Michele Bachmann: Bob Vander Plaats, Christian Conservative Leader, Asked Me To Drop Out

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Wednesday confirmed that Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of Christian conservative group The Family Leader, had called her earlier to ask her to end her presidential campaign.

On Tuesday, Vander Plaats announced a personal endorsement for former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Politico later reported that Vander Plaats had contacted Bachmann over the weekend to encourage her to drop out of the race and join him in backing Santorum.

"I did receive a phone call," Bachmann said Wednesday on Fox News. "I've been polling above the Ricks, and so there would be absolutely no reason for me to drop out. Plus, I'm the only one that actually won anything in this state. Plus, I have so much support here, I have the former president of the Family Leader who also has come out and endorsed me, I have the head of Concerned Women of America in Iowa who's come out to support me, and I have over a hundred Evangelical pastors that have come out in public support."

Bachmann continued, sounding confident that she could still carry out a strong performance in Iowa and showing few signs that she would adhere to Vander Plaats' request. The congresswoman has, after all, effectively vowed to bet it all on Iowa with hopes that she can pull out a win in the state's Jan. 3 caucuses.

Earlier this month, she embarked on a mission to visit all 99 Iowa counties ahead of the early-January contest, hoping to revive the momentum that led her to a straw poll victory there in August.

Santorum is also staking his campaign's fate on his Iowa operation. He's fed his White House bid on a steady diet of retail politics across the Hawkeye State and has already visited all 99 of its counties.

Despite their efforts, neither candidate really managed to catch fire. The latest polling numbers in Iowa show the duo solidly trailing the frontrunning trio of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

(Video below via Mediaite)

Comments

[Steven Erickson]

12:34 PM on 12/27/2011

I think a Bachman-Palin ticket as independents would be a good idea.

Obama 2012

[kritiktwee]

05:35 AM on 12/25/2011

When will Bachmann call it quits? My take on this is she will pull back only if one of the two things happen. Since Bachmann is not a good listener, (Rational thinking is not a strong point of Bachmann) she could be discouraged only if voters decide to move away from her, or her campaign funds does not suffice, which is very unlikely because she has a strong backing of faithfuls. At this time she feels like she is at the top of the world, so she is not quitting any time soon. Bob Plaats could make requests but he is in no position to dictate.

[l78lancer]

03:51 AM on 12/24/2011

Asking her to get out may have made her more determined to stay in.

Great going.

[whysaduck]

06:06 PM on 12/23/2011

Michele Bachmann will get out of the race on her own timetable wnich will be when another warm body is firmly stuck with running against popular Democtratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in Minnesota. No inside baseball here, every registered voter in MN knows Klobuchar would cream Bachmann. Bachmann would rather take her chances running for reelection to her House seat. But wouldn't redictricting put her in jeopardy? Nobody knows since the courts have yet to tip thier hand on this.

[mrshep]

11:48 PM on 12/22/2011

Michele, should not have even been in the race, from the beginning, she knew there was no chance, that she would get the nomination. The GOP/TP could never nominate a far right religious fanatic, if the hoped to win the presidency.

[darthmaul]

09:54 PM on 12/22/2011

Bachmann is getting a "taste" of the "be subservient to the men" ideology that seems to run through some of the evangelical church's. I'm no fan of Bachmann, but it must gall her to be told to drop out of a race to favor a candidate that she's actually ahead of in the polls.

[emerald-warrior]

07:01 PM on 12/22/2011

After Iowa she will likely step down. Jon Huntsman too, possibly.

[wrabbitt]

06:59 PM on 12/22/2011

Michele, single digits like your IQ, time to drop out for a better candidate,if there is one.

[conlawpara]

11:46 AM on 12/22/2011

Bachmann is waiting for Newt to implode as more and more GOP bigwigs bring his shortcomings to light. She expects Perry to go home with his tail between his legs, shrugging his shoulders all the way, and for Romney to flop one time to many to flip again.

Letting her and Santorum battle it out for the far right conservative vote, as spooky as it is, will only continue to show just how out of touch with the majority of Americans these two really are. Believing in God AND PRACTICING HIS WORD requires one to have true compassion for ALL human beings, not just the ones you CHOOSE to recognize as both Bachmann and Santorum have clearly shown is their interpretation of the Christian faith.

One of these two hypocrites will win the far right, but the rest of the country will run as far away from them as possible.

[lnedykstra]

11:41 AM on 12/22/2011

Really? She is the "chosen" one that has been "anointed" to debate Barack Obama?
I hope that she does drop out of the race, because if I have to hear her say "Barack Obam-uh" for the next year, I will just scream.

[mburgh]

11:28 AM on 12/22/2011

Bachmann should stay in. She should form her own party and run for president. That way, mental health providers can keep an eye on her.

[apiazza]

09:35 AM on 12/22/2011

What's wrong with this guy...if you wait a few weeks, she will quit ANYWAY.

[peterjcanepa]

09:27 AM on 12/22/2011

Michelle, quit the race, YOU CAN NOT WIN THE NOMINATION!!
You can keep the campaign money, sign a book deal, give guest speaches, have the plastic surgeon you used on your face, fix those sagging neck issues..

[Djud3n]

09:15 AM on 12/22/2011

She should have never run in the first place.

[Wayne Peterson]

08:31 AM on 12/22/2011

Well, Michelle.....now you know what "biblically qualified " means.....it means you've become the sacrificial lamb of your religious right !

[margaritamayhem]

10:57 AM on 12/22/2011

It also means, she's a woman and should know her place.