The 2012 presidential campaign of

Michele Bachmann Michele Marie Bachmann (; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she was a candidate for President of the United States in the 20 ...

Congresswoman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, began in June 2011. She ran for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president of the United States. Bachmann announced she was running for president during the

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

Republican primary debate held June 13, 2011, and made her formal announcement two weeks later in her hometown of

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

.Staff (June 13, 2011)
"Rep. Michele Bachmann Makes Presidential Run Official"

. Retrieved July 15, 2011. She suspended her campaign on January 4, 2012, after coming in sixth at the

2012 Iowa caucus The 2012 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia participated. Iowa voters chose s ...

elections.

Background

In early 2011, the media speculated about Bachmann's potential run for president. ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...

'' called her "a serious contender for 2012." Her visit planned for January 21 to the state of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, which holds the first caucuses of the season, raised suspicions after several aides hinted that she would make a bid for the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

Iowans for Tax Relief

In the midst of much speculation about a run for the presidency, Bachmann visited Iowa on January 21, 2011, to address the conservative group Iowans for Tax Relief. Bachmann said, "There's been no decision about candidacy, but I want to be a part of the conversation." Bachmann, born in Iowa and close friend to U.S. Representative

Steve King Steven Arnold King (born May 28, 1949) is an American far-right politician and businessman who served as a U.S. representative from Iowa from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Iowa's 5th congressional district u ...

, declared her happiness that Iowans would be the first to weigh in on the candidates: "I'm so excited. Because I feel like I know you. Because I was born here. I was raised here. These are my values. I feel like we understand each other and I trust you to make that decision. But I also charge you with that decision today." Iowa Governor

Terry Branstad Terry Edward Branstad (born November 17, 1946) is an American politician and former diplomat. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 before serving as governor of Iowa fro ...

stated he was greatly impressed by Bachmann's speech and stated that even if she did not run he felt "she'll certainly have an influence on the debate." Steve Scheffler, a

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...

member and head of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, said of a possible Bachmann run that "she could take a serious look at it. She certainly would bring a lot of enthusiasm to the base." Dave Funk, a

Tea Party movement The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009. Members of the movement called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget defic ...

-sponsored candidate in the 2010 election, liked Bachmann's talk of

American exceptionalism American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is inherently different from other nations.a new day in America' speech, like Reagan. Everybody else is talking policy, issues, ideas – she's talking about motivating the people to get out and do something." Bachmann had a very strong turnout for the speech which led ''

The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...

'' to declare that if she "is considering a run, this first trip to Iowa has to be considered a success", but they went on to note that "She'd still have work to do to turn favorable interest and curiosity into support." In addition to the speech, Bachmann visited the governor, Iowa's legislative leaders, and the state's GOP headquarters. Reflecting on the trip, Bachmann stated, "I am very encouraged by what I heard and the level of support that I saw today." Bachmann was set to return to the state "to participate in a series of lectures for presidential candidate prospects held in Iowa in April."

New Hampshire Straw Poll

In the New Hampshire GOP 2012 Straw Poll, taken January 22, 2011, Bachmann placed fifth with five percent of the vote, tying

Jim DeMint James Warren DeMint (born September 2, 1951) is an American political advocate, businessman, author, and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from South Carolina and as president of the Heritage Foundation. DeMint is a member ...

and following

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...

(35%),

Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...

(11%), fellow Minnesotan

Tim Pawlenty Timothy James Pawlenty (; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 39th governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House o ...

(8%), and

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

(7%). The poll listed twenty individuals and an option for "other" (which received 2%). Among the notables she outpolled were

Rick Santorum Richard John Santorum ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and was the Senate's thir ...

(3%),

Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...

(3%),

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...

(3%), and

Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...

(2%).

Campaign staff

;Current staffTalent and Organization – Building Towards 2012
/ref>
/ref> *Keith Nahigian, manager *Alice Stewart, press secretary *Brett O'Donnell, advisor *Bob Heckman, advisor *Becki Donatelli, advisor *Marcus Bachmann, advisor *Jody Thomas, finance director *Mary Heitman, finance director ;Former staff *

Ed Rollins Edward Rollins (born March 19, 1943) is an American political consultant and advisor who has worked on several high-profile Republican political campaigns in the United States. In 1983 and 1984, he was national campaign director for the succes ...

, manager *David Polyansky, deputy manager ;Departure of New Hampshire campaign staff On October 21, 2011, it was reported that Bachmann's paid staff in New Hampshire had all resigned, citing frustration with the national campaign and Bachmann's lack of time campaigning in the state. The departing staffers issued a press release stating their reasons for leaving the campaign.

Campaign progress

During a June 13, 2011, debate on

, Bachmann announced that she had filed to run for president, skipping the

exploratory committee In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to candidates for pre ...

process. She formally announced her candidacy on June 26, 2011, in her hometown of

. Bachmann performed well in the June 13 debate, held in

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Hamp ...

. ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' described her as "lively, confident, personable". On ''

Fox News Sunday ''Fox News Sunday'' is a Sunday morning talk show that has aired on the broadcast Fox network since 1996, as a presentation of Fox News Channel. It is the only regularly scheduled Fox News program carried on the main Fox broadcast network. Host ...

'' on

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

on June 26, 2011, show host

Chris Wallace Christopher Wallace (born October 12, 1947) is an American broadcast journalist. He is known for his tough and wide-ranging interviews, for which he is often compared to his father, ''60 Minutes'' journalist Mike Wallace. Over his 50-year care ...

said to Bachmann, "The rap on you here in Washington is that you have a history of questionable statements, some would say gaffes, ranging from talking about anti-American members of Congress oon this show a couple of months ago, when you suggested that NATO airstrikes had killed up to 30,000 civilians. Are you a flake?" Bachmann responded by saying the question was "insulting". Wallace later apologized, saying, "I messed up, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect." Bachmann became the first woman to win the Iowa Straw Poll, winning with 4,823 votes (28.55%) out of about 16,892 cast.

Personal health history

Bachmann has stated that she has suffered migraines, but that they have been controlled by prescription medicine, have not affected her service in Congress, and would not affect her ability to serve as president. ''

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

'' reported that the migraines had caused Bachmann to miss multiple Congressional votes. On July 19, 2011, according to the Bachmann campaign, when attempting to question Bachmann about her migraines,

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

reporter Brian Ross "rushed toward" Bachmann and her staff and "disregarded repeated requests to stay back". According to Michael Crowley, a reporter for ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' who witnessed the resulting intervention by Bachmann staffers, the staffers "pounced on

oss OSS or Oss may refer to: Places * Oss, a city and municipality in the Netherlands * Osh Airport, IATA code OSS People with the name * Oss (surname), a surname Arts and entertainment * ''O.S.S.'' (film), a 1946 World War II spy film about ...

grabbing and pushing him multiple times with what looked ..like unusual force. In fact, rowley hadnever seen a reporter treated so roughly at a campaign event, especially not a presidential one."

Victory at Ames Straw Poll

Bachmann performed well in mid-2011 polling of the Republican presidential primary. By late July 2011, a PPP poll of national Republican primary voters found her in the lead with 21%; her nearest competitor,

, received 20% in the poll. On August 13, 2011, she won the Iowa

Ames Straw Poll Ames may refer to: Places United States * Ames, Arkansas, a place in Arkansas * Ames, Colorado * Ames, Illinois * Ames, Indiana * Ames, Iowa, the most populous city bearing this name * Ames, Kansas * Ames, Nebraska * Ames, New York * Ames, Ok ...

with 28.6% of the vote, one point more than her nearest competitor, Ron Paul. Bachmann was featured on the cover of ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'' magazine in August 2011, dubbed "the Queen of Rage". The photo of her was perceived as unflattering, as it portrayed her with a wide eyed expression some said made her look "crazy". Sources called the depiction "sexist". ''Newsweek'' defended the cover's depiction of her, saying its other photos of Bachmann showed similar intensity.

Vaccination commentary

Bachmann attacked

Rick Perry James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republica ...

's record as governor of Texas in a televised debate, saying he trampled parental rights by vaccinating all teenage girls statewide with the

human papillomavirus vaccine Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...

. She cited a friend, whose daughter suffered health problems after taking the vaccine, as saying the vaccine caused mental retardation. The

American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an American professional association of pediatricians, headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. It maintains its Department of Federal Affairs office in Washington, D.C. Background The Academy was founded ...

denied it by saying that there is "absolutely no scientific validity" to Bachmann's assertion.

Public reception

Bachmann has been the subject of criticism by the media for factual inaccuracies and gaffes in her speeches. In a speech in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, Bachmann stated that New Hampshire was "the state where the

shot heard round the world "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" is a phrase that refers to the opening shot of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which began the American Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States of America. It was an ...

in Lexington and Concord."

Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord ...

are located in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. In an interview, Bachmann stated that the last

swine flu Swine influenza is an infection caused by any of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) refers to any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As o ...

outbreak had occurred under

President Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...

, and suggested that there was a relation between Democratic presidents and swine flu outbreaks. In fact, the last two swine flu outbreaks occurred under

President Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

and

President Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, both Republicans. In a speech in

, Bachmann referred to

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

as a U.S. Founding Father. Adams was eight when the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

was signed in 1776. And while he contributed much to the early development of the United States, he does not meet the strict definition of a "founding father". Commentators suggested that Bachmann had confused John Quincy Adams with his father,

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

, a Founding Father and the second president of the United States. During her campaign announcement, she likened her spirit to

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

, who she said was from Waterloo, Iowa. Although Wayne's parents had lived in Waterloo and met there, after they were married they moved to

Winterset, Iowa Winterset is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Iowa. The population was 5,353 at the time of the 2020 census. Winterset is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. It is the birthplace of actor John Wayne. History Winterset ...

