A blast from the past
by digby
With all the Fiorina love this morning I thought it might be fun to take a look back at the 2012 race. Does anyone remember this?
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann opened the first big Republican debate in New Hampshire on Monday by announcing she had filed the paper work for her presidential campaign.
By the evening’s end, she had launched it there.
On a crowded stage, Bachmann was lively, confident, personable — she managed to mention her 23 foster children three times — and unremittingly critical of President Obama’s policies from health care to Libya. Against other contenders with longer resumes and more experience, she emerged from the pack in way that is likely to make it easier for her to raise money, attract grass-roots support — and even emerge as a Tea Party favorite to rival Sarah Palin.
Critics point out her lack of experience on a national stage, her embarrassing gaffes in discussing American history, the turmoil and turnover in her small House staff, the fact that she has only fledgling or non-existent political organizations in the key early states. Not since the 19th century has a sitting member of the House been elected president.
None of that was enough to chill the moment for Bachmann, who returned to Washington Tuesday morning to accolades from pundits as the new break-out star of a Republican presidential race that is finally taking shape.
Conservative Republican leaders affiliated with the Tea Party movement in New Hampshire praised Bachmann’s performance in the debate — her introduction to many voters in the state. She has been spending more time and effort in Iowa, which is where she was born and is next to her home state of Minnesota. Iowa holds the first caucuses and New Hampshire the first primary.
That was fun too.