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Michele Bachmann's First Big Mistake - Hiring Ed Rollins (Update: Ed double-downs on Palin again)
Legal insurrection ^ | Tuesday June 7, 2011 | William Jacobson

Posted on 06/07/2011 5:54:01 PM PDT by Bigtigermike

Not surprisingly, Bachmann has come under the same types of snide attack as Sarah Palin from the mainstream media, entertainment industry and left-blogosphere.  There is a special place reserved for conservative women in the Democratic toolkit of mockery and derision.

But Bachmann just made a big mistake.  I'll repeat what I wrote when Mike Huckabee was considering whether to run again with Ed Rollins as his campaign manager:

Run, don't walk, away from Ed Rollins and the others who think that demeaning Sarah Palin is the best way to advance your campaign.

Sure enough, Rollins having just been hired by Bachmann, is at it again (via Ben Smith):

Michele Bachmann's new top consultant, Ed Rollins, began his tenure with scathing criticism of potential Bachmann rival Sarah Palin. "Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years," Rollins told Brian Kilmeade on his radio show, Kilmeade and Friends. "She got the Vice Presidential thing handed to her, she didn't go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance, she gave up her governorship."

He suggested that the contrast would favor Bachmann.

"Michele Bachmann and others [have] worked hard, she has been a leader of the Tea Party which is a very important element here, she has been an attorney, she has done important things with family values."

"She is probably the best communicator [in the GOP field] now that Mike Huckabee's not in there," he said.

Rollins has long been skeptical of Palin, but his new role with Bachmann suggests that criticism will become part of her campaign, though she has publicly praised the former Alaska governor

Michele Bachmann's new top consultant, Ed Rollins, began his tenure with scathing criticism of potential Bachmann rival Sarah Palin.

Hiring Rollins was a mistake.  In order to have a chance, you will have to unite the non-establishment wing of the party behind you, and you lose a big chunk of that base when your campaign spokesman trashes Palin.

Additionally, the Democrats and their supporters are going to Palinize you, and already have started.  Having your campaign spokesman engage in the same sort of rhetoric against Palin simply legitimizes the tactic, and will hurt your campaign.

Please take advice from someone who likes you.  Dump Rollins overboard now, before it's too late.

Update:  Ed Rollins is on the Chris Matthews show as this update is being written, and is going out of his way to belittle Palin, including saying that Palin ""doesn't matter if she doesn't run."  Rollins also jumped on the Paul Revere controversy.  According to Rollins, Palin "has the movie star quality but it doesn't go very far."

Hiring Rollins is an enormous mistake for Bachmann.  It could be campaign killing.  The people who hate Palin are the same people who hate Bachmann, and no amount of trashing of Palin by Rollins will change that.  Bachmann needs to focus on building, not tearing down.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: 2012; bachmann; bachmannimplosion; palin; quittermeme; rollins4romney; romneydirtytrick; romneyspew; sarahpalin
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To: RMFC
"If Bauchman doesn’t get rid of him asap she will be finished by July"

She's finished now. Her campaign is over, just like Gingrich.

81 posted on 06/07/2011 8:18:59 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner
The “Quiter” sh!t pi$$3$ me off more than anything. You have be be corrupt or stupid to not understand the context of her resignation. Will is corrupt. He is disingenuously pushing an agenda under the guise of “political commentary”. I have no use for him.
82 posted on 06/07/2011 8:20:05 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (JMO but I reserve the right to be wrong...)
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To: Moorings

Well if people see the movie “Undefeated” it will be Bachmann that suffers damage. Looks like the woman (Bachmann) is “tone deaf” and lacks leadership qualities.


83 posted on 06/07/2011 8:20:20 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW
I just did a search and nothing came up so if she apologized she whispered it.

If the apology didn't contain the firing of Rollins, there is no apology.

84 posted on 06/07/2011 8:21:34 PM PDT by The Cajun (Palin, Free Republic, Mark Levin, Rush, Hannity......Nuff said.)
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To: The Cajun; haircutter

I agree. Did you see post 71? Sounds like somebody lied.


85 posted on 06/07/2011 8:24:14 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW

Rollins probably told her to hang in there tight and he will bring home the bacon. Probably told her as long as she does not say anything, she can always blame Rollins for acting alone. In an earlier thread, someone posted that one of her campaign persons said that Rollins was speaking independently as a media analyst.


86 posted on 06/07/2011 8:27:45 PM PDT by Moorings
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To: Moorings
In an earlier thread, someone posted that one of her campaign persons said that Rollins was speaking independently as a media analyst.

I saw that too. Bunk. He works for her.

