Posted on 08/12/2011 9:30:53 AM PDT by ejdrapes
Bachmann: The Fly in Pawlenty’s Ointment Michele Bachmann was a backbencher advocating conservative causes in the Minnesota senate, where Republicans were a decided minority during her years in office. She continued the role in Congress, where she has yet to achieve a position of political responsibility even though Republicans have gained the House majority. To the extent that she has become a lightning rod as a national figure, she has drawn on her native gifts to turn herself into a fundraising machine. With her Iowa roots and appeal to a conservative base, her moment has come, as a presidential candidate, in the Iowa straw poll and caucuses. What Howard Dean was to Iowa Democrats in the 2004 cycle and Obama was to Iowa Democrats in the 2008 cycle, Bachmann is to Iowa Republicans in this cycle: the Ivory soap candidate, 99 and 44/100 percent pure. Bachmann is the fly in Tim Pawlenty’s ointment. He has staked everything on Iowa. He is the generic Republican candidate at a time when the generic Republican seems to be what is called for to match up against Obama. Pawlenty thought that a strong gubernatorial record in the state next door would prove enough to break through in Iowa and launch him into the top tier of competitors in New Hampshire. He didn’t factor Bachmann into his calculations. Bachmann is highly unlikely to secure the Republican presidential nomination, but she is highly likely to derail Pawlenty’s aspirations. Thus the fireworks in last night’s debate. — Scott W. Johnson is a Minneapolis attorney and contributor to Power Line.
August 12, 2011 9:37 A.M.
By Scott W. Johnson
I strongly suspect you are right.
Watch Pawlenty to stick around as the GOP Establishment attack dog to protect their chosen one Romney.
If Perry gets in the race Pawlenty will magically change focus to attack him. Pawlenty is this seasons Huckabee, doing for Romney what Huckabee did for McCain in 2008.
His only purpose in being there is to protect the chosen one from any challengers.
Wonder what they have promised him a Fox News gig, the Senate nomination in Minnesota or a cabinet post?
Spot on!!!
The “Conventional Wisdom” is a particularly stupid species of dinosaur that doesn’t see its own extinction looming on the horizon.
The political world has changed drastically since the 08 election. The dinosaur has resorted to eating its own tail and isn’t bright enough to figure out why its tail hurts.
We Reagnite constitutionalist conservatives are going to take back the party...and we will get rid of the RINOs like Boehner, and John Kline who fooled us once.
I am so sick of all these stupid RINO governors being pushed out there. The whole reason is to try and keep the real conservatives from getting air time in these debates or "D-bates" as Tom Emmer calls them.
I really liked last night's "D-bate" as Bachmann totally NAILED Pawlenty to the wall as as what he is . A liberal without even once having to call him that. Look at his policies and actions. Not his words. And she did, and that was the END for both him, and also that liberal Huntsman, who is trying to pretend to be pro-American by lashing at his pals in the EPA. The guy who killed thousands of American jobs and transferred ten thousand of them to China...
Got anymore RINO governors for us Establishment? Rick Perry?? The NAFTA-SuperHighway CREEP? The one who only the last year or so has suddenly discovered there appears to be an illegal alien problem?????
“The beltway/establishment types think our only shot at defeating Obama is to nominate a boring, middle of the road moderate Republican.”
Because that worked so well for them in 1996 and 2008?
He does not appear to be a follower of the Christ either.
T-Paw literally puts me to sleep when he talks. Clinical testing in lab rats shows that he cures insomnia four days in advance. He's that good.
Bachmann is an interesting speaker who knows how to bring the rhetorical heat and chase her opponents around the room with a branding iron.
All well and good, but bottom line is this. T-Paw was governor, and has some accomplishments, good and bad. Bachmann is a talker. Her accomplishments are mostly verbal. While T-Paw was a disaster in the debates last night (oddly enough, the first time I've ever found him entertaining), he killed Bachmann's run by pointing out the obvious. She has no legislative accomplishments. She's a conservative House version of liberal Senator Obama. She talks the right talk to a lot of people, but it's just that. Talk.
"I sponsored the Light Bulb Choice act!" Really? Sorry, but her resume is what's killing her chances, not the beltway/establishment whammy.
I know the Minnesota crowd - Ed Morrissey and the guys at PowerLine - are in the tank for Pawlenty. They don’t necessarily dislike Bachmann but certainly think she’s screwing Pawlenty.
Yes I think the beltway (and non-beltway establishment types) think that way. I can’t begin to understand why.
It’s killing her chances with the beltway/establishment types. Not the grass roots (except those who were never in the tank for Bachmann in the first place).
You have someone who would debate Romney, Pawlenty, Perry, and anyone else the Republican Establishment wants to put up, off the stage. That would be Thad McCotter, who for some unknown reason was not allowed to participate. I wonder why?
I will wait for Palin to enter the fray.
I thought Pawlenty showed his true colors when he lunged at Michelle Bachmann’s throat with undeserved viciousness last night. I do not want that guy in the White House. We already have one there, and we do not need another! @What we need is a courageous Christian conservative, and that, folks, is how I see Michelle Bachman. She has high ideals, and she sticks to them unlike any other politician I can think of.
How much is it going to suck if Romney wins the Ames Straw poll tomorrow? God, I’d rather Ron Paul won the damned thing!
Don’t look now, folks, but we are surrounded by fools! That question was completely out of order, and I thought Michelle Bachmann handled it particularly well.
Obviously you didn’t see the way Bachmann gave it back to Pawlenty last night. I expect the MSM to take those comments literally, not good conservatives.
You are right
Pawlenty looked like a little man who was afraid to attack the big guy (Romney) so he lashed out at somebody he thought was smaller than him only to find out he was the smallest of them all. Very bad showing, he is toast.
Scott, it’s not all about the Upper Midwest.
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