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Michele Bachmann's First Big Mistake - Hiring Ed Rollins (Update: Ed double-downs on Palin again)
Legal insurrection ^ | Tuesday June 7, 2011 | William Jacobson

Posted on 06/07/2011 5:54:01 PM PDT by Bigtigermike

Not surprisingly, Bachmann has come under the same types of snide attack as Sarah Palin from the mainstream media, entertainment industry and left-blogosphere.  There is a special place reserved for conservative women in the Democratic toolkit of mockery and derision.

But Bachmann just made a big mistake.  I'll repeat what I wrote when Mike Huckabee was considering whether to run again with Ed Rollins as his campaign manager:

Run, don't walk, away from Ed Rollins and the others who think that demeaning Sarah Palin is the best way to advance your campaign.

Sure enough, Rollins having just been hired by Bachmann, is at it again (via Ben Smith):

Michele Bachmann's new top consultant, Ed Rollins, began his tenure with scathing criticism of potential Bachmann rival Sarah Palin. "Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years," Rollins told Brian Kilmeade on his radio show, Kilmeade and Friends. "She got the Vice Presidential thing handed to her, she didn't go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance, she gave up her governorship."

He suggested that the contrast would favor Bachmann.

"Michele Bachmann and others [have] worked hard, she has been a leader of the Tea Party which is a very important element here, she has been an attorney, she has done important things with family values."

"She is probably the best communicator [in the GOP field] now that Mike Huckabee's not in there," he said.

Rollins has long been skeptical of Palin, but his new role with Bachmann suggests that criticism will become part of her campaign, though she has publicly praised the former Alaska governor

Michele Bachmann's new top consultant, Ed Rollins, began his tenure with scathing criticism of potential Bachmann rival Sarah Palin.

Hiring Rollins was a mistake.  In order to have a chance, you will have to unite the non-establishment wing of the party behind you, and you lose a big chunk of that base when your campaign spokesman trashes Palin.

Additionally, the Democrats and their supporters are going to Palinize you, and already have started.  Having your campaign spokesman engage in the same sort of rhetoric against Palin simply legitimizes the tactic, and will hurt your campaign.

Please take advice from someone who likes you.  Dump Rollins overboard now, before it's too late.

Update:  Ed Rollins is on the Chris Matthews show as this update is being written, and is going out of his way to belittle Palin, including saying that Palin ""doesn't matter if she doesn't run."  Rollins also jumped on the Paul Revere controversy.  According to Rollins, Palin "has the movie star quality but it doesn't go very far."

Hiring Rollins is an enormous mistake for Bachmann.  It could be campaign killing.  The people who hate Palin are the same people who hate Bachmann, and no amount of trashing of Palin by Rollins will change that.  Bachmann needs to focus on building, not tearing down.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: 2012; bachmann; bachmannimplosion; palin; quittermeme; rollins4romney; romneydirtytrick; romneyspew; sarahpalin
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To: Bigtigermike

As soon as I heard Ed was involved I knew she was in trouble. He only does one thing and that’s attack. It doesn’t take any brains or ingenuity to attack look at Democrats. If Bauchman doesn’t get rid of him asap she will be finished by July. Too bad, a Bauchman/Palin ticket would have been hard to beat as would a Cain/Palin or Bauchman ticket


61 posted on 06/07/2011 7:24:52 PM PDT by RMFC
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

thanks for posting that Facebook link.

i hope all of her supporters realizes that Rollins opinions about Sarah were known to Bachmann long before she hired him.
...so hiring Rollins shows impossibly poor judgement by her.
especially when Rollins wrote this about Palin 6 months ago!

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/01/rollins.palin/index.html?hpt=T2
Palin, I knew Reagan. You’re no Reagan.
By Ed Rollins, Senior Political Contributor
December 2, 2010 — Updated 0453 GMT (1253 HKT)


62 posted on 06/07/2011 7:25:53 PM PDT by Elendur (the hope and change i need: Sarah / Colonel West in 2012)
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To: Bigtigermike

As soon as I heard Ed was involved I knew she was in trouble. He only does one thing and that’s attack. It doesn’t take any brains or ingenuity to attack look at Democrats. If Bachmann doesn’t get rid of him asap she will be finished by July. Too bad, a Bachmann/Palin ticket would have been hard to beat as would a Cain/Palin or Bachmann ticket


63 posted on 06/07/2011 7:26:17 PM PDT by RMFC
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To: abb
your post is worth repeating...I'm starting to be convinced that the only difference between Dems and the elitist establishment RINO Pubies is that the Dems race down the tubes quicker..
64 posted on 06/07/2011 7:30:35 PM PDT by M-cubed
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To: The Wizard

I was never a fan of MB from the get go. I don’t know why, but, there was something about her that didn’t set well with me. Now, I know. She needs to stay in the House and forget any presidential aspirations. She certainly wouldn’t get my vote.

That stupid poll on BOR is just stupid. I think most of his audience is made up of libs anyway.


