Michele Bachmann Concedes 2012 GOP Primary Race After Iowa Caucus

After a poor showing in Tuesday night's Iowa caucus, Michele Bachmann announced that she will be ending her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

The conservative congresswoman from Minnesota addressed the decision at a press conference in Des Moines on Wednesday morning. Bachmann, who ran an Iowa-centric campaign, placed sixth in the state's 2012 caucus.

"Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, and so I have decided to stand aside," Bachmann said in announcing the future of her campaign. She signaled that she has "no regrets" and is looking forward "to the next chapter in God's plan."

Even though she won't be continuing her pursuit of the White House, Bachmann said that she will still fight Barack Obama's policies. She asserted that the president's policies are "based on socialism" and proving "destructive" to the country.

After announcing her candidacy last summer, Bachmann's campaign experienced its fair share of dramatic ups and downs. In August, she won the Ames Straw Poll, an early test of conservative strength, but after hit a series of bumps and struggled to recover.

Following the Iowa caucus on Tuesday night, speculation began to swirl that Texas Gov. Rick Perry could abandon his presidential campaign. The Lone Star State Republican, who placed fifth in the contest, appears to be staying in the race for now and looking ahead to South Carolina's upcoming primary election.

Comments

[MassTeacher]

11:15 PM on 01/10/2012

Go to Urban Dictionary dot com, and look up the entry for "DOGGY SUNGLASSES."
I submitted it last week and it finally got approved!

[JrayTo]

09:03 PM on 01/10/2012

CHEERS! HOORAY!

[Dolores de Cabeza]

02:11 PM on 01/08/2012

Just got back from an Internet-less, TV-less Christmas vacation and am updating. Please allow me to say a belated YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pnllsprkf]

04:35 PM on 01/07/2012

another one bites the dust yayayaah

[justirw]

10:37 AM on 01/07/2012

good, one less homophobic hate-filled "christian" in the gop field.

[Dixiepopulist]

07:10 AM on 01/07/2012

Why are the nation's media ignoring the most salient point when reporting Bachmann's withdrawal? Michele Bachmann declared that God had told her to run. It turns out that God had no intention whatsoever for Bachmann to be President of the United States. So, did God mislead Bachmann--i.e., he told her to run without explaining that he had no intention for her to win--or did Bachmann just lie to us about God's intervention? Either alternative leaves us with all sorts of loose ends as we contemplate Bachmann's future.

I mean, if you're going to claim nothing less than divine intervention in your political life, you owe us an explanation of God's plans for you when you lose as well as when you win.

[justirw]

10:39 AM on 01/07/2012

or maybe she's just insane, like most of the "christian conservatives" are. why anyone is still believing in a sky pixie in the year 2012 is beyond explanation. was "god" sitting on the toilet on 9/11/01 or was that his day off??

[Stacyhs]

04:51 PM on 01/07/2012

Her god must have a very perverse sense of humor. After all, not only did he tell her to run for the presidency, he told her to marry her husband. Ew.

[Donald J Sullivan]

03:12 AM on 01/07/2012

I wonder if she will concede the money she takes from our Govt each yr to run her phony not- for- profit NUTHOUSE! I doubt that very much for a GOP candidate who believes in no hand outs she has her hand well extended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pray the gay away Michelle!

[Ramon Noches]

02:11 AM on 01/07/2012

Whew! Glad to see the notion that she could never be President, finally soaked through. I have no doubt that she is a sincere and dedicated citizen, but from the very beginning the more we got to know her it seemed to create a downward spiral in her campaign; the same applies to Rick Perry, at least Ms Bachman had the good sense to know when to call it quits.

[djluc]

02:25 PM on 01/06/2012

A lot of you will probably go nuts over what I will say but here goes: We can all learn a lot from Michele Bachmann and her devastating loss in Iowa this week. I am really surprised to say this and even more so that I became a bit misty eye when I heard her speech. Politics aside, it takes a lot of guts to run for president and put yourself out there like that only to be ridiculed. I actually felt sorry for her. She is still a human being after all. I was so inspired that I dedicated an entire blog post to the topic here: http://www.presidentspilotsentrepreneurs.com/2012/01/what-entrepreneurs-can-learn-from.html.

This is not about politics. It is about people.

[Donald J Sullivan]

03:08 AM on 01/07/2012

Everybody is some bodies baby, but do not ever get that confused with giving someone power and what they would do to you with it!!! On the humanity side I understand I look at every human in that aspect, they are someones daughter or Mother or son or father.Make no bones about who you give power to because she doesn't even know your name and doesn't care. Your supposed to know everything about anyone running for any office or Job!

[ASRock78]

01:33 PM on 01/06/2012

Obviously the next plan is "God's Agenda" will be for her "husband" to run out of the closet singing "I am what I am....I am my own special creation!"

[zeldie]

11:34 AM on 01/06/2012

YAY!!!

[pbrunda]

09:09 AM on 01/06/2012

"Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice." I guess God's voice wasn't as clear. Next time you get a calling from God, Michele...Check the caller ID.

[abacuses]

12:44 PM on 01/06/2012

You think so highly of your jokes they command a double posting, eh? Cute, but not that cute.

[pbrunda]

01:25 PM on 01/06/2012

You know, it seemed a bit obscure. I should have thought it out better, so I thought I'd clean it up a little to NOT make myself look too lame. Failed there, huh? Just looked MORE lame! Believe me, a comedy act, I KNOW I am not!! Oh well...

[MANOFCOMMONSENSE]

08:13 AM on 01/06/2012

Pretty close to dumb as a rock for college educated women. Along with Perry

[94613]

04:04 AM on 01/06/2012

Americans can remove the "Depends" now that BachMann and Perry depart the Komedy Karosuel. Trigger Lady to star in remake of: On the Beach or The Day of the Trifids or The Amazing 50 ft Woman ?

[Stacyhs]

09:16 PM on 01/05/2012

These extremists keep saying they want to take America back. What so many don't understand is thar they mean back to the 19th century.

I'm going to miss Bachmann just like I miss Palin. They were always good for a laugh and were good for my ego. They made me feel like a freaking genius compared to them.