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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Media should leave Michele Bachmann alone, focus on policy not personality

Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 05:13 PM

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Michele Bachmann gets migraine headaches -- should this disqualify her from running for the White House?

That seems to be the gist of today's New York Times article which examined migraines in deep detail and appears to indicate that Bachmann may have a problem.

To which I say bullbleep.

Migraines are manageable and her career so far clearly indicates they have not stopped her forward march.

Since she jumped into the race there has been a pretty concerted effort to paint Bachmann as a nut job, one unfit for the Oval Office.

As her poll numbers jump so do the odd stories.

Last week she was being castigated for calling police when she received a possibly threatening e mail.

Even her Democratic colleagues had to side with her on that one.

Given the world we live in, any sense of a threat to a public official many of whom are exposed to crowds on a regular basis, should be taken seriously.

Remember Gabby Gifford? These politicians appear in front of crowds all the time and need to be protected.

Consider what happened to Rupert Murdoch yesterday when a nut smeared him with a shaving cream pie. It could have been a gun and the allegedly tight security was nowhere to be seen.

Then there was the story that her husband ran a counseling service that claimed it could talk gays into being straight. But when an undercover operative underwent such counselling at the clinic, no such effort was made.

Again no real story.

I don't agree with Bachmann's views on most things, but I do feel it is time that the media wised up and began focusing on policy not made up stories that do them no credit.

Michele Bachmann has risen very swiftly in the polls and it is only right that her record be examined.

But let's keep it to policies, not personalities.

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STEPcoach | Aug 01, 2011, 10:22 PM EDT

The attacks on Bachmann are further indications of the left's sexist attitude. They are afraid of every strong woman who steps into the fray. They'd rather have an inexperienced man who hides his past than a strong, experienced woman. Their mothers would be proud of them!

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CitizenWhy | Jul 22, 2011, 10:58 AM EDT

Yes, look at candidates based on policies, ideas, capacities and temperament. Lose the focus on person. But would the right ever abandon their vicious attacks on the person of Obama? The right attacks viciously, then whines when they are merely criticized. That's what bullies do.

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seanomelbourne | Jul 21, 2011, 07:20 PM EDT

Bachmann should not be denied the white house for having migraine attacks.She should be denied the whitehouse for giving everyone else a migraine.

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themurphia | Jul 21, 2011, 11:50 AM EDT

GRMAjamieLM:I hesitate to mention this for fear of revisiting old ghosts but Carl Bernstein's recent comments about NoWT...deux ex machina...and how he winced every time they attached the suffix '...gate'to their lurid stories...reminded me nontheless of the recent correspondence here regarding the O'Dowd's Presidential candidacy which could I suppose be forever known as 'Waltergate'...!

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Towngate | Jul 21, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT

jamieLM : Well said,sir!I couldn't agree more. I am intimately connected to many medical issues and am very familiar with this one in particular. A 'sudden onset' when one is about to make the 'Primary Incision' on some hapless patient, might be compared to feeling fine when performing the 'Codes Protocol' - then suddenly finding your finger shaking when you reach for the Bombs Button! ( Well, Killer Keys, actually!) ~ ~ ~ As you rightly point out, this particular individual is in the early stages of possible selection, but any MD will usually advise Lancing a Serious Boil posing a threat to prevent any further infection by the Blisterhood!

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jamieLM | Jul 21, 2011, 09:53 AM EDT

@themurphia - spot on with your excellent posts. I @Towngate - people who routinely suffer from migraines recognize the signs of onset and take their medication immediately which usually prevents or greatly lessens their migraines. JFK was on daily high-powered pain killers while in office and he still managed not to "push the button." Bachmann hasn't even won the Rep. nomination, so this all may be a fuss over nothing. It's her views that should determine whether she's qualified for office, not her migraines.

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themurphia | Jul 21, 2011, 08:29 AM EDT

Taken to it's logical conclusion the argument that anyone with a debilitating/disabling condition is de facto unfit to hold office is discriminatory... and would preclude people with other disabilities...meaning that only able-bodied men are suitable to hold political office...well whaddya know...!people who live with debility/disability everyday find coping strategies to allow them to function effectively andefficiently in Society and in the workplace...Society needs to change in the way it views debility/disbility to accommodate their needs not the other way around...Obama said Is Feidir Linn...not Nil Feidir Linn...

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themurphia | Jul 21, 2011, 07:58 AM EDT

Blatant sexism amsquerading as some concern about her occasional medical condition...It is a medical fact that women are more likely to suffer from migraine...caused by hormonal changes menstrual/menopausal...despite this they manage to run businesses families hold professional jobs etcetcetc...Reagan was gaga and who knows what went on in Dubyas world...? Like any other medical condition women find a way to work through the pain...now about 'man 'flu'...Who minds the shop when the family kidult have a nasty little sniffle...?Mind you maybe Ms Bachmann should stop wearing high heels...'Time wounds all heels' as they say...

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Towngate | Jul 21, 2011, 06:02 AM EDT

Niall, a Chara, - all men should stand up for women,no doubt, but let's not keep this to Politics or Personalities, but to Medical Matters. :~ People with migraines can suffer :~ A severe throbbing sensation that gets worse when they move;Visual problems - flashing lights, zigzag patterns or blind spots; Stiffness or 'pins and needles' in the neck, shoulders or limbs; Problems with co-ordination, feeling disoriented or off balance, Difficulty speaking, Loss of Consciousness Nausea,Vomiting,Photophobia (aversion to light), Phonophobia (aversion to sound), Osmophobia (aversion to smells); Poor concentration,Sweating,Feeling very hot or very col;, Abdominal pain - causing diarrhoea;A need to urinate frequently. ~ ~ ~ If this unfortunate woman genuinely suffers from this terrible condition, She does not need a term in the oval office with her finger hovering on the Bomb Button, directing those infamous American 'Peace Wars',thank you!! ~ she needs to lie down in a quiet, darkened room or in a secure Hospital Ward!

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McNamara31 | Jul 20, 2011, 10:12 PM EDT

Why the perceived turnaround in Bachman from previous "nut job" to what looks like savvy politician? It’s all in the re packaging by Irish American "president maker" Ed Rollins who is managing her campaign. Bachman is still the person, migraines or not who was a big time birther and repeatedly called the president's administration a "gangster government". I’ll take a pass on Bachman because of her political stance not her migraines.

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themurphia | Jul 20, 2011, 06:40 PM EDT

Haven't read NYT article...do migraines signify some 'personality' defect..?:\

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jamieLM | Jul 20, 2011, 06:10 PM EDT

Bill Clinton, JFK, and FDR weren't exactly the picture of health while in the Oval Office. Smoking isn't healthy, either, and the POTUS has chain-smoked for years and still has trouble giving up cigarettes completely. Does anyone think Obama would take a pass on running for a 2nd term if he suddenly developed migraines? I don't think so. Bachmann should be judged on the basis of her views - not on her headaches. You got this one right, Mr. O'Dowd.

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