You won't have Michele Bachmann to kick around anymore
May 29, 2013 8:26 AM   Subscribe

Controversial US Representative Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), announced on her website today she will not seek re-election in 2014 (NYT). Bachmann, whose 2012 campaign is currently under investigation by the FBI for alleged financial improprieties by top officials, was first elected to statewide office in 2000, defeating long term Republican (18 years) incumbent Gary Laidig in the primary and winning Minnesota's (state) Senate District 56. Two years later she defeated another incumbent, Jane Krentz (DFL) in the newly redrawn district 52. Her term in the MN Senate was marked by a series of cultural conservative initiatives and positions, including repeated attempts to introduce a MN Constitutional Gay Marriage ban (2003) (2005), as well as an attempt to insert creationism into the science curriculum in MN in 2003.

When Mark Kennedy (R) vacated his US House seat to run for US Senate in 2006 (and ultimately losing decisively to Amy Klobuchar (DFL) ), Bachmann reported that "God called on me to run for the US House", and with help from James Dobson, Karl Rove, Dennis Hastert, George W Bush, Dick Cheney and the NRCC (wiki) she went on to win the 2006 US House election, garnering 50% of the vote against Patty Wetterling (DFL) and John Binkowski (Independence Party).
Bachmann's term in the US House saw a continuation of her social conservative platform, earning her a national spotlight along with a large amount of controversy.
Including; Eliminating minimum wage in order to "virtually wipe out unemployment."
And on Social Security: "...what you have to do, is keep faith with the people that are already in the system, that don't have any other options, we have to keep faith with them. But basically what we have to do is wean everybody else off"(Politifact)
In June 2011 she announced she would run for the Republican nomination for Presidency of the United States. In August 2011 she became the first woman to win the Ames (IA) Straw Poll, but ultimately lost the IA caucuses in January of 2012 finishing 6th with just under 5% of the vote, prompting her to suspend her presidential campaign and seek re-election to her House post. Despite raising close to 20 million dollars she only won her 2012 campaign by 4298 votes to political newcomer Jim Graves.

The announcement by Bachmann ends months of speculation that she would retire from the House
posted by edgeways (158 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
She will be dearly missed, I'm sure.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 8:30 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


What's the opposite of "." ?
posted by Bummus at 8:30 AM on May 29, 2013 [36 favorites]


The average crazy of both the Congress and her district will decrease when she goes home.
posted by jaduncan at 8:30 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Of little consolation. My tax dollars are still going to cover her pension while she gets a cushy talking head job on Fox News, railing against government employees' pensions.

I really really really hate these types of people
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 8:31 AM on May 29, 2013 [53 favorites]


It's Christmas in May!
posted by clever sheep at 8:31 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


That lowered the Krazy Index of the GOP from 178.9 to 178.6.
posted by Repack Rider at 8:31 AM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


Being a member of Congress is a choice and people are capable of change
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:32 AM on May 29, 2013 [26 favorites]


When I heard this new this morning I wanted to know why. Does she think she wouldn't win reelection? Is the an impending scandal? Does she have other ambitions? Personal/family reasons? Why give this up?
posted by cjorgensen at 8:33 AM on May 29, 2013 [6 favorites]


Of little consolation. My tax dollars are still going to cover her pension while she gets a cushy talking head job on Fox News, railing against government employees' pensions.


Do congresspersons really get a pension if they don't seek reelection, or if they lose? I don't really know how pensions work I guess.
posted by Think_Long at 8:33 AM on May 29, 2013


What's the opposite of "." ?


posted by eriko at 8:33 AM on May 29, 2013 [29 favorites]


Fwiw: Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service.
posted by edgeways at 8:33 AM on May 29, 2013 [7 favorites]




What's the opposite of "." ?

* (apologies to Kurt Vonnegut)
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:34 AM on May 29, 2013 [28 favorites]


Most excellent.
posted by PuppyCat at 8:34 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ooh, just for fun, since her party is the party of talking points which color their opponents in a negative light regardless of the actions or logic, allow me the first to say:

"Quitter."
posted by quin at 8:34 AM on May 29, 2013 [11 favorites]


What's the opposite of "." ?

O_O
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:36 AM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]




Good riddance to bad rubbish.
posted by Catblack at 8:38 AM on May 29, 2013 [7 favorites]


What I'm a bit confused about is why she was running ads online against Graves and generally doing things (raising money) suggesting that she was going to run again. I suspect there's some motivation other than 'Eh, had enough of this.'
posted by hoyland at 8:38 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


I am extremely happy for the people of Minnesota. A very evil part of me thought that marriage equality in Minnesota meant that Marcus Bachmann was going to come out of the closet.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:38 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


What's the opposite of "." ?

\(^O^)/
posted by Quack at 8:41 AM on May 29, 2013 [30 favorites]


Good news, except:

Michele Bachmann is out. Why winning her seat just got more difficult for Democrats.

But even though, I'd take a saner Republican over her any day of the week. The side of the aisle she sits on isn't what makes her dangerous.

That said, somebody somewhere was postulating a possible Bachmann vs. Franken Senate race and man oh man, I would actually pay for tickets to those debates.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:41 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Mod note: A couple things removed. I know I'm rowing upcreek a little on this one, but, folks, let's put in that modicum of effort to try and make sure this thread is not more embarrassing than Bachmann's tenure, please? Schadenfreude, sure; bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, not so much.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:42 AM on May 29, 2013 [14 favorites]


Here's a theory

Yeah. Like Jim DeMint, Bachman can make more money and do less work by railing against government on TV and the lecture circuit while she collects a government pension than she would actually doing the work of government.

And they talk about lazy bureaucrats.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:43 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


She looks forward to spending more time with her husband.
posted by box at 8:43 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


"So, yeah, Michele - you can 'retire' and join the infotainment crowd at Fox, or this investigation can continue, will continue, and you can leave in disgrace and maybe go to jail. What say you?"

"I'll take what's behind curtain number one."
posted by Mooski at 8:44 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


I still say this is a mixed blessing. Her challenger, Jim Graves, wanted to challenge her again in the 2014 election. Which I'm actually pretty sure he would have won. But now that she won't be his opponent, his chances of winning are significantly slimmer. (On preview, what MCMikeNamara linked above.)

Here's hoping she goes the way of Sarah Palin with some speaking jobs for a little while and then falling off the face of the planet.

It will be interesting to see who my next representative will be. My district runs pretty solidly red, though, but hopefully some sanity will return.
posted by jillithd at 8:45 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


For those of you who were disappointed or expected this to feel more cathartic, I've taken the liberty of rewriting her statement:
My good friends: after a good deal of thought and deliberation, and after realizing the profound error of my ways, I have decided next year I will not seek a fifth congressional term. After serious consideration, I am confident that this is the right decision. Our Constitution allows wide powers of free speech-- powers I have consistently abused to scare, manipulate, harm not only my constituents here in Minnesota, but all citizens of our republic. I have increased divisiveness in an already polarized system. I have ignored or flat-out fabricated science to fit my political agenda. I have doomed thousands of young women to cervical cancer, and thousands more to poverty. My decision to not seek reelection will not undo any of these sins, but I feel that it is a necessary first step of a new life dedicated to reversing the harms I've done with the few talents I possess. I will not be so brash as to beg your forgiveness; I ask only for mercy, patience, and understanding-- virtues I had long forsaken in my delusional quest for power-- virtues I hope to develop on my new road to reconciliation, healing, and redemption. -Michele Bachmann, Brightest Timeline
posted by The White Hat at 8:45 AM on May 29, 2013 [8 favorites]


Let's just pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that some people wanted her to make a Presidential run. That is all.
posted by jaduncan at 8:45 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


When I heard this new this morning I wanted to know why. Does she think she wouldn't win reelection? Is the an impending scandal? Does she have other ambitions? Personal/family reasons? Why give this up?

