You’re wrong.
The subject seems to be worry about America’s decline as a super-power, and she uses countries currently on the rise (like India and China) as a contrast.
The Soviet Union rose to become a super-power during the same time period the USA rose to become a super-power—the first half of the last century.
Had she used the term Russia, her sentence would have made perfect sense. As Russia (after going through a down period after the breakup of the USSR) is again rising.
It was a gaffee, plain and simple.
“You’re wrong....Had she used the term Russia, her sentence would have made perfect sense....
It was a gaffee, plain and simple.”
I don’t know why, but you seem so determined to reduce Bachmann’s impromptu verbal answer to a radio talk show host’s question, which could be interpreted as an insightful observation, to a simple gaffe about whether the geographical region she is talking about should be called (the former) Soviet Union or as you insist - Russia. In fact, had she used the term Russia, it would have made even less sense because the old Soviet Union is now comprised of a dozen or so states called The Commonwealth of Independent Nations (CIS), not just Russia.
Bachmann is not my candidate either, but there is no need to feed the “she’s too gaffe-prone!” meme in this instance. She’s not going to make it onto the ticket anyway.