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Is Michele Bachmann finished in the GOP race?
CBS News ^ | 09/08/2011 | Brian Montopoli

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 ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bachmann; edrollins; finished; michelebachmann; potus; rollins; rollinsized; smellslikemitt
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To: Polybius
I've rebutted these points in other threads by stating that Palin's so called "negatives" are being driven by the media war against her and can be overcome. Once she is formally in the race and people get a more unfiltered look at her, many of those negative opinions can be reversed with the additional bonus of the mainstream media losing some more of their credibility.

At any rate, let's not give up on her before she is even in the race. If she is as unelectable as you make her out to be, she won't be in the race that long as she'll get blown out in the Iowa caucus and the NH and SC primaries early on and we will move on to discussing other things.

If on the other hand Palin is able to score some key victories in Iowa, NH and/or SC, then game on! She will have overcome her "negatives" and should then secure the nomination and then the general election and be our most conservative presidential candidate since Reagan.

So there is no long-term risk to Palin getting into this race. Let's see where it goes from here.

81 posted on 09/08/2011 10:31:04 AM PDT by SamAdams76 (Waiting for Palin)
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To: chickadee; All
To be honest, I was somewhat impressed with Romney.

If Romney could be trusted, he might be a viable choice. Unfortunately he seems subservient and he's been on every side of the issues in the past 10 years.

I'm sick of hearing about the vaccine. In the debate, Perry brought up a point I hadn't heard, that there had been a bill passed aimed at cancers. Curious I went looking and found that was absolutely true.

In 2005, HB 2475 said, "This bill requires the Department of State Health Services to develop a strategic plan to eliminate mortality from cervical cancer by the year 2015…" "The strategic plan must be developed and delivered to the governor and legislature no later than December 31, 2006."

Was the plan delivered to Perry? Yes it was.

A 47 page report (Acrobat PDF) called "Texas Cervical Cancer Strategic Plan," December 2006, by Texas Department of State Health Services in collaboration with The Texas Cancer Council was delivered.

Page 8, "Executive summary" Armed with this new HPV vaccine, we can achieve the moment when we know our goal — eliminating cervical cancer death and suffering — is in reach.

Page 20, "Access to Care" - "Women must have access to cervical cancer screening to eliminate cervical cancer in Texas. The National Cancer Institute reports that groups of women with high cervical cancer mortality:...

… "Widespread vaccination is a key to reducing cervical cancer incidence in Texas"

People who think this was something Perry cooked up in secret for crony capitalist pals at Merck in exchange for $6,000 of $12 million in campaign donations are demented.

He acted in the furtherance of the legislature's public health goals by ensuring the widest dissemination of and coverage for the vaccine.

The three shots included in Gardasil cost $360 which is not cheap for "low income" individuals most in need of it. Opt-out vaccines are covered by insurance, Medicaid and other programs. Opt-in vaccines not.

Santorum, Ingraham, Malkin and others can pander on philosophical grounds and to the anti-vax crowd but we live in the real world, not a debate club.

Santorum's debate argument we should only opt-in for vaccinations is societal suicidal. Most of work because of "herd immunity" so insisting people say "NO" instead of "YES" is the most reasoned position for public health.

Romney had it right in the debate, Perry had the right intentions and Perry would do it differently if he could do it over.

I draw a strong contrast for others with Perry's pragmatic pro parental protection approach and noting there's a bill right now on the CA governor's desk, AB499 (Atkins) that will give 12 year-old kids the power to consent to vaccines and other measures without parental involvement or notice.

82 posted on 09/08/2011 10:38:03 AM PDT by newzjunkey (Will racist demagogue Andre Carson be censured by the House?)
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To: newzjunkey

I would like to thank you for this additional information. I will consider it in future when I make my decision on who to vote for in the primary.


83 posted on 09/08/2011 11:21:25 AM PDT by chickadee
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To: newzjunkey
Romney had it right in the debate, Perry had the right intentions and Perry would do it differently if he could do it over.

That, for me, was one of the high points of the debate. Rather than tear each other down, let's talk about real world solutions to real world problems: we are all on the same team, and are largely of the same mind. Any one of those candidates are better for the country, long term, than the current occupant of the Oval Office.

84 posted on 09/08/2011 12:18:18 PM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: calex59

Well, actually, she has said that she is still considering it. Some might say that she is still, therefore, making up her mind.

She has never said anything as definitive as you said: “either I will announce at the end of the month or I won’t.”

So, your version is very straight up. Saying, “I’m still thinking about it” is not as straight, some might say. In fact, some might even say if you haven’t actually made up your mind, that that could be called “waffling”.

It’s a subtle distinction, almost metaphysical. But bottom line, according to her own testimony, she hasn’t decided.

(Maybe she has, though, and this is all part of her grand strategy......)


85 posted on 09/08/2011 12:26:25 PM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: SeekAndFind

Well if CBS News says she’s finished thats good enough for me. (sarc)


86 posted on 09/08/2011 12:57:11 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: ConservativeDude

She has to announce by the end of the month because the deadline to announce for the first primary is the 1st of Oct. I believe. Besides that she has definitely said(regardless of what you think you know)that she will announce one way or another by September, which takes in the whole month, therefore the end of the month is the deadline for more than one reason.


87 posted on 09/08/2011 1:03:29 PM PDT by calex59
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To: calex59

um, ok.

What will you do if Oct. 1 comes and she has said nothing? Besides, she might be planning on running independent....


88 posted on 09/08/2011 1:27:31 PM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: Polybius

You make some excellent points!

Very informative. Thank you!!!


89 posted on 09/08/2011 2:46:27 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Perry/Bachmann 2012 - they can share hair care products.)
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To: SeekAndFind
It's the hair.
90 posted on 09/08/2011 2:49:21 PM PDT by Glenn (iamtheresistance.org)
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