She is under investigation for various campaign things and she would be up against an opponent she barely beat last time that is getting more fundraising and national support this time around. Good moment to go out on top instead of after a loss, which is a shame. It's robbing the voters of her district of the great feeling I had in voting a man like Santorum out of office. Some people just deserve to get told to GTFO by the voters instead of leaving on their own terms.
posted by Drinky Die at 8:46 AM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


I'm just disappointed that the voters in my district failed to get rid of her on their own when they had the chance.
posted by sparklemotion at 8:46 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


One less clown in the Tea party circus car. She'll probably go on the grift like Palin.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 8:47 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


And now let us all commence a rousing rendition of Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.
posted by elsietheeel at 8:48 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm pretty certain they'll find someone worse To replace her with.
posted by Artw at 8:49 AM on May 29, 2013


She will retire to a hidden villa to smelt Reardon metal.
posted by benzenedream at 8:53 AM on May 29, 2013 [6 favorites]


It's possible Artw, but the MN GOP is stretched pretty thin right now. Yeah, in politics things can change on a dime, but for instance, they are having a hard time finding someone to run against Franken with no challengers to date and the current DFL gov has double digit leads over all his potential challengers as well. So yeah, Graves' job just got harder, but I don't think they are going to find anyone worse than Michelle to run... most likely a mealy mouthed middle of the pack republican rather than the crusader MB was/is.
posted by edgeways at 8:55 AM on May 29, 2013


While I'm glad she will be out of her House seat, she definitely has a taste for the spotlight, so I don't think this is the end for her either. I expect she'll do the Fox News thing until this scandal blows over, then jump back into politics somehow.
posted by antonymous at 8:56 AM on May 29, 2013


She is under investigation for various campaign things and she would be up against an opponent she barely beat last time that is getting more fundraising and national support this time around.

I understand she's under investigation, but that's par for the course. I don't see that as a compelling reason in of itself to step down, unless she knows she's going to be found guilty, but even then, better to defend from a position of power than as a schlob. I'm guessing her chances weren't as bad as the people who oppose her would like to believe.

Here's hoping she goes the way of Sarah Palin with some speaking jobs for a little while and then falling off the face of the planet

Not sure what planet you are from, but Palin is still going strong on mine.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:57 AM on May 29, 2013


Not sure what planet you are from, but Palin is still going strong on mine.

We don't watch Fox News, so, uh, aside from the occasionally crazy headline about what she writes on social media, I haven't seen anything on her in more than a year.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:58 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


I'm pretty certain they'll find someone worse To replace her with.

I'm not sure that's true. She very nearly lost her last election and with a lot of outside money. They might get someone more moderate next time. (Well, "moderate.")

My parents live in that district. I had to call my mom right away this morning to tell her her prayers were answered. Literally.
posted by gerstle at 8:58 AM on May 29, 2013


No, she's really leaving because Minnesota is going gay-friendly.

(Note: Onion-like site, not real news, but makes as much sense as other stuff)
posted by Old'n'Busted at 8:59 AM on May 29, 2013


Let us not forget her as the author of the Lightbulb Freedom of Choice Act, which would prevent any laws requiring CFLs over incandescent bulbs unless it could be shown that switching to CFLs will reduce total US CO2 emission by 20%. Not just lighting-related CO2. Total CO2.
posted by kiltedtaco at 8:59 AM on May 29, 2013 [11 favorites]


Maybe she's going to pull a Mike Pence and now run for Governor? Be afraid, Minnesotans. Be very afraid.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:00 AM on May 29, 2013


The wacky-right are the quittingest bunch of folks there are.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:05 AM on May 29, 2013 [5 favorites]


jillithd: "Here's hoping she goes the way of Sarah Palin with some speaking jobs for a little while and then falling off the face of the planet."

I'm not sure, but will this be easier or harder for somebody who probably thinks the planet is flat?

Benny Andajetz: "The wacky-right are the quittingest bunch of folks there is."

Oddly, it's the only thing they do that actually makes them the "job providers" they continually praise.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:07 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


The wacky-right are the quittingest bunch of folks there are.


And I, for one, salute them. G'wan, GTFO! Don't forget to take home teh crazy.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:08 AM on May 29, 2013


We don't watch Fox News, so, uh, aside from the occasionally crazy headline about what she writes on social media, I haven't seen anything on her in more than a year.

"Palin voter!" used to be my SFW expletive of choice, but yeah, I don't have cable TV and literally haven't even thought of her since I can't remember.

It's nice.

She is under investigation for various campaign things and she would be up against an opponent she barely beat last time that is getting more fundraising and national support this time around. Good moment to go out on top instead of after a loss, which is a shame. It's robbing the voters of her district of the great feeling I had in voting a man like Santorum out of office. Some people just deserve to get told to GTFO by the voters instead of leaving on their own terms.

I think this is it. How much $X in speaking fees, etc. will she forfeit if she loses the race? It's not worth the risk. The "cashing in" theory is mostly right, imo. Same as Palin. There is nowhere up for them to go in politics, so they get out and try to play the "outsider" or "political martyr" role on TV. Same thing with Huckabee, Buchanan, etc.

I don't see that as a compelling reason in of itself to step down

What is her compelling reason to run? Another term? How much is that worth? Think as cynically as you can in this situation, and then think more cynically.
posted by mrgrimm at 9:08 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Is she going back to Switzerland?
posted by From Bklyn at 9:09 AM on May 29, 2013 [8 favorites]


When I heard this new this morning I wanted to know why. Does she think she wouldn't win reelection? Is the an impending scandal? Does she have other ambitions? Personal/family reasons? Why give this up?

I imagine it's that working in government and getting things done is hard and, in my experience, people who are in it to grind their ideological axe lack the motivation for the long, slow work of helping people and making the world a better place.

Enjoy your vacation home on the golf course, Michele. The rest of us are getting back to work now and are grateful our jobs just got easier.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:12 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I can't think of anything witty or pithy, so I'll stick with a simple good riddance, adios, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you, hey hey now goodbye, etc.

In addition to the laundry list of eerie parallels that already exist between Bachmann and Palin (raving mad Tea Party crazies propped up as figureheads meant to show that Republicans care about women, too; ongoing campaign ethics investigations; "hawt" right-wing chix; etc.), it seems fairly clear that Bachmann is resigning with plans of emulating Palin even more.