65 posted on 06/07/2011 7:46:18 PM PDT by Catsrus
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To: Bigtigermike

No. Michelle needs to win Iowa or she’s toast. To do that she needs Huck’s network. Ed Rollins is the guy that can deliver that.

Unfortunately Rollins has a great deal of baggage. That is fine if you keep that kind of person on a tight leash. Michelle isn’t doing that. She should have told him from the get go to STFU and get her votes, let her handle message and media.

Why she is letting him do interviews is beyond me.


66 posted on 06/07/2011 7:49:35 PM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead.)
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To: Bigtigermike
Also, it's obvious the Establishment GOP has picked Romney and Bachmann's job is to siphon right wing votes from Palin.

Bachmann will be rewarded somehow, someway.

The GOP is hell bent on stopping Palin and they are willing to pull out all stops to do so. George Will opened with the "Daisy Ad" and now Rollins "She not serious and she's a quitter".

What they do not see and recognize is that if they sh!t on Palin, they lose for sure.

From the top of the ticket all the way down to dog catcher. All of them.

At least 50% of the GOP base would stay home. Count on it.

67 posted on 06/07/2011 7:51:53 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: greene66

Michelle has “Weinered” herself...she made a bad decision and has shot herself in the foot with the Rollins pick....She can fire him and maybe keep 2/3 of her support or keep him and lose 3/4 or more of it...either way...she’s shown herself and stepped on her “Weiner”....


68 posted on 06/07/2011 7:56:24 PM PDT by M-cubed
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To: Gargantua
I called that number and left a message with my phone #..
at 10:13 p.m. I received a return call from a campaign worker who said she has apologized for Mr. Rollins remarks...
has anyone else heard this?

hope that # was legit.

69 posted on 06/07/2011 7:56:37 PM PDT by haircutter
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To: Bigtigermike
Good ole' Ed has brought about the demise of more than one hopeful.

Too bad about Kilmeade entertaining a Palin basher (isn't Palin an FNC "contributor"?????)

70 posted on 06/07/2011 7:57:21 PM PDT by zerosix (native sunflower)
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To: Gargantua
I called that number and left a message with my phone #..
at 10:13 p.m. I received a return call from a campaign worker who said she has apologized for Mr. Rollins remarks...
has anyone else heard this?

hope that # was legit.

71 posted on 06/07/2011 7:59:25 PM PDT by haircutter
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To: haircutter
excuse the double post..my computer or FR is running veryyyyyyyyyyyy slow tonight!!!
carole
72 posted on 06/07/2011 8:02:11 PM PDT by haircutter
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To: Bigtigermike
Because she is doing to bidding of someone to make sure that either Palin doesn’t run or is damaged further when she does run.....think about this: Mitt said that he will take it easy until after Labor Day! Hmmm!

I am convinced the slimy Mitt is behind this. Rollins is a unprincipled RINO hack. Romney has likely promised MB the VP slot in exchange for muddying the conservative/Tea Party side.

Bachmann will not get much traction at all. Once Sarah announces, it's over her. Romney is pulling out all the stops trying to bring down Sarah. He will fail.

73 posted on 06/07/2011 8:02:49 PM PDT by sand88 (Sarah Palin announces her run: August 12, 2011 11:10am ET)
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To: Bigtigermike

>>> Michele Bachmann’s First Big Mistake - Hiring Ed Rollins

Oh absolutely. Why would any serious politician want the assistance of people who know politics. Surely o’Donnell’s campaign manager would have been preferable instead.


74 posted on 06/07/2011 8:06:15 PM PDT by tlb
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To: Terry Mross

“Even” Ross Perot?


75 posted on 06/07/2011 8:07:25 PM PDT by ngat
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To: Terry Mross

“Even” Ross Perot?


76 posted on 06/07/2011 8:07:35 PM PDT by ngat
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To: tlb

Ed Rollins is a loser in campaigns *a kiss of death*....The 84’ Reagan campaign was already leaning in Reagan’s way, so that doesn’t count necessarily for Rollins


77 posted on 06/07/2011 8:09:36 PM PDT by Bigtigermike
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To: haircutter

I just did a search and nothing came up so if she apologized she whispered it.


78 posted on 06/07/2011 8:09:40 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW

Do the damage and apologize later.


79 posted on 06/07/2011 8:14:31 PM PDT by Moorings
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
If Bachmann is condoning these attacks on Palin, then she's dead to me. I'll never support any Republican that attacks Palin.

Well stated EEE. Sarah is one of us. An attack on Sarah is an attack on regular Americans.

Sarah doesn't have one iota of elitism. The arrogant elitists of both parties know damn well that Sarah is the biggest threat to their parasitic existence.

I am convinced the slimball Mitt is behind this. He and his staff have been plotting since Nov08 the path to power. Mitts knows clearly if he can't take Sarah out, he has no chance.

80 posted on 06/07/2011 8:18:44 PM PDT by sand88 (Sarah Palin announces her run: August 12, 2011 11:10am ET)
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