Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum going nowhere
By: Cahir O'Doherty | Published Wednesday, August 24, 2011, 2:37 PM | Updated Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:24 PM
Can we just agree to wind up the Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum presidential runs now?
They're going nowhere of any great consequence and most of the country already knows it. They may even know it themselves.
Why am I impatient to see the back of them? Because they're raging fundamentalists posing as populists. Because they represent the most backward bigoted echoes of the past. Because the list of Americans they don't like is already too long.
And worst of all, because their social agenda is dragging the GOP into the past not the future.
Both Bachmann and Santorum last week signed the controversial 'pledge' pushed by conservative crackpot Bob Vander Plaats, of the Iowa based group The Family Leader.
The 'pledge' requires candidates to oppose same sex marriage, infidelity, pornography and for good measure Sharia law (which is a hot topic in Des Moines, apparently).
It wouldn't be a social conservative document if there wasn't also a swing at African Americans and sure enough Vander Plaats 'pledge' contained a section which said African American families were better off under slavery.
-----------------
READ MORE: Michele Bachmann and the killer clown comparison
Bill Maher - Sarah Palin could 'absolutely' win presidential race - VIDEO
Irish grandmother an ‘icon and legend’ as driving force of Chicago-----------------
'Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA's first African-American President.'
Nice, eh? This week Mitt Romney said he would not sign the 'pledge.' Andrea Saul told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Romney 'strongly supports traditional marriage,' but that the oath circulated last week by The Family Leader 'contained references and provisions that were undignified and inappropriate for a presidential campaign.'
Meanwhile another controversy surrounding Bachmann's candidacy has emerged. At her husband's counseling center, Bachmann & Associates, he is an enthusiastic practitioner of the completely discredited practice of ex-gay 'reparative' therapy. Gays, Bachmann has stated, are a part of Satan and should be opposed with Christian quack 'therapy.'
As Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson put it at the weekend, the 'pledge' Bachmann and Santorum signed is odious because it condemn gays, single parents, divorcees, Muslims, women who choose to have abortions 'and everyone else who doesn’t fit in a Norman Rockwell painting.'
These candidates have no chance, but we should oppose them all the more for selling their divisive snake oil (and in the case of the Bachmann's receiving government funding to do so) to the American public.
32 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelbourne | Jul 18, 2011, 07:53 PM EDT
The GOP has been hijacked by "non thinkers" a clueless lot of half educated backwoods people.
mayoman | Jul 18, 2011, 12:11 PM EDT
I understand you critique of Michelle Bachmann, Cahir. She is a homophobe, a bigot, and an all-purpose whacko. However, I'd rather see Bachmann win the GOP nomination, and then get crushed by President Obama, than have the President run against the least of the Republican crazies; Mit Romney. Its really too bad that poor Romney has to characterize his greatest achievement (health reform in Massachusetts) as his greatest blunder. A health care reform plan that was initially devised by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank. But that's the dysfunctional GOP for you. One moment they are pleading for "personal responsibility, and the next moment they[re howling the libertarian notion of "get this government out of my life!"
seanomelbourne | Jul 15, 2011, 09:09 PM EDT
petersen is a religious bigot.It matters not if bachmann is a christian or a Muslim what matters is she follows an extremist sect.Who is "reliable source" no such person.I do acknowledge that the lutheran church conemn this lutheran sect ,Therefore condemning bachmann as a christian extremist like most of you tehadists
jamieLM | Jul 15, 2011, 06:36 PM EDT
Salem Luth. is part of the Wisconsin Synod which is an extreme right-wing conservative branch. The ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) is nothing like the Wisconsin Synod and often works closely with Catholic churches and charities. The Wisc. Synod has no relationship with the ELCA because they think the ELCA is too liberal. With all the problems with sexual child abuse, I know some Catholics who think the Pope is the antichrist.
hollabackgurl | Jul 14, 2011, 10:51 PM EDT
Obama has given the House GOP a sweetheart deal and they're still saying no. So it's not his fault that the ideological stranglehold of the Tea Party on the wider GOP has taken hold. The GOP civil war is their own doing. Bachmann, Santorum, Palin et al ares symptoms of an internal decline and lack of seriousness. It's a circular firing squad.
peterson | Jul 14, 2011, 09:45 PM EDT
At least she is a Christian and not a Muslim. The claim that her church says that the Pope is the antichrist is unfounded (from a reliable source) so get your facts straight!
maloney | Jul 14, 2011, 09:19 PM EDT
Unfortunately this is what it has come to that some of these Repubs are even considered. If the Dems had not turned into what they are today includung obama in the White House desperation and panic wouldn't be the norm.
seanomelbourne | Jul 14, 2011, 07:50 PM EDT
Bachmann is (or was) a member of the salem evangelical Lutheran Church in Stillwater Minn.The church preaches that the Pope is an antichrist.It has 400,000 adherents.Bachmann and her strange husband try to "cure" homosexuality by prayer and take money for their efforts.And I was under the impression snake oilmen were an American urban myth.