The following weasely parting remarks, in which both of these sorry assholes make the case that they may be able to make a more meaningful difference outside the wretched hellhole that is government than from within the belly of the beast, seem to ensure that Bachmann is also on track to become a similarly loathsome lobbyist, Fox News talking head, and/or reality television personality.

Palin, 7/3/09, per WaPo: "My choice is to take a stand and effect change - not hit our heads against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new environment. Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities - and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans."

Bachmann, 5/30/13, per NYT: "There is no future option or opportunity, be it directly in the political area or otherwise, that I won’t be giving serious consideration if it can help save and protect our great nation for future generations."

\(^O^)/
posted by divined by radio at 9:13 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Halle-fuckin-luyah.
posted by wallabear at 9:13 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


And the Ewoks rock out
posted by The Whelk at 9:13 AM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


Say what you like about her, but that woman did great crazy eyes. Almost as good as the secondary girl in the Kdrama Spring Waltz, and I do not say that lightly.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 9:15 AM on May 29, 2013


I'm actually kind of disappointed by this from a tactical standpoint. As possibly the single clearest example of the lunacy of the far right in America, she makes a very convenient foil. She always makes the Democrats seem eminently reasonable by comparison. She is also almost entirely ineffective in her job as a legislator. So win/win.

She will be missed.
posted by seymourScagnetti at 9:15 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


What is her compelling reason to run? Another term? How much is that worth? Think as cynically as you can in this situation, and then think more cynically.

I'm just thinking she'd only give up power only if she absolutely must. If I were a bit more cynical I would have seen the Mark Sandford win coming. I don't know why she'd be different. I would posit you are not being cynical enough. Neither side of the aisle likes to give up power. She needs a good reason for it. Leaving in defeat didn't stop most of the other people you named from going to to being speakers, so why would it be different for her?
posted by cjorgensen at 9:16 AM on May 29, 2013


When she worked for the IRS, out of the 4 years she was on the payroll, she only worked 2.5 years. Granted, the time off was unpaid maternity leave.

She is not a person who enjoys working hard. She won't have to do so now.
posted by reenum at 9:19 AM on May 29, 2013


☜(⌒▽⌒)☞

----
Note: I'll be re-using this in the Rob Ford thread when the time comes.
posted by mazola at 9:21 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm just thinking she'd only give up power only if she absolutely must.

What power does she actually have as the 204th-most senior member of the House of Representatives and middle-pack member of two committees and one subcommittee? Her bully pulpit -- the only power she can really be said to have -- won't be one inch higher if she spends two more years in the House.
posted by Etrigan at 9:21 AM on May 29, 2013


Her YouTube announcement this morning is fittingly bizarre, especially the dramatic music played over her speech.

I think her reasoning for not running probably comes from a realization that the next go-round against Graves was likely going to not work in her favor, coupled with possibly some internal communication from the GOP that they were going to start distancing themselves from the particularly insane parts of their party. Maybe.

Like Palin, she's horribly ineffective as an actual legislator while being a superb nutcase for national talking head media. I imagine she'll cash in now that she's freed from the bonds of doing a real job.
posted by mcstayinskool at 9:23 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm actually kind of disappointed by this, from a tactical standpoint. As possibly the single clearest example of the lunacy of the far right in America, she makes a very convenient foil. She always makes the Democrats seem eminently reasonable by comparison.

This is true. But she also makes assholes like Marco Rubio appear "moderate."
posted by brain_drain at 9:25 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Do congresspersons really get a pension if they don't seek reelection, or if they lose? I don't really know how pensions work I guess.

Members of Congress participate in the standard federal retirement system, so they're eligible for Social Security, FERS (the federal defined-benefit plan), and whatever their 40whatever.whatever plan earned. And of course whatever they'd earned in work previous to their election.

They're off in a weirdo section of FERS with cops, nuke workers, and other people who tend not to have 30+year careers with the feds, so they make substantially larger contributions while they're working (about 1.63 times what normal feds put in), but also get substantially more FERS money per year of service (about 1.55 times what normal feds get per year).

It looks like she'll collect about $24K/yr if she waits for full retirement benefits at 62 or 65.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:28 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


When she worked for the IRS, out of the 4 years she was on the payroll, she only worked 2.5 years. Granted, the time off was unpaid maternity leave.

She is not a person who enjoys working hard. She won't have to do so now.


There are many reasons to dislike Michelle Bachmann. I don't think "she took a lot of unpaid maternity leave" is one of them.
posted by brain_drain at 9:32 AM on May 29, 2013 [25 favorites]


I'd say good riddance but some even more psychotic Republican is probably waiting in the wings to take her place.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:33 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


キタ━━━(゜∀゜)━━━!!!!!

Then again, this means that an even crazier unknown might get a shot in '14. I'd kinda rather see her run again, if her chances were bad enough.
posted by fifthrider at 9:35 AM on May 29, 2013


I don't think "she took a lot of unpaid maternity leave" is one of them.

I agree completely. In fact, I'd love it if this fact was pointed to as an example of why everyone should have the same options. (Though I'd pose a strong argument as to why it should be paid, as I suspect hers actually was.)
posted by quin at 9:35 AM on May 29, 2013


As McLaughlin says "Bye Bye!"
posted by Ironmouth at 9:37 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]




posted by bearwife at 9:40 AM on May 29, 2013


!.
posted by procrastination at 9:42 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


State Sen. Kiffmeyer is probably a strong candidate for them to run. Not quite as bad as Michelle, ut still a cozy ALEC companion.
posted by edgeways at 9:48 AM on May 29, 2013


:)
posted by bukvich at 9:49 AM on May 29, 2013


So we get a temporary glut of WTF!?!?!? and japery, followed by a days-long drought until some other fucknut needs to get his or her luggage lifted or whatnot. I has a sad.
posted by Mister_A at 9:52 AM on May 29, 2013


Remember Bachmann Corndog Overdrive? Good times. Fare thee well, Rep. Bachmann. I hope you get a job at Harvard or something, in the Dept. of Lulz.
posted by Mister_A at 9:54 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I have no friggen idea what you just said there Mister_A
posted by edgeways at 9:54 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


I think she knew she'd lose the next election.
posted by triggerfinger at 10:02 AM on May 29, 2013


Try the corndogs!
posted by Drinky Die at 10:02 AM on May 29, 2013


Maybe, having just won Bill Maher's Craziest Congressman Award, she just wants to go out on top.
posted by ogooglebar at 10:02 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Michele Bachmann creeps me out significantly more than most other crazytalkin republicans, specifically because I get a fairly strong vibe from her that she really believes the whackadoodle shit she spouts. Most of the others in her league seem to blatantly place the cherry of trolling atop their shit sundaes, like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, but Bachmann has a stench of fanaticism about her, and that, coupled with the fact that she is clearly intelligent nevertheless, has always made me nervous.

Good fucking riddance.
posted by elizardbits at 10:04 AM on May 29, 2013 [9 favorites]


I just looked at the congressional map of Minnesota and was somewhat surprised: the western rural areas, which I expected to be more conservative, all have Democrat representatives, and the urban areas, which I would have thought to be more liberal, is where the Republican representatives come from. I guess the Farmer-Labor party still carries a whole lot of weight for the rural voters. We bought a house in Elbow Lake, and in the planning stages that was one of my wife's first questions: "Oh, no, that's not a Bachman area, is it?" Nope, we've got good 'ol Collin Peterson, not that he's any less socially conservative than his Republican peers on social issues.
posted by AzraelBrown at 10:07 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


One of the very few Republican elected officials who believed what she was saying.

