‘class’. So, when one is knocked down as being less capable than it knocks all of them.
Is it fair or right? No. But, that is human nature.
I think it becomes less of an issue once a woman is elected and she’s successful. Until that point anytime people – men or women – knock a female candidate it hurts them all.