PhoenixZouave | Jul 14, 2011, 07:11 PM EDT
Although he pretends to be from Pittsburgh, Santorum is from Butler and personally a real jerk
eiriamach | Jul 14, 2011, 07:18 AM EDT
Maloney, the still-sane Romney-type Republicans who think that they can take their party back before the election from far-right social conservatives like Bachmann, Santorum, Gingrich, and Palin are kidding only themselves. Sure, their party will have lots of money, but no coherence, no viable platform, no economic plan, no vision of a country united on a path back to prosperity. Divide and conquer is a strategy that works only in the sort run to hurt the opposition. Republicans will be unable to unite behind any candidate because too many will be filled with resentment that their favorite anti-union, anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-women's rights, anti-taxation-of-the-wealthy, anti-civil-rights, anti-other-people's-freedom, or pro-theocracy candidate will not be carrying the banner in the 2012 election. And most Republicans, who know that the Tea Party has utterly destroyed sane Republicanism, will stay home from the polls.
maloney | Jul 13, 2011, 11:53 PM EDT
eiriamach..I actually agree with some of what you said. Although any of the Rebup candidates could beat No Drama. The next Potus has not entered the race yet but he is climbing in the polls. I think he's 3rd or 4th now. The more the libs kick sand in the ladies faces the more money pours into conservative coffers. Keep up the good work.
hollabackgurl | Jul 13, 2011, 10:53 PM EDT
The writer of this article quoted - verbatim - the racist and discriminatory 'pledge' that Vander Plaats authored. Vander Plaats tacitly admitted it was racist by removing the incendiary language after it was signed. The writer has in no way misrepresented the language or the spirit of the document - which is easily verified by a Google search. Even Mitt Romney thought it was contemptible.
hollabackgurl | Jul 13, 2011, 10:48 PM EDT
'Natural order' is code for 'white christian evangelist' isn't it, Geroid4? I mean why else did Bachmann sign a list that omits everyone else who is not? But the 'natural order' is a very subjective proposition. What you consider 'natural' I find to be discriminatory and unnatural.
allentown | Jul 13, 2011, 10:42 PM EDT
Relax everyone. Republicans haven't begun to vote.
peterson | Jul 13, 2011, 09:02 PM EDT
Anyone would be better for the U.S. than another four years of obama and his thugs !!
Gearoid4 | Jul 13, 2011, 08:41 PM EDT
The evocation of a traditional US as recreated in an Normal Rockwell painting is perhaps somewhat over optimistic in a depiction of the past. But decrying the views of people of a religious faith who want to preserve the natural order as implied in the protection of true marriage and life from conception to grave does not invalidate their basis for a stable society.
seanomelbourne | Jul 13, 2011, 07:22 PM EDT
A recent poll claimed that 21% of the electorate in the USA are anti blak,mexican right wing christians and we know who they vote for.I wonder if Bachman can convince another 30% of the people to believe her extremist views.
baileyBD | Jul 13, 2011, 05:10 PM EDT
what a contrived, biased, misleading and biggoted article. So, Christians are out moded? So, Christianity is beneath an "intelligent" person? These candidates, Bachmann and Santorum, are standing up for their Christian values. the writer of this article has grossly misrepresented those mores, mocked those beliefs and misconstrued information to bias the uninformed reader. Santorum and Bachmann, for starters, have not tried to appear to be moderate. And I for one and DAMN SURE against Sharia Law. While I am not against same sex unions, same sex marriage seems too over the top and unnecessary. The Bible says that marriage should be between one man and one woman. I believe the Word of God trumps the whims and rationalizations of mankind. So do many, many Americans. The election that just took place last November is a clear indicator that we wish to return to our roots and put this country back on the right path so that prosperity and freedom are recognized as God given gifts and are NOT from man (or the government)!
eiriamach | Jul 13, 2011, 02:54 PM EDT
There's some trend research suggesting that the many Americans who follow these media-mogul candidates on Twitter and FOX News and such sites have no intention of voting for them. For all the attention they get (is it a morbid fascination with their ignorance?), they're not likely to win any elections.