The contrast was so stark they must be almost as glad to see her go as we are.
posted by jamjam at 10:09 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


the urban areas, which I would have thought to be more liberal, is where the Republican representatives come from.

The suburban areas, anyway. Minneapolis and St. Paul are each gerrymandered into DFL districts.
posted by COBRA! at 10:09 AM on May 29, 2013


I think this is the perfect Bachmann quote:

"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."

Not only deranged dog-whistle paranoia but factually wrong.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 10:13 AM on May 29, 2013 [6 favorites]


Is she going back to Switzerland?

As a Swiss citizen, I must insist on pointing out that she's not of Swiss origin, so the phrase "back to Switzerland" doesn't make any sense applied to her. Now her kooky husband might make a claim, but that's another matter... 'nuff said.

Yes, I know she held a Swiss passport for a while... but then she returned it *happy-happy-joy-joy*
posted by oxidizer at 10:35 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm still holding out hope for a Bachmann-Palin ticket in the next election. It's time to give crazy a chance people! Plus, think of how entertaining it would be, with Palin as the V.P., chasing Bachmann around the Whitehouse with a shotgun, Elmer Fudd style.
posted by NoAccount at 10:43 AM on May 29, 2013


(Copying over a previous comment)

A few gut reactions from up here:

Bachmann's office has gotten a reputation for being run in a sloppy manner, at best. Branching out to run a Presidential campaign brought a little more light onto her team's way of doing business. There are questions around the Presidential campaign, you can follow up on them elsewhere in mainstream reporting, but there's also been a longer reputation of her office being, well, sloppy, unprofessional, and treating first-line staff badly. Probably nothing that would build a big-time scandal, but enough to put a weight on further ambitions.

Bachmann lost by only a few votes in 2012, in what should have been a cakewalk for her based on the partisan makeup of her district. It's not out of the question that Republican movers, shakers, funders, may have pressured her to step aside.

She's also been an excellent lightning rod for Democratic/DFL fundraising, so her stepping aside removes that, too.

There've also been reports that after her "near death" election victory last time--the results weren't called until the early morning--that there's been pressure on her to do the sorts of things that members of Congress actually supposedly do: constituent service, going to ribbon cuttings, you know, work. She may have reacted with a simple "This sucks, I quit."

There are other similar right-wingers in the 6th (Mary Kiffmeyer has already been mentioned as a potential replacement in 2014), so things might not change all that much. On the other hand, any DFLer who wins in the 6th will have to move pretty strongly to the center, and be constantly campaigning in advance of the next election challenge every two years. Jim Graves, who ran last year as the DFL candidate, is still able to use personal wealth to help fund a campaign, is my understanding.

Senator Franken is up for re-election in 2014. Polling is showing that in a potential Franken/Bachmann Senate race, Franken would wallop Bachmann by many, many, many points. The reaction to this possibility from DFLers is likely to be "oh please oh please oh please".
posted by gimonca at 10:47 AM on May 29, 2013 [5 favorites]


Michele Bachmann creeps me out significantly more than most other crazytalkin republicans, specifically because I get a fairly strong vibe from her that she really believes the whackadoodle shit she spouts. Most of the others in her league seem to blatantly place the cherry of trolling atop their shit sundaes, like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, but Bachmann has a stench of fanaticism about her, and that, coupled with the fact that she is clearly intelligent nevertheless, has always made me nervous.

My Crazy Afternoon
2. Yes, she certainly did bring The Crazy. If she didn't really believe the things she said, she did an excellent job of acting as if she did.

3. No, it's not true that most Republican Members of the House are interchangably nuts. There's really only a small group, maybe only a handful, who share Bachmann's true dedication to The Crazy.

4. However, it's also true that sane conservatives in Congress are not only reluctant to criticize the Crazy Caucus, but are in many cases willing to borrow liberally (or perhaps I should say generously?) from things the Crazy Caucus comes up with or dredges up from Beck or chain emails or wherever.

5. More generally: to the extent that one of the big driving motivations for mainstream, sane conservative politicians is to avoid the "RINO" label -- and it appears that this motivation is quite strong -- they, the GOP-aligned press, and rank-and-file conservative voters give enormous power to the fringe Crazy Caucus.

6. That is, and to generalize: mainstream liberal Democrats try to differentiate themselves from the most extreme liberals in order to appeal to general election swing voters; mainstream conservative Republicans try to group themselves with the most extreme conservatives in order to appeal to primary election RINO-hunters, and have not found any way to cling to extreme but sane conservatives without also keeping fairly close to the Crazy Caucus.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:48 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


This feels like another attempt to grab headlines and spotlights, and then allow her followers to 'convince' her to stay in the race. I hope that's not true, but it seems plausible.
posted by jiawen at 10:52 AM on May 29, 2013


MinnPost today handed along this list of potential Republicans who could run in the 6th:

State Rep. Tim Sanders
Rep. Matt Dean
Rep. David FitzSimmons
Rep. Peggy Scott
State Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Klies
Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah
Former Rep. Phil Krinkie
Former Rep. Jim Knoblach
Former Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer
Former U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hegseth

with a disclaimer that it's speculative and very, very early.

I don't know all the names. Kiffmeyer is fairly far-right, church ties, used to be MN Sec of State at one time. Emmer ran for governor in 2010, lost to Mark Dayton. Krinkie is a well-known Republican name, I'd guess he'd also pass muster with tea party types? He lost to Bachmann in 2006 for the same seat. If I remember correctly, Hegseth was the sacrificial lamb to run against Klobuchar last time. Matt Dean is a notable GOP legislator.
posted by gimonca at 10:53 AM on May 29, 2013


What if she runs for governor? Sure, you might say she'd never get the nomination, but the Minnesota GOP has been making really stupid decisions lately. Tim Pawlenty could out-manuver any democract in the State, but he's gone and they've been left with the people who nominated Tom Emmer (a guy who thought complaining about how much money waiters make was a winning and campaign issue) and thought putting a anti-gay referendum on the ballot would keep them in office. So, imagine her winning the nomination and running against Mark Dayton. Yes, Dayton would probably win eventually, but the debates would be horrible to witness. Dayton may have his heart in the right place, but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, and Bachman's cunning and willingness to lie would give her an advantage.
posted by Area Man at 10:55 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


My beloved Detroit Red Wings are playing game 7 to see if they get to vie for Lord Stanley's Cup tonight. But this? Her retiring from politics? THIS is the reason I will drink beers tonight.
posted by Kokopuff at 10:57 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Also, Mary Kiffmeyer is horrible. Not worse than Bachman, but possibly just as horrible.

