What Does Michele Bachmann's Grasp Of History Mean For The Children?

Over the weekend, supposed Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann made some news after she mistook the state of New Hampshire as the location of the Battles of Lexington and Concord that began the military conflict of the American Revolution.

But I don't worry about the effect that Michele Bachmann's loose grasp of historical fact has on the political discourse. If anything, our political discourse is only improved by the strange sounds that emerge from her wordhole. Who I really worry about is the children. Specifically, the many, many children that Michele Bachmann has home-schooled, at P.S. Double-WTF in Stillwater, Minn. Bachmann is set to appear at an event in Iowa on March 23, sponsored by the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators.

"As a mother of 5 and foster mother to 23, as well as someone who homeschooled her children, Congresswoman Bachmann is a strong supporter of homeschooling and is looking forward to speaking to the group in Iowa," says Bachmann spokesman Doug Sachtleben.

Wow, that's 28 kids who think that Lexington and Concord are in New Hampshire, as well as the following:

-- The Founding Fathers "worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States."
-- There are "hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who believe in intelligent design."
-- The United States might "move off the dollar" onto a "global currency."
-- Democratic presidents cause influenza outbreaks.
-- The "Hoot-Smalley Tariff" caused the Great Depression. (There is no such thing as the "Hoot-Smalley Tariff.")
-- She is the congresswoman representing "Amarica."
-- Just about anything she reads, on the internet, I bet.

None of this should weaken her prospects in the "New Hampshire caucuses," however, whatever those are.

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Comments

[culsti]

04:55 PM on 03/28/2011

The GOP is out doing itself. Bachmann makes Sarah Palin ... well like something almost approaching intelligent. Never thought I'd see that happen!

[fredpa]

01:10 PM on 03/21/2011

Oh please Michelle, just keep talking. Challenge the Donald to a debate. Sing a little torch song with Huckabee backing you on the bass. Do a reality show with your stepchildren.Explain what you don't like about Bresk-Littovisk.

[tatosonny]

12:50 AM on 03/17/2011

well cant you tell her hair is bigger than her brain,,, she has got so much hair or extention ,

[cschoenen]

11:20 PM on 03/16/2011

I am sorry if she ran for President and won would that make her the 44th or 45th President? So quick we forget who thinks they are the "44th".
And boy his bowling game is equivalent to that of the special Olympics...NICE!
Hey, wonder if we can go to the "TWITTERS" company too?
And best of all.....his uncle liberated Auschwitz? really?

[mike dougles]

10:28 AM on 03/19/2011

And the VP thinks FDR was the president in 1929

[Uncle Bill]

05:24 PM on 03/19/2011

Repeatedly trotting out mistakes and fairy tales from several years ago campaign in a desperate attempt to equate Bachmann's latest instance of ignorance of American history and the US constitution just makes you look sad.  We can rely on you and all the other trolls to keep repeating the small number of misstatements and missteps of Obama and Biden for each and every new flub of tea party puzzlewits.

[Deb Jesser]

10:41 PM on 03/16/2011

Fearful of the communist threat posed by King James I, the Pilgrims took sail and were driven ashore in Greenland. Here they met George Washington who graciously agreed to lead them in a final assault on Aztec forces led by the socialist Montezuma. Having vanquished the evil Marxist foe, they sat down for a feast of grilled squid and watched Joe Montana demolish the Dallas Cowboys. When told of their heroic exploits Teddy Roosevelt was heard to shout “Bully!” Neil Armstrong then led them all in a chorus of the new national anthem, “Dixie”.

Geesh,Michele, do I have to tell you everything?

[RC81]

11:54 AM on 03/18/2011

Brilliant! But you forgot the part about E.T. chasing Steven Spielberg around a maypole throwing Reeses Pieces at him.

[tenilla]

08:32 PM on 03/16/2011

Since I am unable to respond below, there is no "Bidenisms" calendar.