87 posted on 06/07/2011 8:31:30 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW
I don't know what Michele hopes to accomplish with this tactic. Sarah Palin has been attacked with all kinds of real and imagined accusations from all directions for three years now, and she is still standing.

Does Michele think she is going to be able scrape off a enough supporters who have stuck with Sarah all these years?

88 posted on 06/07/2011 8:39:04 PM PDT by Moorings
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To: Bigtigermike

MB is behaving like a tramp, yes I said it...She should just come out and say she is not running!


89 posted on 06/07/2011 8:42:49 PM PDT by Friendofgeorge (SARAH PALIN BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT...PALIN/HOLTZ 2012)
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To: Moorings
I don't know what she's thinking either but the silence isn't helping her. If she sent Rollins out then she's a nasty piece of work. If he's saying this on his own and Bachmann can't control him then she's not Presidential material.

I have to sign off for tonight. Have a good one.

90 posted on 06/07/2011 8:43:02 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW

Goodnight! Sleep well.


91 posted on 06/07/2011 8:45:53 PM PDT by Moorings
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
Soon after (in January), Bachmann's staff appeared in South Carolina and Iowa and began slamming Palin during meetings with local GOP organizers and chairmen.

I've been looking for a link (FR or otherwise) to that all afternoon. Do you have one?

I remembered reading it about that time and was reminded of it when pit bull Rollins went after Sarah with a vengeance. The fact that she allows her staff to attack one who supported her reelection last fall says volumes about Michele's loyalty. She may have believed she had nothing to lose by hiring Rollins. How wrong that decision will turn out to be.

92 posted on 06/07/2011 8:47:57 PM PDT by CedarDave (I agree with Obama's immigration comments in El Paso: We do need moats filled with alligators)
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To: sand88

I guess I just don’t understand Bachmann’s motives here. Now’s not the time to be jealous or try to boost one’s ego. We got a corrupt President and administration to dismantle, and it’s not going to happen if conservatives are sniping at the one candidate who’s in a prime position to make this happen.


93 posted on 06/07/2011 8:51:44 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Governor Sarah Heath Palin for President of the United States in 2012)
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To: DJ MacWoW

Supposedly, a Bachmann aid told somebody who called to complain that Michele called Sarah and apologized for Rollins remarks - we shall see if this is true, we have to see at least some kind of statement from Michele herself on this matter tomorrow and not 3 or 4 days later.


94 posted on 06/07/2011 9:11:39 PM PDT by Bigtigermike
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To: traderrob6

For comments, can contact Team Bachmann here: http://www.michelebachmann.com/contact/

Or email here: info@michelebachmann.com <info@michelebachmann.com


95 posted on 06/07/2011 9:19:05 PM PDT by Sea Parrot
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To: haircutter
"...hope that # was legit..."

Ummm, the voice of Michelle asking for volunteers for her capmaign wasn't enough confirmation for you? Campaign staffers calling back didn't convince you?

Wow. You're a tough sell.

WTF?!

;^\

96 posted on 06/07/2011 9:24:43 PM PDT by Gargantua ("Palin 2012 ~ Going Oval" ©2010 by Gargantua)
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To: Friendofgeorge

Michele, Michele, we hardly knew ye. After seeing what Rollins’ said about Sarah Palin yesterday on Fox and then today on Crissy the spitter, I have just lost tremendous respect for her.

Hiring Rollins will prove to be one big bad ass mistake by her. From now on, every snarky word Rollins utters about Palin, we will know it has been approved by her. And if she claims otherwise, we will then know she has no control over her own campaign, or, she is a liar.

For comments, can contact Team Bachmann here: http://www.michelebachmann.com/contact/

Or email here: info@michelebachmann.com <info@michelebachmann.com


97 posted on 06/07/2011 9:26:18 PM PDT by Sea Parrot
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To: Bigtigermike

Ed Rollins.

Cheers!

98 posted on 06/07/2011 10:16:59 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Bigtigermike

Had Rollins never opened his mouth, I’d still question her judgement just for hiring him.

That goes double now. One of the things I’ve been proud of about Bachmann has been the fact that she has avoided criticizing Palin, and Palin has avoided criticizing her. The fact that potential rivals could see one another as allies in the bigger picture, I thought, spoke well of both of them.

She ought to have stuck with that practice; it gave her a kind of grace that she has just lost, thanks to Rollins. Rollins is poison, and she should know that.


99 posted on 06/07/2011 10:59:08 PM PDT by marron
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To: CedarDave
I've been looking for a link (FR or otherwise) to that all afternoon. Do you have one?

The link is long buried and I didn't bookmark it for some reason. However, C4P's posting forum lit up like a ammo explosion once the reports about MB's treachery suddenly came in. I remember it well.

100 posted on 06/08/2011 3:00:50 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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