Here's one bit from her wikipedia article:

In 2006, Kiffmeyer became the executive director of the conservative advocacy group Minnesota Majority. The group came under criticism for racially charged text on its blog earlier this year. “It is not surprising that Sweden has a lower infant mortality rate, or that Japan has a longer life expectancy than the United States does,” read an article on the site. “They are nearly racially pure; we are not.” Kiffmeyer defended the text saying that its mention of racial purity must be understood in context, that it “is simply descriptive...That’s a genetic term,” Kiffmeyer told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “It does matter when you are doing medical studies."
posted by Area Man at 10:58 AM on May 29, 2013


"Michelle Bachmann says withdrawal from Congress is unrelated to videos reportedly showing her partying with the mayor of Toronto."
posted by Nelson at 11:05 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


1. Bye bye Crazy Eyes.

2. My condolences to the crew down at the Daily Show.
posted by Fists O'Fury at 11:22 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


edgeways: “Fwiw: Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service.
ROU_Xenophobe: “It looks like she'll collect about $24K/yr if she waits for full retirement benefits at 62 or 65.
For reference: Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress [PDF], Katelin P. Isaacs, Congressional Research Service, 30 November 2012

My figures check with ROU_X's. I figure it as $174,000 × 8 years of service (2007–2015) × 1.7% = $23,664 at age 62.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:23 AM on May 29, 2013


Michele Bachmann is gone, but her paranoid politics has become the norm for GOP
Like Bachmann has her entire career, McConnell is drawing on the widely-held view, among conservatives, that Barack Obama is corrupt, dangerous, and hostile to the Constitution of the United States (hence the comparison to Nixon). Only McConnell is the leader of Senate Republicans.

The broader point is this: Bachmann has left Congress, but her style of politics — steeped in paranoia and resentment — has become the norm for the Republican Party. Prominent figures in the party — ranging from McConnell to Ted Cruz and Rand Paul — are happy to stoke conspiracies if it means gaining a political advantage over Obama and the Democratic Party. The difference between Bachmann and the rest of the Republican Party wasn’t one of kind, it was just one of degree.
Michele Bachmann's Powerful Legacy
Bachmann may embarrass GOP elites, but actual Republicans don’t seem to have a huge problem with her or her antics. Indeed, if there’s a “Bachmann style” in conservative politics, it’s only grown more prominent since her moment in the spotlight. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is building his national brand by appealing to the same right-wing fever swamps. Conservatives describe him as a new “standard-bearer” for “constitutional conservatism”—a term popularized by Bachmann.

The entire Republican Party has taken a page from the Minnesota congresswoman with its obsessive focus on the Benghazi “scandal” and the situation at the Internal Revenue Service, using both to accuse President Obama of outright treason (in the case of Benghazi) and Nixonian tactics of intimidation (in the case of the IRS). The main difference between Bachmann and many of her Republican colleagues was of form, not content. Her view of President Obama—a dangerous left-wing tyrant—is shared by many on the right.

Look, for example, at Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination who has also been known to moonlight as a conspiracy- monger. Earlier this month, he lent his name to a fundraising email that accused Obama of working with “anti-American globalists plot[ing] against the Constitution.”

It’s of a piece with South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham’s assertion that the Obama administration manipulated talking points to avoid political blame for the attacks in Benghazi during the presidential election. “This is a story of manipulation by the government with the president being complicit of trying to tell a story seven weeks before an election that was politically beneficial for the White House, but did not represent the facts on the ground,” Graham said during an interview on Fox News two weeks ago.

And that’s just the national Republican Party. In states like Virginia, the party has elevated candidates who take Bachmann’s extremism and dial it to 11. E.W. Jackson, the Virginia GOP’s nominee for lieutenant governor, has already made national news with his furious denunciations of same-sex marriage, LGBT Americans (they’re “sick people psychologically, mentally, and emotionally”), and Planned Parenthood (it’s worse than the Ku Klux Klan). Their gubernatorial nominee, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, differs only by degree. He won’t accuse reproductive rights advocates of engaging in an anti-black genocide, but he will go after groups that attempt to dispense accurate information on sexually transmitted infections, contraceptives, and sexual health.

Observers from across the political spectrum are cheering Michele Bachmann’s departure from politics, and for good reason: She was a toxic influence on public life. But it’s worth remembering that what she represents—extreme right-wing paranoia—is still present and powerful on the national stage.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:33 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


What's the opposite of "." ?

👍
posted by nickrussell at 11:53 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I could see Peggy Scott filling Bachmann's shoes pretty neatly.
posted by nickmark at 11:54 AM on May 29, 2013


"Farewell, Faraway Eyes" by Charles P. Pierce
posted by ob1quixote at 11:56 AM on May 29, 2013


The Onion has breaking news
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:58 AM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


gimonca said:
MinnPost today handed along this list of potential Republicans who could run in the 6th:

State Rep. Tim Sanders
Rep. Matt Dean
Rep. David FitzSimmons
Rep. Peggy Scott
State Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Klies
Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah
Former Rep. Phil Krinkie
Former Rep. Jim Knoblach
Former Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer
Former U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hegseth
Dave Kleis is my mayor and, personally, I think he kicks ass as our mayor. He has great connections nationwide including being a major driving force for the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative where he is working together with other civic leaders in the cities and towns all along the Mississippi.

He's run unopposed as our mayor I think twice already. He was a former state senator. I actually did not realize he was classified as a Republican.

We could definitely do worse than Mayor Kleis, but I was under the impression that he preferred local level politics to the big show of national politics.

Tom Emmer, on the other hand, is a political talking head. He gave me the heebie jeebies when he ran for governor and I seriously don't believe he has any respect for women as equal human beings or for people who do not prescribe to his flavor of religion.

Rep David FitzSimmons was actually one of the four Republicans that voted FOR gay marriage this month. I don't know anything else about him, though. But that gives him good points in my book.
posted by jillithd at 12:11 PM on May 29, 2013


Could do worse than FitzSimmons. He describes himself as a libertarian which is a pretty mixed bag of individual interpretation, but I suspect he is what republicans have to morph into to remain relevant nationally in the long term.
posted by edgeways at 12:27 PM on May 29, 2013


Does no one else get cold chills from the title of this post? "You don't have Nixon to kick around any more" was after his defeat in the 1962 California gubernatorial election. Six years after that, the man was elected President of the United States. That's not a particularly auspicious precedent to invoke here.
posted by McCoy Pauley at 1:08 PM on May 29, 2013 [6 favorites]


She wants to focus on spiritual warfare. She will become a tantric tea party goddess, just like Sarah Palin.
posted by homunculus at 1:15 PM on May 29, 2013




She has beautiful eyes, I have to say that. Too bad they're full of crazy.


posted by zardoz at 1:52 PM on May 29, 2013


woo hoo!! I've broken my self-imposed "no internet on vacation" week just to see what was going on with Michele Bachmann. I used to live in her district (up until about two years ago) and I'm so, so, so, so, so SO FUCKING GLAD that she is gone. I'd wager that the sixth district is still going to elect a Republican for her seat, but there aren't many that could be as embarrassing as her.

