Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
If people want to talk about why they oppose Michele Bachmann's candidacy based on particular political views, I'm all ears. But what's been going on in the last week is so unhinged, isn't it?
First we were told that because she used to be Lutheran -- to repeat, used to be Lutheran! -- she would have trouble with Catholic voters on account of the Reformation.
Then we were told that her husband's counseling approach is beyond the pale. That's because instead of helping people change their very sex -- something that will get you pages of celebratory media coverage -- he runs a practice that helps people deal with unwanted same-sex attraction. So while people can choose their gender, sex and genitalia, they are forbidden from choosing to do anything with same-sex attraction other than embrace it. And anyone who does want to help people with unwanted same-sex attraction must be condemned daily in the pages of the New York Times.
And now we're told that Bachmann has a nasty case of the vapors. Or wait, debilitating headaches. Now, I suppose this might not be just a story planted by angry ex-staffers or a particularly talented rival campaign. Maybe it really is true and the woman who has held office for years and raised a large family and is now a sitting U.S. Representative is just too fragile for the duties we've entrusted to men such as FDR, JFK, LBJ and Bill Clinton. Maybe that's true. Maybe this isn't just code for "her lady parts scare me." I don't know.
But what I'd really like is for people to move away from the Lutheran-counseling-headache charges and on to more substance. If she's a bad candidate, certainly we can do much better than this, right?
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May '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Then we were told that her husband's counseling approach is beyond the pale. That's because instead of helping people change their very sex -- something that will get you pages of celebratory media coverage -- he runs a practice that helps people deal with unwanted same-sex attraction. So while people can choose their gender, sex and genitalia, they are forbidden from choosing to do anything with same-sex attraction other than embrace it. And anyone who does want to help people with unwanted same-sex attraction must be condemned daily in the pages of the New York Times.
Wow, what a juxtaposition! I suspect all the complaining is really about credentials, as in the Bachmanns don't have the proper credentials to have any positive interaction with gay Americans, as in the Bachmanns are conservative, ick!.
Jan '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Why would anyone in this day and age want to debate substantive topics when salacious gossip will do? Why, if I bothered with anything of substance I might be proven wrong!
Sep '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Look at the bright side Mollie: the fragile short term working memory of the Boston Globe was severely taxed by the cognitive dissonance of trying to blow the whistle on anti Catholicism and read all those German Lutheran texts (I like to think they got a migraine doing it). They couldn't quite figure out whether Lutherans were evil Evangelicals or Evangelicals were evil Lutherans. It was all pretty complicated and religious and stuff, so they gave up. Now they've moved on to Michelle's husband as unlicensed therapist cult leader and Michelle as unstable, head on the verge of exploding (White House press gallery take cover under your chairs, this is not a drill).
They'd like to move on to substance but somewhere, someone has just noticed that those pearls she's wearing in that picture you've posted look awfully similar to ones that Barbara Bush wears. And the hidden teabag symbolism of the earrings, the black and white motif of her jacket, indicating an overly simplistic moral ethic.
Its like they're making a drinking game out of it.
Mar '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Even if Bachmann does suffer from debilitating headaches or her lady parts, she would still out class our current president by untold counts. Not to mention since she can speak without a teleprompter she can already out campaign Obama, but I suppose that goes for quite a few of the Republican candidates.
Apr '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
(Donning flak jacket and helmet....)
This issue speaks to the Office in a way that the other MSM Bachmann-bashing nonsense does not.
If it's specious, eviscerate it with facts. But purportedly debilitating migraines are not the vapors, and this is not sexism.
Speaking of doing better than, we can do better than chronically pointing out the self-evident hypocrisy of the MSM/Left as if that is an a priori refutation of an article that was, after all, published at the Daily Caller--hardly Slate or HuffPo or WaPo or whatever house organ of the Dems you care to reference.
Make a case that her malady is not an issue. I expect it will be made effectively. But this chronic invoking of the hypocrisy of the Left and a 'couple bucks will get you a small drip, no room at Starbucks.
Sep '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
(Donning flak jacket and helmet....)
That will not protect you from Mrs. Rupert Murdoch. She's a lethal weapon.
Apr '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Pseudodionysius: (Donning flak jacket and helmet....)
That will not protect you from Mrs. Rupert Murdoch. She's a lethal weapon. · Jul 19 at 8:16pm
If Chris Christie doesn't jump in maybe we should see what her dance card looks like in the near future.
