Posted on 09/08/2011 7:33:58 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
For a while there, Rep. Michele Bachmann seemed to be all anyone could talk about in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Telegenic, controversial and aligned with fiscal and social conservatives, she soaked up media coverage and seemed to be emerging as the GOP base's preferred alternative to Mitt Romney - particularly since Mike Huckabee decided to forgo the race and Sarah Palin continued waffling about whether she would jump in.
Then came August 13. It was, in once sense, a triumphant day for Bachmann: She won the (albeit overhyped) Iowa straw poll, generating headlines about how she was a top-tier contender with a legitimate shot at the nomination. But August 13 was also the day that Texas governor Rick Perry decided to throw his ten-gallon hat into the race.
Ever since then, Bachmann has steadily faded. Perry shot to the front of the polls on the strength of his dual establishment/base appeal, while Bachmann sank back to third or fourth, alongside Ron Paul. Unable to capitalize on her straw poll momentum, she shook up her campaign staff, removing campaign manager Ed Rollins - who promptly declared the contest a two-man race between Perry and Bachmann.
Wednesday's debate was Bachmann's chance to show she had come up with some sort of plan to regain some semblance of momentum. And despite a strong performance in past debates, she let the opportunity pass her by. While Perry and Romney sparred, a sbdued Bachmann failed to get in any memorable lines and looked like a footnote who belonged with the also-rans, not the contenders.
In the spin room after the debate, Rollins - who is still with the Bachmann campaign - tried to frame Bachmann's unmemorable debate performance as no big deal.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Yes, Ed Rollins did his job.
IMO, she’s being ignored out of the POTUS race. VP is another story.
I have to agree. God bless her.
old age and treachery trumps youth and enthusiasm every time
I think she is. I think she’ll crumble under the scrutiny of a Presidential Election. She may make a decent cabinet member, but might be a bit of a stretch for VP but it could happen considering Obama’s record of failure.
Ed Rollins.....well done thy good and faithful servant!
Ouch.
No, she has not faded.
Yesterday was a scrimmage with the oppossing players “setup”.
She isn’t any more faded than the others.
Just hang in there Michelly.
Not at all. Bachmann’s a better than a Romney and the pack of political candidates lesser than Romney. The race has boiled down to Bachmann and Perry. And dear Sarah when she jumps in.
But for debates we need to keep Cain and Gingrich in there too. They are our defense line against evil moderators.
Was Bachmann ever in the race?
I thought Michelle looked very presidential last night. Perry was a huge disappointment. I was looking forward to seeing him in action, but he proved to be shallow and unprepared. His hesitancy in answering questions seemed to show a lack of core convictions.
I wouldn’t count on it.
Conservatives who believe the garbage being spewed by the media are busy watching Oprah and waiting for the media to tell them who to vote for.
Bachmann was never anything more than a placeholder for a credible conservative candidate. Whether Perry is as conservative as he’s made out to be might still be an open-ended question, but it’s quite obvious people are more likely to buy into him as conservative enough far more than they’ll accept the zero relevant experience of Bachmann.
yes.
This is not all Bachmann’s fault. She had a great performance in SC where she had the opportunity to speak at length. Last night she was largely ignored.
Her brain seemed to be as botoxed as her face.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.