Is it possible for Minnesota to become even more awesome?? Seriously, marriage equality, no more Bachmann...perhaps next up mosquitoes and ticks will suddenly pick up and move away? Free bicycles for everyone? Every humane society dog & cat will be adopted by loving families? Cancer will be cured? It's Minnesota! More awesome every day! We can do anything!
posted by Elly Vortex at 1:59 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


Now, if only Steve King and Louie Gohmert would follow suit...
posted by RakDaddy at 2:11 PM on May 29, 2013


Does no one else get cold chills from the title of this post? "You don't have Nixon to kick around any more" was after his defeat in the 1962 California gubernatorial election. Six years after that, the man was elected President of the United States. That's not a particularly auspicious precedent to invoke here.

This is precisely what I thought when I read this title.
posted by ogooglebar at 2:12 PM on May 29, 2013


<Zybl0re> get up
<Zybl0re> get on up
<Zybl0re> get up
<Zybl0re> get on up
<phxl|paper> and DANCE
* nmp3bot dances :D-<
* nmp3bot dances :D|-<
* nmp3bot dances :D/-<

via
posted by ding-dong at 2:18 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Richard Nixon was a political pro with a deep bench of political pros, a former Vice President of the United States, and had a fairly strong history of bipartisanship (heretically so in today's polarized climate), to say nothing of the fact that noted Republicans claim that he would not be welcome in the current GOP because "he had ideas."

Michelle Bachmann has none of that.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:23 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


...noted Republicans claim that he would not be welcome in the current GOP because "he had ideas."

Michelle Bachmann has none of that.


Seems that's a point in her favor, rather than against her.
posted by ogooglebar at 3:02 PM on May 29, 2013


My, what a horrible and thoroughly unpleasant person she was. It is my hope that she will neither be seen nor heard from in the future. That would be just dandy.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:49 PM on May 29, 2013


Is it possible for Minnesota to become even more awesome?? Seriously, marriage equality, no more Bachmann...perhaps next up mosquitoes and ticks will suddenly pick up and move away? Free bicycles for everyone? Every humane society dog & cat will be adopted by loving families? Cancer will be cured? It's Minnesota! More awesome every day! We can do anything!

I would settle for just one warm day without rain. ;)
posted by triggerfinger at 3:58 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Seems that's a point in her favor, rather than against her.

Among a minority mindset that keeps on getting noticeably and sometimes significantly smaller with each election, sure. But in the current trajectory, not enough to win her a national office or even her own state.
posted by zombieflanders at 4:00 PM on May 29, 2013


For a guy who calls himself zombieflanders, you don't seem very sanguine about her returning from the dead.
posted by ogooglebar at 4:09 PM on May 29, 2013


It is my hope that she will neither be seen nor heard from in the future. That would be just dandy.

Would that it were so, flapjax at midnite. However, it seems a certainty that she'll just get plugged into another part of the machine, via some sort of sinecure at a right-wing media outlet or a think tank that will require her to make frequent appearances on TV.

If we're lucky, maybe she'll get a teaching gig at an obscure small-town bible college, and her future pronouncements will be limited to the local weekly, plus whatever sort of mischief she can stir up on the internet.

Other possible gigs could include spokeswoman for Planters ("And they said I was nuts...") or perhaps Cocoa Puffs, 'cause, you know, she's CUCKOO!
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 4:30 PM on May 29, 2013


For a guy who calls himself zombieflanders, you don't seem very sanguine about her returning from the dead.

Your scurrilous aspersions upon the humours that inhabit my earthly body will not stand, sirrah!
posted by zombieflanders at 4:30 PM on May 29, 2013


MAD will miss her.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:36 PM on May 29, 2013


It is my hope that she will neither be seen nor heard from in the future. That would be just dandy.

Dream on.

Michele Bachmann is one of the more successful practitioners of P.T. Barnum's dictum that a sucker is born every minute. She succeeded for eight years masking her ignorance and greed with fundamentalist pieties popular with her national base, but, as the OPP's links demonstrate, that strategy isn't working in the district where she needs to get elected. When you outspend your opponent 12 to one, and win only by 4,000 some-odd votes, you've got a problem. Bachmann is ignorant, but she isn't stupid.

Still, once a grifter.... She'll figure out a way to cash in, at least for the short term. She won't be as successful as Sarah Palin, but there will be plenty of conservative groups willing to pay to hear her parrot their prejudices back to them, at least while she's still got some name recognition.

I don't see Fox being foolish enough to hire her. She's too out there even for them. And she wouldn't stand a chance running for the Senate.

My guess is that, before long, she'll be hosting her own show on some AM talk-radio station. And in that sense you're right: you will never see or hear from her again. But many, many people will.

Unlike you or me, Bachmann has figured out how to cash in on credulity.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:05 PM on May 29, 2013


Does no one else get cold chills from the title of this post?

Yes, but for a different reason. My initial thought was the title wasn't fair to Nixon, to smear him with the comparison to Bachmann. And then I was horrified, what has happened to this world when the corruption of Nixon/Agnew seems preferable to batshitinsane Bachmann? At least corruption is a relatively straightforward and simple evil.
posted by charlie don't surf at 6:09 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Your scurrilous aspersions upon the humours that inhabit my earthly body will not stand, sirrah!

Don't have a cow, man!
posted by ogooglebar at 6:27 PM on May 29, 2013


Good riddance. A thoroughly reprehensible human being.
posted by arcticseal at 7:34 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


She is going to keep making money hand over fist and try to position herself as a "power behind the throne" in the Conservative movement.

Just because she has said dumb things in the past doesn't mean she necessarily believes in them; she is just separating stupid people from their money (Pulling a Palin)
posted by Renoroc at 7:38 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I don't think the ethics scandal has anything to do with her quitting. She's calling it quits because Marcus told her he wants out because he can now legally marry the man of his dreams.

(used to live in MN - rumors about the boy were RAMPANT)
posted by Ber at 8:03 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I am mot a fan of Bachmann by any definition. I have argued I'm "so bleeding heartbeat, it hurts." so please understand when I say this, it is because of no love for her.

I am, and have been for a while, terribly bothered by the crazy narrative that had been put forth by liberals and the media. It feels very anti-woman. Watching the daily show one night during the Republican primaries, I thought how interesting it was that she was generally considered the crazy one... The male candidates were allowed to have laughably bad ideas and we're appropriately mocked, but none really had their mental health status characterized as being broken. They were uncompassionate, stupid, had had ideas. But only Bachmann was labeled as crazy.

And you know, so is/was Palin, even though many of her ideas were only as bad as her male counterparts. I didn't see it at the time of the 2008 election because I was in the "she's the enemy" mindset, but looking back, it was all about how crazy she was.

And you know what? You go on freeper , and that is exactly how Elizabeth Warren is portrayed on the right. It all feels sort of sexist. Men can be evil and uncaring and calculating, but women wear the crazy tag. As much as I don't like her, I don't think it's all good that women politicians are stigmatized around questions of the mental competency .
posted by [insert clever name here] at 8:15 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


I agree that Bachmann and Palin attract gendered insults and slurs that they shouldn't.

More than anything else, Bachmann had a real gift for making pretty shocking gaffes (confusing where John Wayne was born with where John Wayne Gacy was born, confusing where Lexington and Concord were). This goes to her having a sloppy campaign staff (as alluded to earlier) and being too personally ignorant to catch the more basic ones (like where Lexington is) before blundering ahead with whatever crappy speech she was given.