Oct '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Are we given to understand that after 3 years of anti-Palin attacks, that anything in the least bit surprising or hard to understand is going on here?? Michelle Bachmann is simply getting the same treatment that any threat to the left would get. She is being attacked by the left and the pseudo-conservative weenies that follow whatever popular meme they need to in order to ingratiate themselves to the power elite.
May '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
I'm with you in outrage at the way she's being targeted for destruction. But I have to say I'm with Ramesh Ponnuru on the migraines. They're an issue, in the same way I think Chris Christie's obesity is an issue. We have to believe the candidate is up to the shocking rigors of the job--mentally and physically.
Edited on July 20, 2011 at 6:22amMay '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Comment of the week.
May '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
I'd have debilitating migranes too if I had to deal with the Republican House leadership every day.
Still, if we're going to evaluate candidates for office on the basis of a position their former church took 500 years ago, I think we better have her position on the 30 Years War too.
Apr '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Thank you.
If nothing else, if we examine the purported disability dispassionately, we can then have the knowledge base to convince those who might buy in whole-cloth into the Left/MSM's piling on.
It is a legitimate question. As I said, it speaks to the Office. Let's answer it and move on and stop taking personally the fact that the Left/MSM are a bunch of lying [mild expletives].
Tell me why it doesn't matter, if it doesn't. Is there a doctor in the house? :)
(I have contributed to her campaign. I am not out to get her by any stretch. But clarity and truth are more important to me than confirmation bias.)
Make the case. Stop being defensive. Being defensive is why we are always snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Nov '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
How silly. If Martin Luther was not anti-catholic (more correctly anti-Rome) what was the reformation all about? He was in a rather large community in the 16th century. Even the 19th century Lord Acton, a practicing catholic, was anti-Rome in his well-known quote: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." He was reacting to the power of a papacy. All conservative protestants react negatively to the vicarage of the pope preferring the words of Paul: "There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." That does not mean however, that we believe that he is the antichrist.
Apr '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
I'd opt for raging alcoholism.
Apr '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
You are absolutely correct and thank you for a suitable replacement for RINO that being "pseudo-conservative weenies." Although, I should probably drop the weenie part when addressing fellow Ricochet members.
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Michael Patrick Tracy: (Donning flak jacket and helmet....)
This issue speaks to the Office in a way that the other MSM Bachmann-bashing nonsense does not.
If it's specious, eviscerate it with facts. But purportedly debilitating migraines are not the vapors, and this is not sexism.
Like I said, maybe this is a real story and not something planted and spun by disgruntled staff or a rival campaign. I'm just not sure I buy it.
Of course, with the rather disastrous day she endured, I imagine we'll find out almost immediately whether it's true she's incapacitated by stress.
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
I'm so glad someone knows the target of the power corrupts quote! In response to the doctrine of infallibility. Yes, even bishops within the church have called the papacy the antichrist in response to various abuses.
Apr '11
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Michael Patrick Tracy: (Donning flak jacket and helmet....)
This issue speaks to the Office in a way that the other MSM Bachmann-bashing nonsense does not.
If it's specious, eviscerate it with facts. But purportedly debilitating migraines are not the vapors, and this is not sexism.
Like I said, maybe this is a real story and not something planted and spun by disgruntled staff or a rival campaign. I'm just not sure I buy it.
Of course, with the rather disastrous day she endured, I imagine we'll find out almost immediately whether it's true she's incapacitated by stress. · Jul 19 at 8:39pm
Ditto. I'm not sure I buy it either.
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Michael Patrick Tracy
(I have contributed to her campaign. I am not out to get her by any stretch. But clarity and truth are more important to me than confirmation bias.)
Make the case. Stop being defensive. Being defensive is why we are always snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. · Jul 19 at 8:29pm
Interesting. I'm not actually a Bachmann fan. I just don't like the way folks are going after her in non-substantive ways. And, like I said, I'm not as confident in this idea that 'debilitating headaches' are an issue or would be a legitimate barrier anymore than a stomach would be. Our country has survived having presidents with physical ailments far worse than these.
May '10
Re: Something's Bothering Me About The Anti-Bachmann Frenzy
Michele Bachmann looks much better than Obama to me, and not bad amongst our current field of Republicans. I wasn't too impressed with her at first, but the more I look at our options the better she appears.
Of course they are going to make her out to be a crazy person. Who on earth takes their religion seriously these days, anyways?!? Only morons, cultists and sloping-forehead types, right?