Something that got lost in the shuffle of the Gingrich surge and Romney slide over the past couple of days is a smaller, but still remarkable story: the Bachmann resurgence.
In one Iowa poll released yesterday, Bachmann doubled her support from 5% back up to 10%. In another, she increased her support to 13% — good enough for second place in the Hawkeye State. Who is she trailing now in Iowa? Newt Gingrich in both polls and Mitt Romney in one.
And so, sensing her opportunity to build on these new, remarkably strong numbers in Iowa, Bachmann is going on the attack. She began by attacking Newt over his position on illegal immigration – a position which Bachmann characterizes as amounting to amnesty – by doing press releases about it and bringing it up in interviews. Then yesterday on CNN, she really unloaded on the former Speaker in an interview with Wolf Blitzer:
[Gingrich's] position would be inconsistent because he signed a letter which was published in the Wall Street Journal in 2004 saying that he did in fact support President Bush’s comprehensive immigration reform – which was commonly known as amnesty, because what it would do was make legal 11 million illegal workers in the United States. He was also in support of the federal DREAM Act, which would provide taxpayer subsidies for college tuition for the children of illegal aliens. That’s just a fact; it’s just on record. He may have a different position today, but even as recently as the last debate he said he in fact favored making legal, illegal workers. Those are two different positions, and he’ll have to reconcile those.
But again, those aren’t the only times he’s had inconsistent positions. He came out in favor of entering into Libya and the no-fly zone, and he also came out later saying he was not in favor of Libya. He said he was not in favor of TARP and then he was in favor of TARP. He was sitting on the couch with Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying we needed to do something about global warming, now he’s not so sure. He was also the father of the individual health care mandate – and admitted as much on stage when he was questioned by [Mitt Romney] – and it’s highly doubtful to think that our Republican nominee could have championed the individual healthcare mandate, could have taken millions of dollars to advance that mandate, and then think that they were going to actively work to repeal Obamacare.
And he also took $1.8 million to offer influence in Washington, DC on behalf of Freddie Mac — all while I was fighting Freddie Mac and trying to put them into receivership, which is bankruptcy. So there’s been a lot of inconsistencies.
Boom goes the dynamite. That would be about the “everything and the kitchen sink argument” against Gingrich at this point [without mentioning the Speaker's messy personal life or 84 ethics violations brought against him]. It’s a line of attack that Bachmann had clearly rehearsed, and one she will be eager repeat over and over again as she travels across Iowa.
She has an advantage that the other candidates don’t, as well – she is focused solely on Iowa while Romney, Gingrich, Perry, and others are campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida. Because of that, and perhaps because of the collapse of Perry and Cain, she is enjoying those higher poll numbers in the state and for the first time in months sees a potential path to victory. Gingrich is the clear frontrunner right now, so her cross hairs are focused squarely on his back.
All of this would be great news for Mitt Romney as well, who Bachmann has been very friendly with on the campaign trail thus far. Romney clearly needs Gingrich to be knocked down a few rungs on the ladder, but can’t afford to get his hands too dirty in the process. Having Bachmann with a vested interest in seeing the Speaker collapse as well is a boon for the Romney campaign.
Except that Bachmann isn’t shying away from attacking Romney now, either. Now that a path to victory in Iowa has presented itself, Bachmann appears to be in it to win it for real — and when Wolf asked her, “Who is the bigger flip-flopper, Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich?” she followed up that blistering critique of Gingrich with this one of Romney:
I think both of them have a lot to answer for to the voters for being on both sides of the issues. Governor Romney has also advocated for mandating that every citizen in the state of Massachusetts also purchase health insurance, which is exactly the same as Obamacare and was a pattern for Obamacare. He’s been on both sides of the abortion issue; he was for abortion, he was against abortion. He was for same-sex marriage, and in fact I believe he signed 189 marriage licenses for same-sex couples and then came out against it. And so on issue after issue after issue, Governor Romney has been on both sides – and Speaker Gingrich has to answer for that as well.
With just 33 days remaining before the Iowa caucuses, the gloves are coming off. While the spotlight is on Gingrich and Romney, Bachmann is flying under the radar in Iowa. Her poll numbers are rising, and she is making a push for a surprisingly strong finish in the state.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:22 am
What strikes me here is that Bachmann is very articulate. No stutering, umms or ahhs.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:22 am
Matt C., good post. We should all stand by for another “Hurricane Michelle.”