But, for reals, Bachmann took idiotic, ignorant wingnuttery well past "bad ideas" to levels Gingrich and Santorum didn't. I'm not aware of any other candidate literally hiding in bushes to watch a protest, for example. Similarly, Palin really was flat-out unprofessional in a way that was truly aberrant for a politician brought to the national level. A vice presidential candidate who is unable to simply name a newspaper is not the norm.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:45 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Herman Cain made gaffes enough to elicit an Arrested Development character, but perhaps citing a minority conservative isn't the best counter to "only women right-wingers are called crazy."
posted by Apocryphon at 9:06 PM on May 29, 2013


I feel very comfortable disliking Congresswoman Bachman. I've been following her career for years. She became a prominent member of the MN GOP by being the most prominent homophobe in the state. She regularly lies about herself and her political opponents. She wins votes and donations by demonizing her opponents and playing on her constituents' fears. She is ignorant. She is a horrible boss to her campaign and congressional staffs. She is not good at actual legislative work. She cannot work with others to get bills passed and does not provide good constituent service. It doesn't seen fair to compare her to Sarah Palin, who did, after all, have some actual achievements in Alaska. Michele Bachman really was one of the worst politicians on the national stage.

She is not, however, crazy. I agree that it is a loaded term, and an inaccurate one.
posted by Area Man at 9:19 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ron Paul, Crazy Person

Rick Santorum: Too Crazy for Fox News?

Rick Perry is talking like a crazy cowboy, not a candidate for President of the United States

Is Gingrich Literally Crazy?

Crazy is tossed around a lot on both sides. With Bachmann it is definitely meant more literally than usual, but she did kind of set a tone with the hiding in the bushes thing and a whole lot of other odd moments.

I think women like Clinton and Thatcher are people who, while hated by some large groups in politics, generally have narratives that aren't about being insane as the dominant theme behind the hate. I haven't really seen it aimed at Warren that much but I haven't followed her that closely. From what I see she gets more "liar" and "communist" themed hate. Though to go by my standard above it's not hard to Google up right wingers calling her crazy.
posted by Drinky Die at 9:41 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Even our conservative local paper - remember, we are in Rep Bachmann's district and are in the most conservative area of the state - is happy for Bachmann's "retirement". Today's opinion piece from them: Our View: Bachmann still hasn't given real solutions - 6th District should be happy to see her leave. Some good parts:
... the video makes it emphatically clear that Bachmann is willing to govern only one way — hers.

Certainly, the Stillwater Republican deserves credit for adhering to her core beliefs and principles. But precisely like her four terms in Congress, her message offers no hint at reasonable solutions, no desire to seek middle ground, no common-sense compromises.

Worse yet, she essentially says this nation is doomed and the only way to make America great again is to follow her super-conservative path.

Yet true to political form, she doesn’t expound on the building blocks on that path. Rather, she invokes her typical divisive political rhetoric. And district residents know by now that means targeting only big-picture problems, never offering pragmatic, bipartisan solutions.
posted by jillithd at 6:03 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ber: I don't think the ethics scandal has anything to do with her quitting. She's calling it quits because Marcus told her he wants out because he can now legally marry the man of his dreams.

(used to live in MN - rumors about the boy were RAMPANT)
Pretty much the entire nation is aware that her "ex-gay" husband is wearing the loudest, most obnoxious beard since Tammy Fay.

IOW, I can confirm from here in PA - the MN rumors are true.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:03 AM on May 30, 2013


And, it sounds like I was right in that Mayor Kleis is not going to run for US Representative. Local reporter Mark Sommerhouser tweeted:
.@MayorDaveKleis says he has been encouraged to run for #mn06 seat but has no intention to do so. Says he's happy as mayor of #stcloudmn
posted by jillithd at 8:36 AM on May 30, 2013


Is he crazy?
posted by Drinky Die at 12:18 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]




From the Nate Silver article:

But parties rarely have strong years in midterm elections when they hold the White House, and Congressional races are becoming more and more predictable based on the overall partisanship of a district. The Democrats’ chance of winning the Minnesota seat might now be on the order of 5 to 10 percent, versus perhaps 40 percent with Mrs. Bachmann on the ballot.

This is interesting, but isn't Jim Graves pretty moderate/centric, despite the DFL affiliation? He's capitalism-friendly for sure. His moderation is why I thought he had such a good chance of winning the election and probably why he came so close (a DFLer like Keith Ellison wouldn't have had a chance in that district). I'd be interested if someone thought differently, but I don't think we should be so quick to write off Jim Graves.
posted by triggerfinger at 6:48 PM on May 30, 2013


Ron Paul, Crazy Person

Rick Santorum: Too Crazy for Fox News?

Rick Perry is talking like a crazy cowboy, not a candidate for President of the United States

Is Gingrich Literally Crazy?

Crazy is tossed around a lot on both sides. With Bachmann it is definitely meant more literally than usual, but she did kind of set a tone with the hiding in the bushes thing and a whole lot of other odd moments.


Yes, all those people have been called crazy. I think that could be said of nearly every politician. I should have been clearer, with women, it defines how they are perceived. With men it rarely defines their public image. In doubt? Look at these google results.
bachmann crazy About 85,000,000 results
palin crazy About 30,900,000 results
gingrich crazy About 8,010,000 results - that's Newt "Let's build a colony on the moon" gingrich
"ron paul" crazy 7,730,000 results
santorum crazy About 1,990,000 results
"rick perry" crazy About 1,880,000 results
(I didn't want to use quotes, but some common names required it).

I think women like Clinton and Thatcher are people who, while hated by some large groups in politics, generally have narratives that aren't about being insane as the dominant theme behind the hate.
Okay, but they're still called crazy:
"hillary clinton" crazy About 19,600,000 results
thatcher crazy About 13,200,000 results

Bill Clinton, on the other hand, gets a "About 5,670,000 results"

Now, in fairness, Obama crazy gets about 368 million results, but he's a sitting president. ANd he's black.

Part of it, I'm sure, is that women are taught and expected to be more emotional so you get images like this and this. Are they the most flattering? No, but I can see any number of my girlfriends making those faces (or myself in an excited exchange.

Dumb is the other one that bothers me. I'm not saying she's not dumb, but Colbert used to have an enjoyable segment where he take to house representatives, and most were really kind of dumb. It seems that House congress critters have been "dumb" for a long time on both sides of the isle, but a few women get singled out.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:29 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Dumb is the other one that bothers me. I'm not saying she's not dumb, but Colbert used to have an enjoyable segment where he take to house representatives, and most were really kind of dumb. It seems that House congress critters have been "dumb" for a long time on both sides of the isle, but a few women get singled out.

The reason Bachman gets singled out more than other House members is that she ran for President and sought a leadership role in the Tea Party movement. She is much more in the public eye than your average stupid congressman who is one of 435 and is only occasionally covered by his home-state media organizations. When you appear in debates that are televized nationwide or give the Tea Party response to the State of the Union, people are going to notice when you say stupid things. The other noticeably stupid person to run for President, Rick Perry, is also having trouble with his image.
posted by Area Man at 6:45 AM on May 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Don't think she is not cunning nor persistent. This is a woman, who afterall, could not get elected to the school board of Stillwater, but persisted and by golly, became a contender. Think about that, you underestimate her and her constituency.

