Bachmann says GOP race a political version of stock market

By: Corbett B. Daly
Topics: Campaign 2012

UPDATED 10:18 a.m. ET

Michele Bachmann expressed confidence she would do well next month's Iowa caucuses and she is not concerned about her current position at the bottom of the pack because former candidate Herman Cain was thought to be the nominee just weeks ago.

"This is a political Wall Street where candidates are going up and going down. I think we're perfectly situated to be exactly where we need to be on January 3rd," Bachmann said, touting her conservative credentials and referring to the date of the Iowa caucuses.

She said the conservative Tea Party wing of the Republican party would help her carry Iowa, where caucus voters are typically more conservative than Republicans overall.

She said "everybody" would have predicted Herman Cain would be the nominee just a few short weeks ago. The Georgia businessman dropped out of the race on Saturday.

While Cain had a meteoric rise in the polls in October, few political observers considered Cain to have a realistic chance of winning the Republican nomination for president.

"People are looking for who is the consistent conservative in the race," Bachmann said on CBS' "The Early Show."

"If you take a look at the top contenders, (former Massachusetts Gov.) Mitt Romney and (former House Speaker) Newt Gingrich, it's very hard for a tea partier to see them as the consistent conservative," Bachmann said, noting their former support for health plans similar to President Obama's signature legislative achievement and other policy disagreements.

"On issue after issue that is not reflective of the tea party agenda, they've been on the wrong side of the issue. I've been on the ride side of the issue and I've been the fighter," Bachmann said.

In the latest CBS News/New York Times poll released Tuesday, Gingrich was seen as the most electable against Mr. Obama, with 31 percent saying he had the best chance of winning the general election. Romney followed closely at 29 percent. Bachmann garnered just 3 percent.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll, also released Tuesday, showed Gingrich atop the field among likely caucus goers, with 33 percent. Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul were tied for second at 18 percent. Bachmann received just 8 percent.

Full CBS News coverage: Michele Bachmann

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Michele Bachmann on the campaign trail

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Corbett B. Daly
Corbett B. Daly is CBSNews.com's deputy politics editor.
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by Progress4USA December 6, 2011 5:40 PM EST: She's neck-n-neck with "undecided"...; Reply to this comment


by canislupus16 December 6, 2011 11:49 AM EST: "Michele Bachmann ... is not concerned about her current position at the bottom of the pack because former candidate Herman Cain was thought to be the nominee just weeks ago."

"She said "everybody" would have predicted Herman Cain would be the nominee just a few short weeks ago."

Michelle, I NEVER thought Hermie Cain was going to be the nominee, of anything.

"She said the conservative Tea Party wing of the Republican party would help her carry Iowa, where caucus voters are typically more conservative than Republicans overall."

And Michelle.... what the Tea Party wing does or doesn't do doesn't matter, and never did. Whatever it "does" in Iowa will be irrelevant in the final selection of a GOP candidate, and certainly irrelevant in the general election. Go home and spare us.; Reply to this comment


by formerusmcsgt1 December 6, 2011 11:14 AM EST: by mountainstates1 December 6, 2011 10:49 AM EST
How can you trust a political party with such crazy people in it?
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repubs are far from crazy. In fact, they can be quite clever.

I mean, it is no easy task convincing a good percentage of the working class that it's actually good for it to vote itself into poverty for the further enrichment of the elite.; Reply to this comment

by mountainstates1 December 6, 2011 10:49 AM EST

How can you trust a political party with such crazy people in it? Can you even imagine what Fox News would be reporting if this were reversed and it was the Democratic party with such crazy, sexually promiscuous, overtly unintelligent people running for president?? Fox News would foam at the mouth with negative programming. But since it's the Republicans who are crazy this time...well....

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by formerusmcsgt1 December 6, 2011 10:54 AM EST: Evidensed by the fact that repubs screamed Clinton was unfit to serve after cheating on Hillary yet they embrace a contender who cheated on TWO wives.....


by Bisk1 December 6, 2011 12:15 PM EST: A candidate that's probably already cheating on the 3rd wife - wait till she gets sick, then she'll know too


by mountainstates1 December 6, 2011 10:46 AM EST: How can you trust a political party with such crazy people in it? Can you even imagine what Fox News would be reporting if this were reversed and it was the Democratic party with such crazy, sexually promiscuous, overtly unintelligent people running for president?? Fox News would foam at the mouth with negative programming. But since it's the Republicans who are crazy this time...well....; Reply to this comment

by troutfishman2 December 6, 2011 10:30 AM EST

I like Crazy Lady, cause she makes me laugh.

Would love to see her be the nominee ... the debates with Obama would be priceless.

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by formerusmcsgt1 December 6, 2011 10:43 AM EST: We all know Michelle doen't have an ice cube's chance in hell.

What WILL be interesting to watch is whether or not she can keep her seat after her multiple public displays of pure ignorance.


by formerusmcsgt1 December 6, 2011 10:11 AM EST: You can't say Michelle is averse to public humiliation.; Reply to this comment

by formerusmcsgt1 December 6, 2011 10:04 AM EST

by LawyersGuns-n-Money001 December 6, 2011 9:45 AM EST
Mornin'.

Smart money would be to bet against this stock.

That junk is toxic.
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Afternoon, LGM.

Funny, when I read her analogy, "junk bonds" came to mind.....

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by LawyersGuns-n-Money001 December 6, 2011 10:16 AM EST: More worthless than a CDO.


by LawyersGuns-n-Money001 December 6, 2011 10:04 AM EST: "Teen Challenges Bachmann to debate"

Amy Myers is a 16-year-old sophomore...

Her frustration with Bachmann boiled over when the Representative claimed the battles of Lexington and Concord took place in New Hampshire, rather than in Massachusetts.

Myers says she has nothing personal against Bachmann -- she just thinks her ceaseless stream of gaffes and inaccurate statements are an embarrassment to all women with political ambitions.

"It took until the 19th amendment for women to be able to vote, and now it seems like the most famous women in politics are kind of jokes," Myers says.
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Well, it seems an overwhelming majority of them are aligned with the "R" party.

Michele Bahcmann/John Wayne Gacy, 2012!!!; Reply to this comment

by fxp111 December 6, 2011 9:54 AM EST

The sorry fact is Michele Bachmann is a litmus test. Her ascendance by demanding ultra Right loyalty will doom the Republicans come next November. She doesn't seem to care, but the GOP leadership should care. This seems to be the year the kooks have come out and the pragmatic strategists are in hiding. What happened to the GOP?

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