10/30

When discussing where Bachmann stands on social issues, it should be no surprise to American's that she stays conservative on most any issue. ever. Whether it be "moral" or "social", Bachmann's conservative politics are deeply rooted in her devout religious life, which is historically rooted in conservative Republican ideals.


When talking about education, Bachmann tends to stay more focused on quantity and not quality. While she voted for the reauthorization of the DC opportunity scholarship program, she voted no in 2007 for an additional $10.2 billion dollars to go towards federal education & HHS projects (Link 1). She also stands against propositions that support making schools 'greener', showing her priorities with environment. In 2008, Bachmann voted no on grants in environmental education that would promote outdoor activities. Clearly Bachmann believes that education is not a priority in terms of helping the economy.


Rather, Bachmann tends to focus on things that will help improve corporate companies income in markets such as oil and gas. In June, 2009, Bachmann voted no on implementing any type of limit on the amount of CO2 global warming pollution. This type of legislation, deemed cap and trade, has always been favored by conservative Republicans and Bachmann is no different. Instead of improving technologies now, Bachmann favors improving technologies in the future. 

One of Bachmann's beliefs, however, is more omnipresent in society, giving her a demographic she can reach out to as a voting bloc. In favor of traditional family life, Bachmann does have a strong sense of family and community and it shows not only in her words but her actions as well. As a moth of 5 and a foster parent to 23, Bachmann shows she is for the idea of the 'family unit'. It is not wonder she is against gay marriage then as she stands behind defining what marriage, in her idea, should be in an amendment to the constitution. 


Either way, Bachmann continues to be a conservative force to be reckoned with as she continues running.

 

10/23

It's not surprising that Michele Bachmann stands conservative on most any issues. Whether it be political or social, Bachmann is most likely not just to the right but all the way right. Below I've listed Bachmann's stances on popular issues and some quotes supporting her position.


Abortion: The big "A" word that is always causing controversy. It is not surprise that Bachmann is AGAINST ABORTION. Not only has Bachmann said, "I am 100 percent pro-life" but she has gone on to support propositions against research of embryonic cells and similiar ideas. There is no way Bachmann is for abortion, which brings in a huge voting bloc of conservative evangelical Christians who are fundamentally against abortion.


Civil Rights: Not too many Bachmann's world unless you are white, Christian, and in the upper class. According to Bachmann, "I'm running for the presidency of the United States. And I don't see that it's the role of a president to go into states and interfere with their state laws. I do support a constitutional amendment on marriage between a man and a woman, but I would not be going into the states to overturn their state law". Clearly she is against gay marriage but her respect for state legislature is reflected since she is currently a senator. She has even gone far with her beliefs to propose a "Marriage Amendment", she said "I was the chief author of a constitutional amendment in the Minnesota Senate defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I will continue to support traditional marriage as a union between a man and woman". If Bachmann becomes president, gay marriage will not reach a federal level for many years.


As a libertarian-leading conservative, Bachmann will remain conservative on most social issues, which leaves many liberals extremely concerned if Bachmann has a chance at the presidency. It will be interesting to see how her beliefs come to light during the debates in the future. 

10/9

Michele Bachmann is a controversial character and her conservative evangelical views do not appeal to everybody but Bachmann recently made an attempt to reach out to both Hispanic and African American voters. At the "Republican Leadership Convention", held this week in New Orleans, Bachmann made a speech pointing out that her primary focus as president would be "job creation". She continued on and said, "As president of the United States, my goal will be job creation in the Hispanic community, job creation in the African-American community, job creation for all Americans, and turning this economy around, and we will" (CNS News). Bachmann, who has appealed to evangelicals across racial lines, made an effort to reach out to Hispanics and African Americans because with Rick Perry entering the race, Bachmann needs the minority vote to secure her spot. Bachmann does this by highlighting Obama's faults, saying "This president has failed the Hispanic community, He has failed the African-American community"(CNS News).   This is where Bachmann may have crossed the line because she has not always had Hispanics and African Americans in her vision.

Bachmann is apart of a "social conservative pledge called 'The Marriage Vow -- A Declaration of Dependence upon Marriage and Family' that is anti-abortion, anti-same sex marriage, anti-divorce ect ect that GOP candidates are being urged to sign"(JJ Politics). This act seems to apply universally across racial barriers but upon further analysis, the act contains racially charged language: "

Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA’s first African-American President. (Huffington Post). 

 Using slavery as a way to gain political leverage is a controversial road to go down and clearly by signing the pledge, Bachmann is solidifying her beliefs in the public realm. Yet, this may not go over well with her minority voters which could be a reason she is attempting to reach out to them now. Is it too late? Time will only tell. 

10/3

Understanding Michelle Bachmann means understanding her audience. This is where it gets tricky because Bachmann's controversial stance on her relationship between religion and politics has polarized voters. People either love her or hate it, which limits her ability to navigate this race if she loses her main supporters. With the entrance of Rick Perry into the race, Bachmann has been put in an interesting position that could make or break her campaign.

There is no doubt about it that Bachmann's overt religious language has caused controversy in the media and that if somebody doesn't agree with her one of her views, its hard to agree with the rest. Bachmann has taken a firm stance on popular topics in culture today such as gay marriage, immigration, and abortion. Her conservative stance has both strengthened and weakened her campaign. Her next few strategic moves are important in strengthening her role in the race if she has any luck to catch up to Perry and Romney in the polls.

With Rick Perry's bid for the Republican ticket made official, Bachmann's position in the polls has dropped dramatically. Attracting the same core group of conservative Evangelical voters, Bachmann and Perry are competing heavily with one another to score enough votes from this particular group of voters. The LA Times noted how "Bachmann has plummeted in recent polls, but several Republican insiders argue that she still shows strength in Iowa because of the work her campaign did before she won the straw poll. A chart in Bachmann's brick Urbandale office shows that volunteers had made 45,000 phone calls by August and are keeping touch with those supporters"(LA Times). 

Bachmann clearly has enough support for a sustainable position in this race, especially after winning the straw polls in Iowa: "Michele Bachmann captured the famed Iowa Straw Poll in Ames Saturday, reaching a high-profile benchmark in her meteoric rise to a top-tier presidential candidate.
Bachmann made history, as well, becoming the first woman to win the event. She received 4,823 votes out of the almost 17,000 votes cast. The turnout was a significant leap over four years ago but didn't approach the record of more than 23,000 votes cast back in 1999"(LA Times).
The same article notes that while this is victory for Bachmann personally, it may not be a political victory: "Winning the straw poll doesn’t guarantee victory in the caucuses, however; Mitt Romney won in 2007 and then lost to Mike Huckabee when it counted five months later. And Perry’s candidacy unsettles the race further, making the outcome next year here hazier than ever"LA Times

Either way, Bachmann's role in the media will make or break her and she has almost become the next Sarah Palin. Both women are the Queen of Sound Bytes. The video below supports this claim because, like Palin, Bachmann's comments in the media are what the general public will hear. Turning on the local news and hearing Bachmann's comments play on a news story are what most American's will base their decisions on. Her reputation is forming and it will be interesting to see if it translates into votes.