The Last Train Out for Michele Bachmann

I love Michele Bachmann!  Which is why it has pained me to see how badly her handlers have misguided her campaign.  Now, with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich leading the pack, I believe Congresswoman Bachmann has one last chance to reignite her candidacy.

Why?  Because most Tea Party types will vote for just about anyone other than Romney, and most of them are lukewarm, at best, on Gingrich.  Ron Paul is a Tea Party favorite, but, unfortunately, many in the movement are turned off by his foreign-policy positions.  So, it’s the last call for Michele Bachmann, founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, to get back on board.

Which raises the question, why did she fall from grace in the first place?  Bachmann is smart, incredibly knowledgeable on both domestic and foreign issues, personable, well spoken, and amazingly energetic.  So, what went wrong?

Unfortunately, I don’t have Congresswoman Bachmann’s ear, but if I did I would advise her to do the following.

• Do not mention that you brought up five children more than once a month.
• Do not mention that you raised twenty-three foster children more than once a month.
• Do not mention that you were a tax litigation attorney more than once a month.
• Do not mention that you started and operated a “wildly successful” small business more than once a month.
• And, above all, never say, “When I’m president …”

Even after Michele Bachmann won the Iowa Straw Poll, I winced every time she robotically rattled off these points — especially when they had nothing whatsoever to do with the question she was being asked!

And if I was wincing, her campaign gurus should have been wincing as well.  The first four items I listed make her appear artificial, which she is not.  The fifth makes her look childish, as though she believes that people will vote for her if she just puts the thought of her being president in their minds.  Unfortunately, it just turns people off.

To make matters worse, once Congresswoman Bachmann started to slide, she began to attack her opponents.  When Rick Perry tried it, he fell off the train.  Rick Santorum has used it as his MO from the outset, and you can see where it’s gotten him.  And in Michele Bachmann’s case, the combination of sliding poll numbers and badmouthing the competition has made her look desperate.

As I said, I love Michele Bachmann.  I was very impressed when I interviewed her for the Liberty Education Interview Series, and equally impressed with her graciousness in giving me a testimonial for my book Restoring the American Dream within a couple of days after I requested it of her.  I’d love to see her make a comeback in Iowa, but it would help if her handlers would read my list and think carefully, but quickly, about what I’ve said here.

Some may not agree with Michele Bachmann’s views on foreign policy, but, on the whole, she exemplifies what the Tea Party movement is all about.  It’s the last train out, and I think it would be sad if she’s not on it.