Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Bachmann out

At Right Turns, Jennifer Rubin has a generally positive post on Michelle Bachmann as she withdraws from the Republican nomination race.  Wrapping up Rubin writes:

And finally, her record of opposition to ObamaCare and the entire Obama agenda, in the end, proved insufficient. Without legislative accomplishments and an executive office in her background, she never quite shook the persona of a conservative motivator and grassroots leader. She is a darling of the right, but she didn’t seem yet ready for the presidency.
She has capabilities greater than many of the also-rans in the race. She has considerable intelligence and fortitude. Should she decide to buckle down, become expert on a range of issues and dedicate herself to the conservative movement and to dislodging Obama, she can have a second act. Doesn’t everyone in America get one?” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/bachmann-exits-the-race/2012/01/04/gIQALObbaP_blog.html
To my mind, Bachmann also has to demonstrate that she isn’t an ideologue if she is to be worthy of a second act.  Being a “darling of the right” comes with few costs when you’re in the House and just one vote among many, but the Presidency is a different game.  There everything is best in the circumstances.  What I didn’t see from Bachmann this time around was the ability to move beyond being a principled conservative, to being a principled trimmer.

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