I know you've read this before but ... Michele Bachmann? Really?
Is the GOP so completely bereft of viable Presidential candidates that Michele Bachmann can gain traction? Has the forest of Republican leadership been so decimated that no one with serious Presidential timber seems likely to emerge? Must the circus that is the Republican party seek their standard bearer from the clown car? Will the Party of Lincoln choose to be represented by a woman who's command of the facts makes George W. Bush look like Henry Kissinger?Forget Barack Obama, at this rate the Republicans couldn't beat Jimmy Carter.
You know you're in trouble when the best thing you can say about your candidate is that she didn't make a complete fool of herself during a debate. Being able to dress yourself and not swallowing your microphone shouldn't be enough to get you a four year gig at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. John McCain might not know how many houses he owns but he was lucid much of the time and showed a reasonable grasp of the issues in 2008. Michele Bachmann appears to be garnering considerable praise for simply not drooling on herself. Having not bungled her lines during this her first skirmish with adults, the entire world seemed ready to ignore her previous difficulties with geography, American History and with who was born where. (In spite of the best efforts of Ed Rollins and a coterie of handlers, Ms. Bachmann couldn't resist trumpeting proudly that she and John Wayne were both born in Waterloo, Iowa. She may have been, The Duke was not.)
But seriously, Presidential contenders shouldn't be judged on their gaffes. No one can be error- free when reporters and cameras dog your every movement. Still, Michele's proclamation that the Founding Fathers were committed to the eradication of slavery was made during a prepared speech. Someone had to write those words down and Ms. Bachmann had to be confident enough in their accuracy to speak them publicly. A candidate may be forgiven for a mistake made while bouncing from a plane to a waiting limo but to actually prepare blatant falsehoods for public consumption shows either an appalling lack of respect for your audience or sheer ignorance.
Ms. Bachmann was asked to address her earlier comment about the Founding Fathers "working tirelessly to end slavery". Her response to George Stephenopoulos was as follows:
Bachmann: "Well you know what’s marvelous is that in this country and under our constitution, we have the ability when we recognize that something is wrong to change it. And that’s what we did in our country. We changed it. We no longer have slavery. That’s a good thing. And what our Constitution has done for our nation is to give us the basis of freedom unparalleled in the rest of the world."
Given the current climate in the GOP Ms. Bachmann will, no doubt, be given high marks for proclaiming the abolition of slavery as "a good thing". There will also be universal conservative condemnation of George Stephenopoulos for his "gotcha" questioning. (A similar vicious question ensnared Sweet Sarah just weeks ago. The Question? "What have you learned during your trip to New England?" Clearly the liberal press will stop at nothing.)
Is it too much trouble for politicians to say "I screwed up. I conflated John Adams, a Founding Father opposed to slavery and John Quincy Adams a later President, who did work to have slavery abolished." How hard is that? This is America. We forgave Bill Clinton for getting a hummer from an intern in the Oval Office. We forgave Michael Vick (granted, a much tougher sell). We even forgave Coke for New Coke. However, we expect you to admit your transgressions. (Sarah Palin merely looked stupid when she tried to rewrite history.)
No one seriously thinks that someone as addled and dogmatic as Michele Bachmann could actually be elected President. Success in early polls is usually symptomatic of voter disaffection.
Nevertheless, the election of GWB (twice, for Christ's sake) should be a cautionary tale regarding the contrary nature of the electorate. That fact combined with the quiet, systematic attempt being made in several GOP-controlled states to disqualify a substantial portion of the electorate, makes 2012 a toss-up regardless of who the GOP sends into the arena. So, en guarde America! We have nothing to fear except maybe a woman who thinks creationism and evolution are "theories" right up there with gravity and the molecular adhesiveness of liquids.
Sneaky liberal question of the day" Did the Founding Fathers believe in gravity and how many worked to abolish it?"
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