Michele Bachmann's Presidential Debate Debut

This early in the season, a presidential primary debate is essentially about winning the battle of the buzz. On a crowded stage, the objective is to separate oneself in a way that captures media attention and drives post-debate conversation. The contender who best accomplished that in Monday's CNN New Hampshire debate is Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman with a singular talent for seizing the spotlight. Compared to her six male opponents, Bachmann came across as scrappy and forthright. You may disagree with every word she says, but there's no question the woman has the courage of her convictions.

Bachmann's fluency as a presidential debater complicates the fortunes of her rivals. Her ideological purity makes Mitt Romney look all the more wishy-washy. Her vivacity heightens the mind-numbing dullness of fellow Minnesotan Tim Pawlenty. Her can-do gumption reduces Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul to the status of cranky old men. Her social conservatism puts Rick Santorum to shame -- Bachmann can trump Santorum's seven children with a whopping 23 foster children of her own. Only Herman Cain is as plainspoken and conversational, but politically he appears not ready for prime time-for God's sake, the man mispronounced "Chile."

Bachmann has the performance mechanics down pat. She knows how to deliver her message in sound bites, and she rarely shrinks from addressing the question on the table. Unlike some of the other stuffed shirts on the stage, she seems like a real person. This is a political skill that cannot be underestimated.

Bachmann's one glaringly weak moment of the debate was an ambiguous, contradictory response on gay marriage. Her position on the matter is muddled; about the only thing that's certain is that she stands outside the mainstream of popular opinion, on this as on most other social issues. The congresswoman's response on gay marriage represented a rare misstep, and it highlights the vulnerability she will face as a national candidate forced to step outside her right-wing comfort zone.

If Bachmann's performance now lifts her into the varsity ranks of Republican presidential contenders, Gingrich and Santorum just got pushed further to the sidelines. You have to wonder how many more debates they will get invited to, or what right-minded person would give either of them a dime. As for the others, Ron Paul will always be Ron Paul, which is to say more contrarian than viable candidate. Pawlenty performed adequately, but he needed to gain serious traction in this debate, and clearly that did not happen. Romney managed to emerge relatively unscathed, despite predictions from the pundits that he would serve as the debate's punching bag. That said, he's still not very likeable.

To the chagrin of her less media-savvy opponents, feisty Michele Bachmann lives to fight another day. Long after most of these other candidates have vanished from the race, it appears likely she'll still be standing.

 

Comments

[HappyDae]

02:55 AM on 06/16/2011

Congresswoman Bachman won my support when Speaker Pelosi put her at the top of the "Hit List." Reminding the House to look at the facts is her forté. That she can defend her views quite handily was no surprise during the debate.

Social Issues? Should these really be the purview of the Federal Government? Why not let the states handle those? What are the national regulations for a driver's license? What is the federal age requirement for the consumption of tobacco or alcohol? What are the federal statutes governing divorce or marriage? (OK, you saw that one coming.) Do we really need MORE federal government?

I don't believe that the definition of marriage should be changed just because 2-3 percent of the population, homosexuals, wish it so. Sure, grant them the rights, but let's not call it marriage.

Abortion? I abhor the abominable practice, BUT it is the law of the land. Get over it.

Happy Dae
http://ShoeStringGenealogy.com

[wayne the pain]

08:08 PM on 06/14/2011

Bachmann and Palin both prove that in present highly televised American culture personality and glibness count for more than intellect and information. Both have shown to be pretty, charming, good speakers, and personality plus. The fact Palin couldn't give an answer to what papers she read to butchering the history of Paul Revere. Bachmann had the Revolutionary war warring the wrong state and much of congress is unamerican

[SF TKF]

05:47 PM on 06/14/2011

A year ago she was loon her own party wished would shut up and go away. How the H E L L did they lose control of things to this extent?

[mnnyer]

04:19 PM on 06/14/2011

Bachmann's misstep on gay marriage is easy to explain.
Since she and her husband believe that gayness can be un-done, there is no need for gay marriage.
You can learn to be heterosexual, according to Bachmann and her husband Marcus, who un-gays gays at his counseling service in Minnesota.
His center accepts government payments for this unquantifiable service, so it's a win-win premise for Michelle. Personal enrichment via payments, and less gays on the streets.

[ultrawiz]

03:39 PM on 06/14/2011

Why is it that Republicans insist that their female candidates be attractive and have the intelligence of a turnip? And if the candidate hears voices in their head and believe that God talks to them, even better.

[shop tom]

02:23 PM on 06/14/2011

Laugh at Bachmann all you want, the sad thing is that Obama got elected in the first place........

[lmap]

05:56 PM on 06/14/2011

That is not what this article is about.

[Robert Turner]

02:06 PM on 06/14/2011

Wait... "convictions" implies that she actually says something meaningful. Repeating "Obama will be a one-term president" or "repeal ObamaCare" over and over and over and over again does not make conviction.

[carrtj]

12:41 PM on 06/14/2011

She reminded us endlessly that she is a child hoarder. If you had that many cats in your house, the SPCA would take them away and you would be locked in a mental hospital.

[fisherdude1969]

01:20 PM on 06/14/2011

In addition to her five children, she has opened her home to 23 foster children. She's the leading advocate in Congress for foster and adopted children.

That's not admirable to you?

[ultrawiz]

03:42 PM on 06/14/2011

The 23 foster children were cheap labor for on her hobby farm which she still collects federal subsidies for. The woman has been on the public dole for decades.

[Pollitrix]

12:31 PM on 06/14/2011

Yes it is unfortunate but I truly believe they think more tax cuts for the rich and cutting Medicare and Social Security it what is best for the nation. And it is if you want paupers, uneducated labor, that you want to use for chew toys for the rich.

[Pollitrix]

11:09 AM on 06/14/2011

She is going to have come up with policies where she may be able to win the primary in the general People are going to want to hear something other than OBama is a failure.

[caveman06]

12:23 PM on 06/14/2011

By come up with policies do you mean ones that try to keep from putting the country even deeper into debt?

The 2012 election is going to be an all out brawl between left and right.

[carrtj]

12:45 PM on 06/14/2011

A brawl that will look a lot less like Ali-Frasier and a lot more like the Iron Sheik vs. Hulk Hogan. Lots of cheap shots, below the belt hits, foreign objects and shady officiating.