Andrew McMeel Publishing Company published the George W. Bushisms daily
calendars at least from 2004 through 2008 --- over 1,800 gaffes by President
Bush.

[cschoenen]

09:01 AM on 03/17/2011

BUSHISMS....CLASSIC!......but seriously Tenilla.....you aren't in the "know"...Biden is racking them up just as fast as Bush did....Ok, he hasn't Puked on a leader of a country yet lol (best ever!) but come on, we all know why Obama picked Biden....
I was just messing with you on the Bidenisms calender, there is none ....BUT I will lay 100 on the table that when its all over it will be out with the book......here are his classic "BIDENISMS":
http://www.slate.com/id/2228872/?GT1=38001

[Uncle Bill]

05:29 PM on 03/19/2011

cshoenen- It was George H. W. Bush who puked on a the Japanese PM, not his son George W. Bush.  W was the subject of the calendars-
Do they make you flunk a US history exam to enter the Tea Party?

[Uncle Bill]

03:45 PM on 03/16/2011

Listen my children and you shall hear revisionist history pulled from Bachmann's rear Since those who remember aren't now alive she thinks she can lie about 1805...

[chicgogo]

02:44 PM on 03/16/2011

I just can't believe anyone from her (my) generation who received an American education wouldn't know the story of Paul Revere and where it originated. It's like the pledge of allegance, it was so ingrained. The average Joe not knowing our history is one thing, but this is someone with presidential aspirations.

The problem is her base is as stupid as she is and they want representation more like themselvess. The elitist are all hoity toity what with with their college and all.

America has a long history of anti-intellectualism, but I think we now find ourselves at the apex of ignorance at I time when education and knowledge are more important then ever. Don't we want the best and the brightest serving us in government anymore? I want MY country back.

[cschoenen]

11:44 AM on 03/16/2011

Many Americans might have problems distinguishing Buchenwald and Ohrdruf from Auschwitz. But should we not expect more from a Harvard-educated presidential candidate? Is it too much to ask that an aspiring commander-in-chief knows (1) that Auschwitz (like many of the other Nazi death camps) is in Poland, and (2) that the eastern advance of the U.S. Army in World War II stopped on the river Elbe?

[mccabe49]

07:29 PM on 03/20/2011

typical right wing deflection and distraction..difference is both Biden and Obama are intelligent

[cschoenen]

10:01 PM on 03/20/2011

No deflection just pointing out that it happens on both sides of the aisle....you guys just get angry and defensive when it happens to your boys....Bushisms...yep, I got the book...its hilarious!

Obama....hmmmmm Biden...GET OUT! lol ...how much u want to put down there will be a "Bidenisms" book when its all said and done........."how bout you stand up so everyone can see you"...to a guy who is in a wheel chair...lol
Classic....FDR was president during the stock market crash of 1929...telling people about it on the T.V......huh...the 'experimental T.V.? and what other planet was FDR pres. during the stock market crash lol

Oh my....what about the Indian American Comment....7/11 and Dunken Donuts....now that was CLASSIC!

Biden was a "C" student in college if he was lucky....Obama...well that has to be decided...he wont let anyone see his transcripts....unless I missed that one?

[cschoenen]

11:34 AM on 03/16/2011

Oh so we should dismiss "I've campaigned in 57 States", ok how about these then: "Michael -- Thanks so much for the wonderful letter, and the good ADVISE ... ", Shouldn’t that be “ADVICE”?
or
"It was ... interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian -- wheeling and dealing ... "...I am sorry what Austrian language?
or
Who is he without a teleprompter? "ummmmm, uhhhhhh,ummmmmm,uhhhhhhhh, ummmmmmm,uhhhhhhh" ....I am sorry but my high school speech teacher told me the first no-no in speech is using "ummmm or uhhhhhhh"....wonder what speech class he took?

[Uncle Bill]

01:34 PM on 03/16/2011

cschoenen- the desperate flailing in your attempt to change the subject is amusing.