, where Wayne was born. Commentators suggested that the error originated in that similarly named serial killer

John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as " ...

was from Waterloo. In a June 26, 2011, interview,

Bob Schieffer Bob Lloyd Schieffer (born February 25, 1937) is an American television journalist. He is known for his moderation of presidential debates, where he has been praised for his capability. Schieffer is one of the few journalists to have covered all f ...

summarized Bachmann's critics as saying she was "very fast and loose with the truth", and noted that only one of twenty-three Bachmann claims analyzed by

PolitiFact.com PolitiFact.com is an American nonprofit project operated by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, with offices there and in Washington, D.C. It began in 2007 as a project of the ''Tampa Bay Times'' (then the ''St. Petersburg Times ...

was found to be completely true while seven statements were rated "pants on fire". At the 2011 Iowa GOP debate,

Byron York Byron York (born December 5, 1955) is an American conservative correspondent, pundit, columnist, and author. Education York holds a B.A. from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and an M.A. from the University of Chicago. Career York ...

asked whether "As president would you be submissive to your husband?" referring to a comment made in 2006. Bachmann responded by stating that "What submission means to us—if that's what your question is—it means respect." In an interview with David Gregory on ''

Meet the Press ''Meet the Press'' is a weekly American television news/interview program broadcast on NBC. It is the longest-running program on American television, though the current format bears little resemblance to the debut episode on November 6, 1947. ' ...

'', when asked about submission, Bachmann responded that "submission means respect." Gregory joked "Congresswoman, I didn't even have to check with my wife, and I know those two things aren't equal." to which Bachmann responded "in our household it does." The question has raised concerns of sexism, while Bachmann's deflection of the question has been criticized. At a campaign stop in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

on August 16, 2011, Bachmann wished (the late)

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

a "Happy Birthday", apparently believing that it was the anniversary of his birth. Instead, it was the anniversary of his death; Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, but he died on August 16, 1977.

Campaign suspension

Bachmann announced the suspension of her campaign for president on January 4, 2012. Despite winning the Iowa Ames straw poll, she received only 5% of the vote in the

Iowa caucuses The Iowa caucuses are biennial electoral events for members of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. state of Iowa. Unlike primary elections in most other U.S. states, where registered voters go to polling places to cast ballots, ...

Endorsements

Bachmann received endorsements from: ;United States House of Representatives * Rep.

Trent Franks Trent Franks (born June 19, 1957) is a former American politician and businessman who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 2003 to 2017 (numbered as the Arizona's 2nd congressional district, 2nd dis ...

(R-AZ) ;State legislators: Iowa * Senator

Merlin Bartz Merlin Bartz (born March 16, 1961) is an American politician who served as an Iowa State Senator from the 6th District, elected in 2008 and serving for a single term. A Republican, he sat on the Appropriations, Human Resources, Natural Resource ...

* Senator

Nancy Boettger Nancy Jane Boettger (born May 1, 1943) was the Iowa State Senator from the 9th District. A Republican, she served in the Iowa Senate since 1995. She received a B.A. in Sociology from Iowa State University in 1965 and a B.A. from Buena Vista Colleg ...

* Senator

Mark Chelgren Eric Mark Chelgren (born January 21, 1968) is an American politician who served in the Iowa Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He represented District 41. He has dra ...

* Senator

Jack Whitver Jack Whitver (born September 4, 1980) is an American businessman and politician, who is currently the Iowa State Senator for the 23rd District. Since 2018 he has served as Senate Majority Leader. Whitver played college football for Iowa State Uni ...

* Senator

Brad Zaun Bradley Zaun ( R- Urbandale) is an Iowa State Senator formerly from the 32nd District and currently the 20th District. He was the Republican nominee for Iowa's 3rd congressional district in the 2010 general election. Iowa Senate Zaun has ser ...

* Representative Mark Brandenburg * Representative Betty De Boef : South Carolina *Senator Lee Bright''S.C. Hotline.'' November 15, 201
Conservative State Senator Lee Bright to Serve as Bachmann State Chairman
*Representative Bill Chumley *Representative

Ralph Norman Ralph Warren Norman Jr. (born June 20, 1953) is an American real estate developer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. His district includes most of the South Carolina side of the Charlotte metropolitan area, alo ...

;Commentators and activists * Phyllis Schlafly, conservative activist and author ;Celebrities * Kelsey Grammer, actor * Daniel Bostic, actor * Wayne Newton, singer ;CEOs * Stanley Hubbard, CEO of

Hubbard Broadcasting Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is an American television and radio broadcasting corporation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded by Stanley E. Hubbard. The corporation has broadcast outlets scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, ...

, parent company of Reelz Channel

References

External links

* (for President and Congress) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Michele Bachmann presidential campaign, 2012 Bachmann, Michele Bachmann, Michele

Background

Iowans for Tax Relief

New Hampshire Straw Poll

Campaign staff

Campaign progress

Personal health history

Victory at Ames Straw Poll

Vaccination commentary

Public reception

Campaign suspension

Endorsements

See also

References

External links