… to raise a cold, refreshing glass of farm-subsidized milk to her candidacy!
Ryansays
Not only will she be an embarrassment for the party throughout the election season, but her district is somewhat competitive and is a decent (if not the most decent) pickup opportunity. Democrats have almost beat her in the recent past.
scosays
But I feel that that district is only competitive because Bachman is kind of nuts. Maybe a less ‘out there’ Republican has an easier time of it? I’m no expert on MN politics.
Ryansays
what are the chances they’ll nominate a more sensible Republican? Another key is by even having a competitive race there, that’s one less Democratic seat (I hope) the national GOP can target as effectively.
jconwaysays
Its a very strange district, sort of like Paul Ryans, that is a mixture of suburban and farming communities. The farming communities tend to be more religious and conservative, while the suburban ones are economically conservative and socially liberal. Mark Kennedy was a lot less crazy than Michelle Bachman, you’re typical Mitch McConnel/Boehner kind of conservative, and he ran 7-9 points over his Dem opponent, with Bachman it became [a 2 pt race in 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%27s_6th_congressional_district%5D. So it’ll likely lean R unless Obama blows it out in MN. One thing to consider though is the impact of redistricting. I know out here in Illinois the Dem leg forced the rural Republicans into the same district and carved out more liberal suburban districts, same could be true in MN.
cossays
> what are the chances they’ll nominate a more sensible Republican?
More sensible than Michele Bachmann?
… who voted for the Terry Schiavo bill because “she was a healthy woman”.
… who vows to fight against Obama’s secret plan to get rid of the US dollar.
… who thinks the battles of Lexington and Concord were fought in New Hampshire.
… who claims that the climate is getting cooler, not warmer.
… who says members of the US Senate are “anti-American”.
They don’t have to try very hard to find someone more sensible than that. The bar is much too low. Which also suggests that if this is the kind of nitwit who keeps getting re-elected in that district, it may be a very hard district for a Democrat to win.
JimCsays
For president?
Of the United States?
SomervilleTomsays
This used to be a joke, but I think it isn’t. I think she’s there to make Sarah Palin look like a credible candidate.
Why hasn’t the mainstream media destroyed these two fruitcakes?
Ryansays
That’s why.
centralmassdadsays
That would be the Democrats’ job, as opposed to the media’s, which, as Ryan notes, would just as soon have her in so as to get some decent copy from time to time.
I’m sure the nice folks at move on will do the job, and go so far overboard as to dilute their own effectiveness.
In any event, I think her candidacy is a useful one, in that it puts the “What is the GOP going to be as the relative strength of its parts changes?” issue right out there for reckoning, long term.
kbuschsays
so long as one doesn’t regard journalism as part of their job.
chrismatth says
… to raise a cold, refreshing glass of farm-subsidized milk to her candidacy!
Ryan says
Not only will she be an embarrassment for the party throughout the election season, but her district is somewhat competitive and is a decent (if not the most decent) pickup opportunity. Democrats have almost beat her in the recent past.
sco says
But I feel that that district is only competitive because Bachman is kind of nuts. Maybe a less ‘out there’ Republican has an easier time of it? I’m no expert on MN politics.
Ryan says
what are the chances they’ll nominate a more sensible Republican? Another key is by even having a competitive race there, that’s one less Democratic seat (I hope) the national GOP can target as effectively.
jconway says
Its a very strange district, sort of like Paul Ryans, that is a mixture of suburban and farming communities. The farming communities tend to be more religious and conservative, while the suburban ones are economically conservative and socially liberal. Mark Kennedy was a lot less crazy than Michelle Bachman, you’re typical Mitch McConnel/Boehner kind of conservative, and he ran 7-9 points over his Dem opponent, with Bachman it became [a 2 pt race in 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%27s_6th_congressional_district%5D. So it’ll likely lean R unless Obama blows it out in MN. One thing to consider though is the impact of redistricting. I know out here in Illinois the Dem leg forced the rural Republicans into the same district and carved out more liberal suburban districts, same could be true in MN.
cos says
> what are the chances they’ll nominate a more sensible Republican?
More sensible than Michele Bachmann?
… who voted for the Terry Schiavo bill because “she was a healthy woman”.
… who vows to fight against Obama’s secret plan to get rid of the US dollar.
… who thinks the battles of Lexington and Concord were fought in New Hampshire.
… who claims that the climate is getting cooler, not warmer.
… who says members of the US Senate are “anti-American”.
They don’t have to try very hard to find someone more sensible than that. The bar is much too low. Which also suggests that if this is the kind of nitwit who keeps getting re-elected in that district, it may be a very hard district for a Democrat to win.
JimC says
For president?
Of the United States?
SomervilleTom says
This used to be a joke, but I think it isn’t. I think she’s there to make Sarah Palin look like a credible candidate.
Why hasn’t the mainstream media destroyed these two fruitcakes?
Ryan says
That’s why.
centralmassdad says
That would be the Democrats’ job, as opposed to the media’s, which, as Ryan notes, would just as soon have her in so as to get some decent copy from time to time.
I’m sure the nice folks at move on will do the job, and go so far overboard as to dilute their own effectiveness.
In any event, I think her candidacy is a useful one, in that it puts the “What is the GOP going to be as the relative strength of its parts changes?” issue right out there for reckoning, long term.
kbusch says
so long as one doesn’t regard journalism as part of their job.