November 30th, 2011 at 10:31 am
That would be pretty bad for Romney if he finished fourth behind Gingrich, Paul and Bachmann. No amount of lowered expectations talk could spin that away with his recent efforts to contest the state.
Gingrich needs to win IA to keep his pole position. A finish behind Romney would really hurt. A second place finish behind Paul or Bachmann would be less problematic but not optimal.
As for Bachmann herself, I don’t know how she could parlay a win in IA to other victories down the road.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:33 am
At least with Bachmann, the Right would be making a political statement for a pretty Conservative person, even while losing in the general. Voting for Newt they’re sacrificing the General Election to Obama AND sacrificing the values they’ve fought so hard for.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:35 am
Something that got lost in the shuffle of the Gingrich surge and Romney slide over the past couple of days is a smaller, but still remarkable story: the Bachmann resurgence.”
Why not? The field is garbage. Newt is on his second surge. Cain is completing his second collapse. Why not give Michelle another 15 minutes to embarrass herself, instead of giving someone who can actually govern a chance?
November 30th, 2011 at 10:35 am
GOP candidates coordinate their activities by means of signals in the form of airborne pheromones secreted from their pores. Something in the air has changed because suddenly everyone is issuing stinging critiques of both Willard, and RomneyCare. The prestige that attends the halo of “inevitability” has departed the person of Willard. He is now fair game for everyone. Go everyone! (Everyone but Willard.)
November 30th, 2011 at 10:38 am
Also will be interesting see what Perry or his PAC does with $10 million or so he has still left, I think. If he uses them in optimal way to boost himself in Iowa or South Carolina, that is most likely going to include more attacks on Newt Gingrich than on Romney.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:41 am
http://conservativesamizdat.blogspot.com/2011/11/irrational-anybody-but-mitt-romney.html
November 30th, 2011 at 10:50 am
7. Perry’s toast. The media doesn’t even play up his gaffes anymore. He had another one a few days ago in NH where he forgot the voting age was lowered to 18. Not kidding you. But it wasn’t really splashed around anywhere cos no one thinks he’s got a chance. How he uses that 10 million remains to be seen and I agree it could be used to spoil another candidate’s chances. But he could just spend it down, pay off debts and exit the race when it runs out.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:50 am
Sensing her impending irrelevance, Mrs. Bachmann pulled the dagger out from her trenchcoat. Still reeling from her momentary but illusory win at the Iowa State Fair, and the harsh reviews of her Princess Lea hairstyle at a previous debate, she stopped at the doorway to the auditorium ominously thinking, “I was born here. I didn’t get to go to the Prom . . . not leaving quietly this time . . . !”
November 30th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Yes, the rest of “us” being non-conservatives.
November 30th, 2011 at 10:55 am
“An InsiderAdvantage poll conducted in South Carolina for the Augusta Chronicle showed Gingrich besting Romney by 23 points, 38 to 15 percent.
“This has gone from being an anyone but Romney race to a Gingrich versus someone race,” InsiderAdvantage head Matt Towery tells Newsmax.
Towery, a former Gingrich aide and now an independent pollster, said he expected Romney to hold New Hampshire but said polling is showing a “mass exodus of independents from Romney.” He said the independents are mostly tea party members of the GOP and they are moving very rapidly toward Gingrich.
“There are two things about Gingrich that are certain. One, that he has an almost unique ability to draw clear distinctions between competing ideas and reduce them down to a series of choices with which one may either agree or disagree,” Peter Roff, a contributing editor for U.S. News & World Report, wrote Tuesday.
“The other is that he still drives the liberals crazy”
^^oh that is the telling line right there^^
November 30th, 2011 at 10:57 am
To correct the record, Mitt was NEVER in favor of gay marriage, but Michele would be vastly better than Newt….she might not even get massacred in the General.
Santorum was attacking Gingrich in New Hampshire the other day. Collectively, the candidates in the race, combined with the media, will bring Newt down, but Mitt will have his work cut out for him in bringing himself back up.
Beating expectations in Iowa, while holding onto NH, is the place to start.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Seeing her approach, Herman had a momentary impulse to approach her, but marshalling the restraint he had so frequently longed for in the past, stood his ground at the podium. In spite of his sense of entitlement, the understandable result of patriotic fervor, Newt thankfully did the same. Nobody noticed Huntsman’s reaction. Mitt, noticing the dagger, did a double take, (so predictable). Ron Paul, ever consistent with his Libertarian philosophy, and curious about what medical conditions might ensue, did nothing. Rick Perry, simultaneous to Romney, realized he was not wearing his jogging suit, the one he normally “packs” with, and quietly said “Oooops!”