I notice people use the term, "was", in regards to her. She is far from past tense and she will be like a vampire at the crossroads. You better be ready to put a stake through it and burn the damn corpse. Just be glad that she tipped her hand so obviously and that she did not have the depth to actually DO things besides be a malignancy on the political landscape.

Democrats better not get comfortable with their close calls either, e.g., John Edwards.
posted by jadepearl at 6:59 AM on May 31, 2013




Not surprising... I can't see a democrat winning the seat unless their opponent is a known terrible person like Bachmann.
posted by sparklemotion at 7:49 AM on May 31, 2013


Boo. To quote a Twitterer, "Graves was the only reason for GOP to nominate a moderate in a thoroughly red district. The freak flag can fly now." Rep. Kiffmeyer or Emmer isn't going to be much of a step up.
posted by COBRA! at 7:51 AM on May 31, 2013


I'd additionally like to point out the "dumb" comments started long before her presidential bid. Yes, she may have flung herself in the lime light; but the only reason it worked was because she was viewed as a palin-esque woman. "crazy" "dumb" and very ambitious. Had she been a man, she probably would have been largely ignored with those traits.

bachmann dumb About 27,700,000 results
perry dumb About 10,600,000 results - but, minus ~5 million for "katy perry"

Again, I have no love for this woman, but so much of the criticism around her is sexist bullshit. Rarely are her points taken head on, as they would be from a man. Instead she's just written off as crazy. Women everywhere are constantly told their crazy and irrational and it extends to the political field. I'm just ashamed it happens on the supposedly more enlightened left.

(Also, I'm kind of creeped out. Yesterday when I did a perry crazy search I came up with equal rick perry and katy perry as the top results. Running the search again today, rick perry was at the top. Thanks google, for assuming you know better than me.)
posted by [insert clever name here] at 8:06 AM on May 31, 2013


[icnh], I think you have good points, and I think there's a good chance that you're right that women politicians are more likely to get tagged with the "crazy" label. But here in the 6th District, Bachmann has actually been doing crazy things (hiding in the bushes to watch protests, hiding in the bathroom from evil lesbians, calling for the media to investigate unamerican activities, etc, etc) for so long that the label is fairly attributed to her. Just like the label would be fairly attributed to that one democrat who got caught with money in the freezer.

"Dumb" is a label that I'm not sure is gendered at all. When I think "dumb" and "politician", it's the George W.'s of the world that come to mind, well before any ladies.
posted by sparklemotion at 9:24 AM on May 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Look, to some extent she was able to get the attention she craves because she's good looking. So, I can see some sexism there.

However, I think you are overstating your case. I'm from Minnesota and I've thought she was horrible for years. She has been a blight on our state. She gained attention in the Minnesota Senate by being the most prominent homophobe in the state. That's how made a name for herself. That is despicable behavior. It is not normal and not something that the left should ignore. She also says and does things that are absurd and deserving of mockery.

Her arguments are regularly dissected. One reason why they often can't be addressed head-on is that her premises are often flat-out wrong. That's why factcheckers have such a field day with her statements.
posted by Area Man at 9:26 AM on May 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Area Man: When you appear in debates that are televized nationwide or give the Tea Party response to the State of the Union, people are going to notice when you say stupid things. The other noticeably stupid person to run for President, Rick Perry, is also having trouble with his image.
What, no love for Herman Cain? 9-9-9, baby! That's what we need!
posted by IAmBroom at 9:34 AM on May 31, 2013




"I'm not retiring. I'm not going silent," Bachmann said on Fox News. "I'm not quitting my public involvement. In fact I may run for another public office."
posted by Area Man at 5:48 AM on June 7, 2013






Why Sarah Palin actually matters again: With a new Fox contract and sharp words on immigration, the former Alaska gov. is the smiley face of white backlash
Palin rubbed [Jeb] Bush’s nose in his mistake, trashing him ideologically while using her trademark sex appeal. You kind of have to see it – her hair has never been bigger, and she mocked Bush with such visible self-confidence and self-satisfaction:
It’s dangerous, touchy territory to debate this over one race’s fertility rate, and I say this as one who’s kind of fertile herself. I don’t think that’s where we want to go in deciding how we will incentify [sic] the hard-working families who want to be in the line, follow the law and become American citizens, versus those whose very first act on American soil is to break the law…
Note that Bush didn’t mention any specific race as being either more or less fertile. Native-born Americans of every race tend to have fewer children than immigrants. It was Palin who perceived an insult to the fertility of white people – and who had to therefore remind us of her own. Some white women might be committing “race suicide,” in Teddy Roosevelt’s famous words, but Palin ain’t one of them. Palin even brought up race right at the beginning of her speech, talking about how she likes to confront people with Obama bumper stickers on their “itty-bitty little purple Volts” (and you know what else must be “itty bitty.”)
One reply I got before the 2012 race – one said, ‘Well, I’m not a racist so I voted for [Obama] to prove it,’ and I replied ‘Nor am I a racist, and hey buddy, next time vote for someone else to prove you’re not a knucklehead.’
Palin also mocked Muslims, for good measure, while declaring her opposition to intervention in Syria, insisting we should stay out of a civil war there “and let Allah sort them out.”
posted by zombieflanders at 7:20 AM on June 19, 2013


Meet Your New Wingnut Congresscritter: Michael Burgess

The really fun thing is that Burgess was the relatively non-wingnut alternative to Dick Armey's kid Scott back in 00/02.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:24 AM on June 19, 2013


Rarely are her points taken head on, as they would be from a man. Instead she's just written off as crazy.

Compare/contrast Michele Bachman and Rick Santorum. Or don't.
posted by mrgrimm at 8:34 AM on June 19, 2013


One reply I got before the 2012 race – one said, ‘Well, I’m not a racist so I voted for [Obama] to prove it,’

I wonder if this has ever happened outside of the imagination of Republicans.
posted by Artw at 8:42 AM on June 19, 2013


Yeah, given the secrecy of the voting process voting for a particular candidate doesn't seem like a good way to prove anything. Whatever happened to claiming that one has lots of black friends?
posted by Area Man at 11:07 AM on June 19, 2013


Palin even brought up race right at the beginning of her speech, talking about how she likes to confront people with Obama bumper stickers on their “itty-bitty little purple Volts”
It's easy to believe that Palin likes to stop people in parking lots and demand they account for their votes in the election she lost and in the one she never placed. I imagine the harried commuters avoiding eye-contact as they get into their Volts, lock the doors, and drive off, Palin shaking her fists at their escape, before running across the lot to chase the next one.

If she told me she did that all day I would believe her.
posted by octobersurprise at 1:04 PM on June 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


I want a Volt.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:36 PM on June 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


She won't hassle you if you have a Tesla.
posted by Area Man at 4:34 PM on June 19, 2013






« Older Even the smallest dog can lift its leg on the...   |   The Unexotic Underclass Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments