January 4, 2012

"Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, and so I have decided to stand aside."

Michele Bachmann.
“I will continue to fight to defeat the president’s agenda of socialism,” she said. She made no endorsement of another candidate.

37 comments:

Patrick said...

Whew.

"Clear choice?"

james conrad said...

Very gracious exit

Superdad said...

yes, they clearly chose to vote for anyone other than Bachmann.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Woosh. The sound of Bachman's supporters rushing to Santorum.

Chip S. said...

As Ames goes, so goes Emmetsburg.

MadisonMan said...

The sound of Bachman's supporters rushing to Santorum.

It was gracious of you to make that noun plural.

MadisonMan said...

Bad link, btw.

Thorley Winston said...

It’s probably just as well – while I didn’t think she was a viable candidate for the presidency (no executive experience and she’s never ran much less won a Statewide race before), she has without a doubt been a strong and consistent advocate for constitutional conservatism, limited government and free enterprise capitalism in the House of Representatives. I hope she wins reelection handily this fall (she’s by far the best that Minnesota has sent to Washington in a long time) and returns next year to hold both the House leadership and what will hopefully be a new President accountable and on the right path.

Zachary Sire said...

Her and Miss Marcus will live off the money they made from book sales (which was the whole point of this dog and pony show from the beginning anyway) for years to come. I guess capitalism (and being literally fucking insane) really does work!

YoungHegelian said...

@ZPS,

Got some proof of the "literally fucking insane" charge?

I've got a sneaky feeling that "literally fucking insane" translates to "disagrees with ZPS on the nature of homosexuality".

Or, did you have something else in mind?

Joe Schmoe said...

Last night, the people of Iowa said thanks, Michelle, but have you seen those pictures of Mary Kaye Huntsman?

Houston, we have eye candy!

Tank said...

Too bad. That leaves us:

The Goldman Sachs Bank Party of Zero, Romney, Santorum, etc.

or

Ron Paul

Yep, them's your choices.

TS

Known Unknown said...

Darn. We won't have ol' Crazy Eyez to kick around anymore.

Hagar said...

What Thorley Winston said.

DaveW said...

I wish she were my congressman. Mine is Ron Paul.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Good for her- she is being realistic.

edutcher said...

With only 2 terms in the House, there wasn't much there there.

And Ed Rollins did her in as much as anything else.

YoungHegelian said...

Got some proof of the "literally fucking insane" charge?

I've got a sneaky feeling that "literally fucking insane" translates to "disagrees with ZPS on the nature of homosexuality".


Homophobe is the new raacissst.

But with a lot more literal fucking insanity to it.

Andy said...

One less joke republican candidate to laugh at. I hope this doesn't cause any ratings problems for Leno and Letterman. I hope Perry can rise to the occasion.

Also, I secretly enjoy the high visibility of the rabidly anti-gay bigots in the Republican party like Bachmann, since the country is rapidly shifting toward tolerance of gay people and her rabid anti-gay bigotry will help to tar the Republican party as the bigoted organization that it is.

YoungHegelian said...

@andy,

Do you ever read anyone else's comments or do you just hop on and post?

How exactly does Bachmann exhibit her anti-gay bigotry? Because her hubby runs a, as far as I know completely voluntary, ministry for people who want to change their behavior?

Or, they believe, because of their religious beliefs, there just might be some moral issues with homosexuality. Lots of folks believe that, you know. Folks like Barack Obama.

Known Unknown said...

I forgot how many registered-Democrat African Americans and Hispanics voted for Prop 8.

Andy said...

Yes, I read through the comments on this post before adding my own.

Yes, I regularly repsond to people and have long-running conversations with people in the Althouse comments section.

Yes, Michelle Bachmann has a long history of engaging in vicious anti-gay bigotry, completely separate from any issues with her husband.

No, I'm not thrilled with Obama's current position, but I think he has largely adopted it for short term political gain and is steadily moving in the right direction, as all the talk about "evolving" indicates.

chickelit said...

Also, I secretly enjoy the high visibility of the rabidly anti-gay bigots in the Republican party like Bachmann, since the country is rapidly shifting toward tolerance of gay people and her rabid anti-gay bigotry will help to tar the Republican party as the bigoted organization that it is.

One problem "you guys" have is that you are being cheer-led by the likes of Sullivan and Savage. We all recognize what unapologetic perfidy the former displayed regarding Palin. Why should anyone outside their circle believe them when it comes to Bachmann or even Santorum? You are, in fact, creating sympathy for him. But perhaps that's your schtick after all.

You'd get better mileage if you let another "joke candidate" like Perry or Gingrich defeat your latest nemesis/social boogeyman--on fiscal issues.

Scott M said...

and is steadily moving in the right direction, as all the talk about "evolving" indicates...

...for short-term political gain. I realize BHO isn't considered "traditionally" black, but that community, especially the men in that community are for more bigoted and intolerant toward gays than the average American. This is aside from that fact that you mentioned tolerance when I suspect you meant was acceptance.

No, I'm not defending Bachmann or anyone else. Merely pointing out that your broad brush needs a good cleaning in mineral spirits.