Michele was in a target rich environment. What would she do next . . . ?
November 30th, 2011 at 11:10 am
If Michele were forced to pay $1 every time she uses the words “fight” or “fighting”, we could balance the budget.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:10 am
UUUUMMMMM…..Did I call this yesterday or what? Michelle will attack Newt, it’s her only hope to win IA, she will be brutal in her attacks going forward. A loss in IA and NH would just about end Newt’s bid (as long as he finishes behind Romney in both states). Maybe, just maybe the GOP can be saved from itself….Thank you, Michelle, keep fighting the good fight, weather you win or lose the truth needs to be told.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:11 am
14. Sheer brilliance
you and casuist make this place so entertaining!
(Although watching the Rombot meltdown is a lot of fun too)
November 30th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Watch,
I see the workings of a suspense filled novella.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:12 am
12. I think liberals are universally chuckling up their sleeves hoping nobody notices their glee at Gingrich’s unexpected rise until it’s too late.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:13 am
13.
Expectations are a funny thing in that they change all the time. Newt is now the presumed front runner and every poll that comes out showing he has an insurmountable lead or is running strong in states he was never supposed to be able to compete in raises those expectations further.
The frontrunner status comes with its own set of expectations. If Newt doesn’t win Iowa now he is going to lose a serious amount of momentum.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:14 am
She is correct. No one can mention even 1 stand which she ever took that bothered conservatives and shes been in congress already 5 yrs. She has to work a little on the likability aspect and she would be a terrific nominee that would excite the base against Obama.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:15 am
This is good news for Mitt. He’ll need to lightly go after Gingrinch, as he did in the interview, but Bachmann and Santi will help out a lot. The month of December will be an epic fall for Newt. They’ll bring him down in Iowa and he will have no chance thereafter.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:20 am
At the far end of the stage, (the right hand side of the stage), Rick Santorum had a sudden thought and impulsively took a step toward Michele, and suddenly froze in his tracks, a look of horror on his face. Too late it had dawned on him that he had taken a step to the left.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:21 am
4. “At least with Bachmann, the Right would be making a political statement for a pretty Conservative person, even while losing in the general. Voting for Newt they’re sacrificing the General Election to Obama AND sacrificing the values they’ve fought so hard for.”
This!
November 30th, 2011 at 11:23 am
Watch,
“Too late it had dawned on him that he had taken a step to the left.”
At least Santorum has recourse to the sacrament of confession.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:24 am
“At least with Bachmann, the Right would be making a political statement for a pretty Conservative person, even while losing in the general. Voting for Newt they’re sacrificing the General Election to Obama AND sacrificing the values they’ve fought so hard for”
Plus, Newt isn’t a pretty person.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:32 am
Matt,
Huntsman is in double digits in New Hampshire now. You give up on your SURGE!!!! posts?
November 30th, 2011 at 11:40 am
The CNN moderator was very quick to notice the wild look in Michele’s eyes, but, having seen her many times before and on magazine covers was slow to realize this was in any way a change from her everyday appearance. When he finally caught a glance of the dagger, he wondered why such a large letter opener might come in handy for a candidate at a debate. Had he understood the state of her mind, or clued in to her immediate motive, he could have enjoyed a moment of deep satisfaction, having hoped before the debate that someone would finally draw blood from Newt in a meaningful way during the course of the debate he would referee.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:40 am
THERE IT IS! GO FOR THE THROAT MICHELLE! Bachmann knows she isn’t going to win. She’s hoping for VP to romney. Of course that won’t happen…..but she is doing a lot to help romney out. I somewhat hope she gets the win in iowa. That would make it her verse romney. And they will both play nice with each other while romney’s money and organization sweep through the primaries. Then Michelle will get a good spot in the cabinet. She wants to continue her career, and likely can’t do it in the house.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Stepping into glare of the Klieg lights on the stage had a soothing effect on Michele. The glow, the warmth, the sense of finally being noticed, had an altogether comforting influence, which left her feeling inwardly conflicted, but not in way that would cause reflection, self-doubt, or verbal restraint. Though she could not see them through the thick lenses of her contacts, she knew the audience was out there, knew they were aware of her entrance, felt the adoration and immediate connection she always felt in front of audiences or a mirror . . .