Chilidog99 | Jul 13, 2011, 02:27 PM EDT
Maggiepoo. Learn the rules of English spelling, grammar and sentence construction.
FastEddy | Jul 13, 2011, 11:57 AM EDT
You just don't get it: B & S are not. Cut taxes, cut g'ment spending, stop borrowing from the IMF.
Chilidog99 | Jul 13, 2011, 11:40 AM EDT
Michele Bachmanns problem is that she thinks that she should be the only one allowed to marry a gay man.
Chilidog99 | Jul 13, 2011, 11:39 AM EDT
Jims 3331 wrote: "Maybe she can bring some class and dignity to the White House." --------------------- LOL. right. Will that be before and after she declares being any of the following to be illegal, Gay, Muslim, Catholic, Hindu, or Budhist.
Chilidog99 | Jul 13, 2011, 11:22 AM EDT
I whole heartedly agree. Bachman has peaked too fast and too soon. Her radical religious stance on social issues is too extreme for the majority of republicans, let alone the majority of Americans. Her constant mistakes are not only embarrassing, but they illustrate a sub-par intellect. As for Santorum, he is nothing more than a frothy mix of his own making. He never had a chance and never will.
PatriciaMarya | Jul 13, 2011, 11:02 AM EDT
Cahir O'Doherty - you are my hero! Day after day, completely correct information! Let me add some more facts to your Arsenal of Truth: Eric Cantor voted for Plan D - an unfunded Republican-created plan that is an out and out gift to Big Pharma and the investor-driven health insurers with absolutely no checks and balances or caps anywhere. It now carries a $310 deductible in addition to premiums and co-pays that now come in 3 tiers!! Boehner, McConnell and Cantor voted FIVE (5) times during the Bush Regime/Admin to RAISE THE DEBT CEILING w/o any worries about reducing spending - 2002, 03, 04, 06, 07!! (I use the word "regime" for the 2000 Bush (s)election because VP Gore won the popular vote by over 500,000!) Now I realize that Gore had to be stopped from getting into Office because he was running on keeping Social Security intact! Do the 200 Republicans who signed Grover Norquist's pledge of No Taxes know that his wife is a Muslim; that Michelle Bachmann's husband has lied about his educatonal credentials and can practice only in Minnesota because it is one of the only states where you can put out your shingle in the Mental Health Industry without any criteria! But more than that - why is the Press not doing their own research, their homework and calling out these out and out lies in their TV interviews? And what I always say, the Louder the Voice, the Lower the IQ. And as another Irish-American, the late, great Patrick Moynihan put it "While you are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own Facts."
francisquinn | Jul 13, 2011, 10:48 AM EDT
I dont know why I waste my time reading this LIBERAL crap that your column spews. I used to read the NYT but got smart and stopped...Now you guys have taken their place... I guess you cannot wait until the Irish "BIG L" Christian Quinn throws her ------in the ring..
jims3331 | Jul 13, 2011, 10:45 AM EDT
Whats wrong with a candidate who signs a pledge opposing infidelity? By the way O'Dorherty last I looked Bachmann is doing quite well in the polls. Maybe she can bring some class and dignity to the White House.
IAPRINCESS | Jul 13, 2011, 10:41 AM EDT
Nowhere is good enough. They are wasting our time.
shamrock99 | Jul 13, 2011, 10:16 AM EDT
One would be a fool to eliminate Bachmann from the race. Be realistic!!
cmart16 | Jul 13, 2011, 10:12 AM EDT
Earth to O'Doherty: You have no say in America elections.
cmart16 | Jul 13, 2011, 10:10 AM EDT
Was this column by O'Doherty a joke? April 1 is long past. Bachmann going nowhwere? O'Doherty must be living on Mars. 7/12/11 According to the American Research Group, 21% of Iowans are backing Bachmann,who was at 9% percent in ARG's April poll. In second place with 18% was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. No one outside the Demented Left echo chamber gives a hoot for their "interpretations" of Bachmann's views.Juan Williams wrote:"Whenever the press spotlights one of her stumbles at the microphone the Minnesota congresswoman gets a flood of support and money. She becomes ‘Every Woman,’ a misunderstood Tea Party mother of five facing down an elitist, arrogant, Obama-leaning press corps." "The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on."
johhnyb | Jul 13, 2011, 10:05 AM EDT
Isn't this what you want - a Republican with no chance? That way you get 4 more years of President Obama. Win win I'd say.