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Subscribe to RSSMichele Bachmann speaks to supporters in Iowa after a poor showing in caucus votes, reiterating her criticisms of President Obama.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman told a room of about 65 supporters Tuesday that she’s staying in the race for president, despite her weak showing in the Iowa caucuses.
“The pundits and the press will again try and pick the nominee based on tonight’s results, but there are many more chapters to be written on the path to our party’s nomination,” Bachmann said.
Bachmann finished last in the caucuses, with 5 per cent of the vote, bookending a journey in Iowa that was marked by an early surge in polls, and a win in August at the state Republican Party’s straw poll.
Despite the stunning reversal of fortune, Bachmann pressed her case Tuesday as a “fearless conservative,” with “no compromises” on key issues, including cutting spending and “standing with our ally, Israel.”
“I believe that I am that true conservative who can and who will defeat Barack Obama in 2012,” Bachmann said.
Joshua Lott / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate and Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN) on the Iowa campaign trail
Her remarks capped a tense evening inside a Marriott hotel ballroom, where a thin crowd of supporters watched returns come in on a large television monitor, while campaign staff sat on a sofa in the hallway, tapping messages on smart phones.
“We’re disappointed, but we’re very proud of Michele, because she sticks to her core principles,” said Rich Heki, a Bachmann supporter, and the husband of a member the campaign’s Iowa staff.
Bachmann spent the early evening in her childhood city of Cedar Falls, where she addressed voters at Iowa’s largest caucus location, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa.
Earlier, she dropped in to an MTV “Rock the Caucus” event at a high school here in West Des Moines, where she answered questions from reporters.
Asked if she would continue past Iowa in the event of a disappointing finish in the caucuses, Bachmann set her sights on South Carolina.
“We're confident – that's why we bought our tickets for South Carolina,” Bachmann said. “We're moving on, and we're moving forward. Because this election is far from over. This is the opening chapter.”
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Why should this be a surprise to anyone. She is completely clueless.
I applaud her tenacity but If she cannot get a better following within the next couple of caucuses then she should bow out and ask her supporters to support Santorum and the same goes for Perry, as for Paul he will never leave until the nominee has been chosen. Has anyone noticed how fair and balanced o'reilly has been for the last several shows, what a joke. He has all but got on his knees and kissed Romney's feet. He states he is just calling out the facts but you have to be ignorant not to see through that. He has beat down every component except Romney, and has all but out right endorsed him.
She IS OUT!
Michele can compete with Santorum for voters, and both of them can force Romney to keep trying to prove that he really is a conservative.
Romney is a moderate. We need a moderate in office not a right winger or a left winger, someone who can actually govern this great country.
She has to stay in the race, how else is she going to bilk money from the low mentality voters? Hard to believe some of these voters throw their support to whoever their church leader tells them to instead of researching the candidates.
I'm not surprised that she has decided to keep running, she's a space cadet anyways, she'll run her campaign right into the ground full speed. Perry at least is willing to acknowledge reality and bow out before hitting the wall.
What the heck do the people of Minnesota see in this crackpot? So much for Midwestern common sense!
I wish Dennis would run for the democrat nomination.
We should rent out the ovel office, no one has been there in going on 3 years.
This woman is a complete nut job.
What a wackadoo. She can't really be as clueless as she appears, can she????
How someone can walk around with view points straight out of the middle ages and still be considered a presidential candidate is beyond me. If she ever had the laser pointed at her like Cain and Gingrich, she would have your heads spinning. Shed be darn near perfect to play an evil queen in Game of Thrones.
No surprise. A community organizer, senator that voted present nearly every time he was at the capital when he was not campaigning for president got elected.
Maybe so, but regardless of one's personal opinion about the President, at least he's rational, intelligent, actually gives due thought and consideration to subjects before he speaks about them, capable of reason and is a pretty darn good public speaker. And based on his track record in the Oval Office, I'd also add a fairly shrewd politician to boot.
Now, over on the Right, I can't think of anybody - campaigning, holding office or both - who displays these same qualities in the measure shown by the Commander in Chief.
Thank God! None of the things you mentioned = an effective president. Yes a politician. Keep drinking the kool-aid.
We should rent out the ovel office, no one has been there in going on 3 years.
And the 8 years prior to were such an astounding display of superbly competent leadership that to not use it as the model for all leadership training would be a crime beyond compare.
I at least can handle my kool-aid. You could benefit from some detox.
If she can't even win in her home state she has no hope. Either she's an idiot or a liar. I suspect both.
I don't support her but she did not finish last, at least let's report the news as it is. Oh yeah that's right the media is slanted and can never tell the complete truth and try to control the outcome.
Enough is enough. Smart people know when to cut their losses, save their reputation, and run. This moron seems to think she'll some how win through some kind of mysterious manner...............like, I don't know, sill being a huge loser AFTER the "campaign". The next time we'll see Michelle will be when she looses miserably on "Are You Smarter than a Three-year old?", the show you need to pass to enter "Are you Smarter than a 4th Grader?". Can't you see this woman as President of the United States representing us at an international round table at the UN? Her facts are wrong, her delivery is worse, and she probably takes advice from Sarah Palin.
As long as the Koch brothers keep paying her, she'll be around.
GO HOME HONEY!! Read the writing on the wall or do we have to draw you a picture too?!! The only people that want you are the clinically insane!!
It looks like once again, little Michelle didn't get invited to the prom.
Michelle experienced the very same result she would have experienced if she never came to Iowa and never spent a penny.
Dead Last.
"Dead Last Michelle"....kind of catchy!
Well I am going to the store and spend some of my hard earned money.
I hope you hammer and sickle flag waving loons have a great day!
tracy - you find prostitution hard?
funnystuff!
FUNNY!
(prostitution) Nice, but really is that all you could think of. I will guess and say you might be about 19 years old and have not experienced much of life. Yes I have my own business, which I started after loosing my job about 5 years ago and collecting 6 months of unemployment while actively seeking employment. I am also attending college which I pay for myself. I will also guess that my wife and I pay enough in federal income taxes to support a small family living on government (tax payer) hand outs.
So when you start wiping your own be....... come back with some more brainy one liners.
Bachmann needs to get on the bus,with the other Repub.Nut Job, Palin, for one way tickets far away.
YES,
SHORT BUS!
I thought that she was a pay receiving government employee. How does she justify being away from work while being paid for her Legitmate job. We realize that she wants to stay away from her hubbys dance studio. But the tax payers are paying her. Maybe the people of Minnesota will not re-elect her due to her not showing up for her PAYING job.That would help get something done then hearing her consistant ranting big mouth.
Why don't you ask this of a President that has spent 3 months golfing while being paid for his legitimate job? Where is he today? Maybe Ohio running off at the mouth trying to convince people that he has the perfect candy cane to put where the sun does not shine?
Go spend some money Tracy!
On my way. Start waving your flag.
Tracy - Im sure you were outraged when Bush spent his first 9 months on the ranch. Guess what happened in his first week back? I'll give you three guesses.
How about keeping your comments to the present. Keep drinking the kool-aid.
Well, she just cancelled her plans to fly to South Carolina AND she has scheduled a press conference for a few hours from now...
"I'm a serious candidate for President of the United States." LMFAO
She's took up residence in iowa for months to campaign...they know her and rejected her soundly...she's a troll
From a tweet I read last night. Losing to Santorum in a popularity contest is like losing to snookie at trivial pursuit.