November 30th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Will Craig return to the previous love of his life now that Cain is finished? I doubt it.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
I think the word, “frontrunner” is wrongly used. I feel there’s a difference between who’s ahead in the polls at any given time and who’s the frontrunner.
Based on ground game, money, endorsements, and consistency in the polls, I don’t see how anyone but Mitt Romney could be considered the frontrunner.
That said, GREAT post, Matt.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
I’m rooting for Michelle! I love when she attacks (others, not Mitt!
).
But, her problem has always been that she mixes a bit of crazy and/or misinformed with her otherwise brilliant attacks. For example, she really took Perry down about the HCV vaccinations. But, then totally blew it by tacking on the bit about retardation.
In her attack against Romney, she’s just WRONG about his support for gay marriage. He was never for that. And, how stupid is it to say that his signing of gay marriage licenses is support? It was a law that he fought against, but lost. He HAD to sign them.
So, her WRONG arguments against Mitt may lend less credibility to her attacks on Newt.
But, still, I’m glad she’s gotten a boost and that she’s using it to go after Newt. Mitt can easily swat away her misguided attacks on him. And, hopefully, it takes away the claim that she’s just there to block for him.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
5. Matt WMS
And, who might that be, in your mind?
November 30th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
8. CF. GREAT article. Thanks for that and the link.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
3,
It is possible to come in fourth in Iowa and still win the nomination. McCain did it in ’08.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
29,
Ironically, in her interview with Jimmy Fallon, she mentioned that she views Mitt Romney as her perfect choice for VP. She still thinks she can win. I just hope she takes Iowa away from Gingrich. I rather see her and Mitt be the last two standing.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
37. Well, she certainly has to SOUND like she thinks she can win.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
37. But, that’s a pretty good endorsement of Mitt, for her to say he’s perfect as her VP.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Dave,
“Huntsman is in double digits in New Hampshire now. You give up on your SURGE!!!! posts?”
I only use SURGE!!! sarcastically, ironicly, or mockingly.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Keith,
“And, who might that be, in your mind?”
Hunstman. But he won’t get a chance this election.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
41. That’s interesting, Matt. I haven’t fully studied Huntsman, but doesn’t he seem to be LESS conservative than anybody else on the stage?
And, my gut reaction is that governing perhaps the reddest and most republican and conservative state in the union isn’t much of an indicator of his ability to govern where there’s likely to be severe opposition to conservative policies.
What are your thoughts on that?
November 30th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
jaxemer11 Says:
November 30th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Will Craig return to the previous love of his life now that Cain is finished?
==
I still love her and we’ll always have that night in Ames.
But..
Cain/Newt ’12 (Or reverse the ticket)
Bachmann – Our go-to gal in the House
Romney – Run for Utah Senator (Or Cali)
Perry – President of the new country of Texas
November 30th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I see Matt “MWS” is warming up to Michele or hitting on her by calling her pretty?
November 30th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Attacking Romney on his individual mandate has to be distinguished from Newt. Gingrich supported a NATIONAL individual mandate. Romney supported an individual mandate on a state level. Romney does not recommend individual mandates for every state. It works for MA because they had very few uninsured citizens and he was able to balance the budget bringing it to a 2 billion surplus. It was a bipartisan effort and passed overwhelmingly. Romney using an individual mandate in MA DOES NOT MAKE IT Obamacare. Romney will stand by MA Care even though it is unpopular with Republicans and could cost him the election. Gingrich because he is not principled wants to walk back his stand on the individual mandate and other positions.
What Bachman is saying about Gingrich could be information a lot of people are not aware of. With Romney the information is old. Romney can easily discount it. Bachman no doubt will try to bring this up in the debate to attack Gingrich. I am sure Romney would love to join in.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Yep, totally called this. Bachmann can also really stick it to Vanderplotz if he picks Gingrich over her. And how does Newt hit back without weakening his (already pretty bad) favorability with women?
November 30th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
BTW: watch, very very nice satire.
All of this really really makes me wish that TPaw hadn’t freaking dropped out! Could we have two candidates with experience governing a tough state please? It would be nice…
November 30th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
#47. Agreed, T-Paw got out too soon…
November 30th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
I have to admit, I kind of like it when she goes on the attack. You go girl!
November 30th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
47. Thanks. I appreciate it!