12/17/2011 6:05:59 AM PST
American Thinker ^ | December 16, 2011 | Daren Jonescu
Posted on 12/17/2011 7:15:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Michele Bachmann’s husband Marcus played an active role during day one of the Minnesota congresswoman’s 99-county tour of Iowa. During each of the campaign’s seven stops in northwest Iowa, Mr. Bachmann chatted with attendees and advocated on his wife’s behalf. He went even further during the last event of the day, telling an Iowa voter he should not support Rick Santorum for president because he is not viable.
“Santorum can’t win,” Marcus Bachmann said to Andy Wobbema of Storm Lake. Wobbema had just finished grilling Michele Bachmann about an interview she did three months ago with Jay Leno. During that appearance on late night television, Bachmann was asked several questions about her stance on gay marriage. Many conservatives were dissatisfied with her responses.That includes Andy Wobbema.
So, when Michele Bachmann visited a coffee shop in Storm Lake Friday evening, Wobbema decided to discuss the issue with her. He told Bachmann that it seemed like she did not defend her position on marriage very well.
“It was a completely different show than what I was told it was going to be,” Bachmann said. “To get into that, it takes more than three or four minutes… That’s really what the issue was… I’m not afraid of the subject. I’m not afraid to talk about the subject. I wasn’t expecting that this is what we were going to talk about.”
Not satisfied with that response, Wobbema tried a follow-up question. “Why didn’t you stand up to Jay Leno?” he asked.
“If I could turn the clock back, I would do that,” she said. “It was very different from what I thought it was going to be…To get into a deep answer takes longer.”
Those statements also failed to mollify Wobbema. “I understand she didn’t have a lot of time to respond, but at the same time she should be ready to defend her position on things like that,” he told TheIowaRepublican.com. “I would have liked her to say that she was sorry that she didn’t take a stronger stance on her position.”
Following the event, Marcus Bachmann made his way over to Wobbema to try to appease him. TheIowaRepublican.com overheard part of their conversation. Mr. Bachmann was clearly trying to earn Wobbema’s vote for his wife in the Iowa Caucus. At the end of the conservation, Marcus Bachmann said, “So, you’re undecided between us and Rick Santorum?” Wobbema said yes. Bachmann then said, “Santorum can’t win.”
For confirmation, TheIowaRepublican.com asked Wobbema what Marcus Bachmann said about Rick Santorum. “He said, ‘He can’t win.’”
That attempt to sway Andy Wobbema’s vote failed. “He’s entitled to his opinion. I’m not necessarily looking for the person who can win, I’m looking for the best candidate,” Wobbema said.
The Storm Lake resident remains undecided on who will vote for on January 3. However, he believes Rick Santorum’s defense of one-man, one-woman marriage is stronger than Michele Bachmann’s.
“I can’t say it’s a defining thing, but I feel like when Santorum speaks he conveys his message a lot more clearer than her,” Wobbema said.
Coincidentally, another attendee at a Bachmann campaign stop on Friday brought up the Jay Leno interview to TheIowaRepublican.com. We spoke with several people following her events. Almost all the responses were positive. However, Grant Diekevers of Sibley had a different take.
“I’ve always been a fan of Michele’s, but she disappointed me a few weeks ago on Jay Leno’s show,” Diekevers said. “If you can’t stand up for marriage to Jay Leno, what are you going to do in the White House?”
It is interesting that an interview from three months ago still haunts Michele Bachmann on the campaign trail. Bachmann talks tough on the issue of marriage in front of friendly audiences. However, the GOP presidential hopeful’s defense was less than stellar when she was confronted on national television by someone with a different view. Her husband’s attempts at advocacy for the campaign by tearing down an opponent might also backfire.
and neither can she
Agreed. Michelle is done already. She just can’t see it yet.
If the Bachmann and Santorum voters would get behind Gov. Perry we could whup GOP establishment butt.
I still have serious questions as to Bachmann’s real motives in this race. She is quite capable of being a pit-bull against other candidates (except Romney), and her hiring of Ed Rollins (who has left the campaign while predictably knocking Bachmann afterwards), the consummate insider RINO, leaves me seriously questioning her judgment.
(sigh) Rick Perry appears to be pretty inept at speaking. With the smooth talker, TOTUS...er theOne...whatever.....we have to consider the independents and I am not sure Rick will win their shifting votes. He himself admits that debating is NOT his strong suit. At least he is honest.
If only your candidate was as committed to winning as you (and other supporters) are......
(sigh) I guess you missed the last 2 debates and have never met Rick Perry on the stump.
Just watch. Gov. Perry enjoys campaigning and he is a top notch executive. His joy of campaigning and being with the people is noticed.
NO politicians come to upstate NY. LOL So, no, I have not seen any of them speak. I didn’t think the last few debates elevated Rick much. I find him interesting, but his star is fading really early. I feel like I sit on the sidelines while Iowa and New Hampshire get all the chances to make a difference.
I have not picked a candidate, though I was leaning toward Newt, which has shocked even me. Not intending to tarnish your guy, just speaking about things the way I see them....squarely on the sidelines. ;^)
The time is late and it would be great for those who want someone other than the top 3 polling in Iowa (and confound the MSM-GOP establishment’s push for Newt Romney) to throw in with Perry.
No she can’t win, but she is going to do as much damage as she can before she is forced out, that’s the way I see it now. She seems to be a Romney surrogate.
Bachmann's role is to tarnish Newt, and if successful, the romney pac's will fund her campaign with enough cash to then turn on perry.
She won't be a threat to mittens but is trying out for a position with his crew.
I saw Bachman’s husband in the audience (on tv) at the debate...he looks amazingly like Chaz Bono...just sayin’.
Bachmann’s achilles heal has always been her inability to articulate her conservative positions in a hostile environment. That in addition to her one dimensional redundant statements are the solid evidence that she is not ready for prime time in spite of probably being the most solid conservative of the batch.
Santorum backed Specter and he has all the personality of a wet rag. He is probably the second most believable conservative of the batch, but being from PA, his loyalty to unions is suspect. If you believe what they say at the debates, Mitt is among the top three conservatives. But we either need to put a lie detector on him or give him a shot of sodium pentathol before he speaks in order to find the real Mitt. Or maybe put him on Haldol to eliminate his schizophrenia tendencies.
Gives me reason to dislike Michele Bachmann.
Hope Newt is able to contain his anger over her nonsense, It would be very hard for me, and I suspect she wants him to explode. Glad there are no more debates for awhile.
Perhaps that is why they continue to stay in the race.
Watching the last debate, I thought she is there just to take pot shots.
Rick Santorum (who always impressed me before running) shows no passion at all.
Both have probably been asked or told just to string it out. IMHO
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