[cschoenen]

02:48 PM on 03/16/2011

LMAO....really? "my desperate attempt to change the subject"? Please pre-tell how it's any different? Politicians get in the "lime-light" and from time to time make a mistake.....so now all of a sudden we should expose Michelle because she had an "oops" moment?
Or is it that you ignorantly dismiss Obama for all his gaffes? and its no joking matter when he does something to the same effect?
Oh wait, I forgot this is the "LEFTWINGHUFFINGTONPOST", god forbid it actually report on the STUPID comments made by MANY liberals.....We wouldn't want to break thru that "god like" shield.

[tenilla]

05:19 PM on 03/16/2011

From the New York Times:

About a month later, Mr. Powers received a reply. After thanking him for “the wonderful letter, and the good advice,” the president wrote, “I am returning the picture, since it must be important to you, but I will remember your dad’s memory.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/us/politics/20letters.html

The only source that accuses the President of misspelling "advice" is U. S. Conservatives.
This is the link you used:

http://usconservatives.about.com/od/conservativesobama/tp/ObamaGaffes.htm

Do you have a copy of the letter that the President wrote to "Michael"? Or do you just
believe everything you read at the U.S. Conservatives website?

Yesterday a prolific Bagger stated as fact a statement that the President had made in Cape
Girardeau, Missouri, a few weeks ago. President Obama has not been in Cape Girardeau
foir almost three years -- since May 2008.

Fred Phelps can spread his demented hatred and you Baggers can spread your hate driven propaganda all over the net. It's a wonderful country.

[cschoenen]

10:55 PM on 03/16/2011

So since the NY times knows how to spell your going to assume that the president now does?
And Iam the one who believes only what he sees on Conservative sight...really? Thats all you got? Nothing about the FACT he can't handle speaking to a crowd without a Teleprompter...".DOH-DEE-DOHH...ummmm-duhhhh-ummmmmm-uhhhhhh" or the fact that he doesn't know the the "Austrian Words" to use for....Perhaps he can find some other kings that are shorter than him to claim he was merely bending over to shake there hands too?
Love it when you libs throw out Generalizations about people.....think you're so much better than others...I will put money down that half the people didn't know where the location of Lex. and Con. were until they read this article....bunch of hypocrites......better yet "spew hatred"...excuse me were you "dazed and confused" when Bush was in office...let me guess, you were "spewing" any thing but "PEACE, LOVE, DOPE"??? right?

GEEE, wonder what happened to the Soldier death tally that the Huff used to keep? Now that Obama is in office...its "magically disappeared".....No bashing Obama for the rising Gas prices? Why not? That was a daily thing on this website when prices were rising....talk about sheep......Sure glad since Obama got in office those "wars" have disappeared..and Gitmo?

[cschoenen]

11:01 PM on 03/16/2011

ohhhh, and I cant dismiss the "negative rhetoric" remember recently......it was a right wing crazed right wing radio listener that shot giffords.....besides the huffingtonpost and MSNBC...every drive-by grabbed that notion.......what were the comments from his friends? "thought of as a liberal", "never listened to talk radio", "was pissed that giffords didn't give him attention"......other than the fact that the kid was psycho!...BUT somehow the Huff and MSNBC found a way to blame Palin for it.....CLASSIC! And you guys bought it hook, line and sinker....
The best part was the spin after the truth came out...."well we just need to stop all the negative rhetoric, especially from talk shows"....lol...really "pot calling the kettle black" ring a bell?

[Tabasco]

10:30 AM on 03/16/2011

To her credit, she believes the space race should be left in the capable hands of NASCAR

[Texas Technoman]

09:11 AM on 03/16/2011

The new TeaParty slogan: " I know nothing......."

[chicgogo]

02:22 PM on 03/16/2011

Isn't it, I aint know nothin?

[KevinOConnor]

03:18 AM on 03/16/2011

oh brother.

[Leilani]

02:41 AM on 03/16/2011

What does she grasp? Nothing! Nada! Zilch!