Former 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate
U.S. Representative from Minnesota
Michele Bachmann
Tea Party darling, the 55-year old Michele Bachmann is renowned for her straight talking and often, controversial stances. Her incredible fund raising ability will come in handy now that she has decided to take the plunge for the GOP presidential nomination. She raised an astounding $13 million for her 2010 reelection campaign, no small feat for a House election.
Her candidacy suffered a huge setback earlier this year with her speech in the Iowans For Tax Relief event last January, where her questionable reinterpretation of facts involving slavery, the constitution and our founding fathers drew flak from just about everyone outside the Republican Party. Her subsequent televised response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, in her capacity as the Congressional Tea Party chair, also met with lukewarm reception, with a few senior party figures voicing their displeasure at her apparent attempt to draw attention away from Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who was selected to provide the official party response.
However, true to form, Bachmann responded in style with a rousing speech to 11,000 Republicans attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington on February 9. Her ability to rally the grassroots and the conservative base of the party ensures that Bachmann will continue to hold a significant influence in the eventual outcome of the nomination race.
Bachmann shone in the New Hampshire GOP Presidential Debate recently with a polished, confident and articulate display. She appeared to have elevated her usual fiery and aggressive delivery to another level, and under the able hand of veteran Republican strategist, Edward Rollins, the former Reagan National Campaign Director in the 80’s, Bachmann suddenly has established herself with the leading pack of the race. While she still has some way to go before catching up with Romney, Palin and Giuliani (yes, Giuliani), her conservative power base is fully capable of giving the time she needs to get some traction in her campaign.
Michele and Marcus Bachmann, with some slick moves