Scott M said...

for more = far more...pardon.

YoungHegelian said...

@andy

Yes, Michelle Bachmann has a long history of engaging in vicious anti-gay bigotry, completely separate from any issues with her husband.

Yeah, Andy, you read other people's comments and then ignore them when they actually ask you to think.

I asked for examples from ZPS. By what insidious logic do you think that that request for examples of Bachmann's homophobia wouldn't apply to your point?

Andy said...

“If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.”
- Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.

P.S. I'm nearly certain that we have had this exact same discussion already in the Althouse comment section. If I have some time later maybe I'll try to dig it up. Some of us were saying that Bachmann is a vicious anti-gay bigot and others were asking for evidence and we provided plenty of quotations of her saying viciously anti-gay things.

On the one hand, providing this kind of evidence is silly because one of the most visible and high profile things about her is her bigotry toward gay people. I don't know if the problem is that people like her and yet can remain completely clueless about her rabid anti-gay rhetoric or that they know what she has been saying but agree with her and don't realize how hateful she is toward the gay community.

Scott M said...

You'll notice, Andy R., that this anti-gay bigot that you imply represents the dark underbelly of the GOP has dropped out of the race because she isn't getting enough support GOP voters. Right?

YoungHegelian said...

@Andy,

That was a good example. Thank you.

But you realize, that Bachmann could have filled that example with anything other than the married-hetero life and she would believe it, eg:

“If you’re involved in the porn star lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.”

What you really have trouble with, is that she & her ilk are big believers in the social necessity of sexual repression. You think gays are her only targets, but they are not. They're just the ones who get the most press when attacked.

Dust Bunny Queen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andy said...

You'll notice, Andy R., that this anti-gay bigot that you imply represents the dark underbelly of the GOP has dropped out of the race because she isn't getting enough support GOP voters. Right?

That would be a lot more persuasive if the co-winner of the Iowa joke-fest wasn't her fellow vicious anti-gay bigot, little Rickey Santorum. The vicious anti-gay bigots that make up the modern Republican party, and are especially prevalent in Iowa, probably decided he was less of a joke candidate than she was and could better carry the banner of vicious anti-gay bigotry.

YoungHegelian said...

@Andy,

Rick Santorum, when pressed on his views on sexuality in an interview, once said something to the effect of "If the purpose of laws is to affect morality, how can we ignore sexual behavior?"

Which is a pretty good point when you think about it.

And if you don't think liberals & lefties are all about legislating sexual behavior you should look into sexual harassment codes sometimes, especially moral morasses like "hostile work environments".

Cedarford said...

Joe Schmoe said...
Last night, the people of Iowa said thanks, Michelle, but have you seen those pictures of Mary Kaye Huntsman?

Houston, we have eye candy!

===================
Yes.
Plus I would say that Ann Romney comes across as very likable and pretty easy on the eyes.
But before anyone thinks it is based on that clean-living Mormon lifestyle, I give you Harry Reid as a counter-example.

And with Huntsman and Romney, it extends to their kids. 2 of Huntsman's 3 daughters are "Tens", the 3rd one is a 9 plus.
3 of Romneys sons on display in Iowa last night look like they came out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue.

Cedarford said...

YoungHegelian said...
@Andy,

Rick Santorum, when pressed on his views on sexuality in an interview, once said something to the effect of "If the purpose of laws is to affect morality, how can we ignore sexual behavior?"
================
The obvious answer is we can't. Society does need norms and not go into pure libertarian "Freedom for Freedom Lovers!!!" anarchy, moral or otherwise. Or the liberals and progressive Jews on the Left's argument that 'whatever a lawyer tells the masses is moral and now legal goes - and if you disagree you seek to shred the Constitution and reject Rule of Law(yers).

But then you have to assess what pols want in affirming or creating ne moral norms - that may go past the wishes of the masses, deviating so far from them that voters see a theocrat, a Socialist..

Santorum, besides his moral wars with gays, has also sought to limit certain forms of contraception..and was in the thick of the fight to prevent the famous Rutabaga Terri Schiavo from "being murdered by her husband". He has been called a Opus Dei Theocrat. And when he lost in a landslide in PA, many pointed to what they thought was a overbearing sanctimonious and self-righteous attitude in Santorum.

sammyboy3472 said...

They spoke clearly they don't WANT YOU!

Jose_K said...

the headline in Spain (in a conservative newspaper) and Italy¨s public network" Goldman Sach´s candidate" won Iowa.

mccullough said...

Jose K,

Goldman Sachs candidate is Obama. The European media are so ignorant. Europe is dead. Long live the King.

el polacko said...

bachmann first came to any sort of national prominence for being 'the new anita bryant' as a result of her frequent spewing of nasty, ignorant statements regarding gay folks and her demands that those particular citizens should have no legal rights whatsoever (all under the cover of the practice of that peculiar version of christianity that sprang into being when sexual minorities began to assert themselves politically). santorum is her male counterpart. how did we get to this point when either of them could be serious contenders for the presidency?