With Bachmann out, Graves is no longer running:
“Basically, after all that’s gone on, and with Michele Bachmann now stepping down, I’ve been talking to my friends and family and frankly, the feeling is, ‘Mission Accomplished.’ She wasn’t representing the people of the 6th District appropriately, and now she won’t be representing them. There’s no way anyone could run and win who would be worse than Michele Bachmann. So we accomplished that task.”
I asked Graves if he was claiming credit for ending Bachmann’s political career, but he demurred. “I don’t know everything that went into her decision,” he said. “Clearly, it was going to be a competitive race. All through Memorial Day weekend, she was in the district, working the crowds. Obviously something happened to cause her to believe that she shouldn’t run again. We’re very happy she dropped out. The country can do better.”
***Graves said he entered his brief political fling hoping to emphasize three or four qualities and ideas that he felt were the opposite of Bachmann’s approach. Bachmann demonizes those with whom she disagrees. He believes in civility. Bachmann constantly misstates the facts. He believes in being careful and rigorous about the factual basis for the positions he advocates. Bachmann thrives on gridlock, believing that preventing the Democrats from accomplishing anything is goal enough. He believes in trying to find solutions to problems, even if you have to compromise with those advocating different solutions in order to make progress.
“I don’t think compromise is a dirty word,” Graves said. “It’s a great approach. You can never get a perfect deal.”
In other words, he’s got way to much sense and humility to sully himself with national politics.
TenguPhule
Wait, does this mean Bachmann can do a reversal and come back in now that the threat of opposition has vanished?
Because at this point, no depths of depravity surprise me anymore when it comes to the Godbothering Old People.
SiubhanDuinne
And she announced her “retirement” in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
I sure would love to know what came down on Tuesday.
Violet
Doesn’t Bachmann’s dropping out make the seat more likely to stay Republican?
Yatsuno
@TenguPhule: “Jeebus told me to change my mind.” Or some such rot like that.
Violet
@SiubhanDuinne: A good looking young man on Marcus’ pen1s?
schrodinger's cat
Oh noes you called a woman you don’t like a witch. Is that better or worse than the illegal immigrant faux paw?
NonyNony
Actually this reads to me like he thinks he could beat Michelle Bachmann in that district but is going to lose to Generic Republican. And that he could get the funding to beat Michelle Bachmann in that district but that he’s never going to get enough money from donors and the national Democrats to beat Generic Republican. So it would not only be a miserable time campaigning and making his family miserable, it would ultimately be a waste of his time.
I’m not sure he’s wrong – he lost to Bachmann in a year that Democrats won the presidency. Even if he did come within a few percent, that district must tilt pretty far right for them to send Bachmann back to the House in the year where she proved what an utter clown she was.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@SiubhanDuinne: The reading on Daily Kos was that she was being sued for her stuff during her campaign run and the beginning of the trial is April, 2014, during what would have been her campaign.
As for Graves, someone has to get dirty in politics. I’ll pay extra for an honest person to get in the pig pen.
Beatrice
@Violet: Yes, most people think so. Graves was a good candidate there because he’s a moderate if not downright conservative Democrat, but even so, he probably could not beat a non-batshit-crazy Republican in that gerrymandered district.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@schrodinger’s cat: Just wait until football season, when John writes “illegal forward pass.” (Yep, dictionary.com reference.)
quannlace
I thought it was Christine O’Donnell who was the witch, uh former witch.
Violet
I have such fond memories of Michele Bachmann’s Tea Party response to the State of the Union. Her talking into the wrong camera was all kinds of fun.
Mr Stagger Lee
I’m pretty sure the next 6th district Republican will be someone who knows the shuttle has landed. What is going to be fun is who in congress will be in contention as the most batshit insane, my money is Louie Grohmert, with Steve King in striking distant, maybe Virginia Foxx the dark horse.
NonyNony
@TenguPhule:
If that were the case he could turn around and get back in too. So I don’t see how it would help her.
Also – I don’t get the feeling that she dropped out because she was afraid of the competition. Something else is going on. (And I’m not completely certain it’s just the lawsuit that @Belafon (formerly anonevent) is talking about either – though she’s a weak enough candidate at this point that something like that might be just enough to push over the edge, her opponent can’t expect the levels of Democratic turnout in a non-presidential election year either. So I think something else must be up – maybe she’s hoping to get a radio show or something).
schrodinger's cat
@Mr Stagger Lee: Don’t worry, the stupid is strong with that caucus.
ETA: Even without Bachmann.
Trollhattan
Right, he’s a reason but not the only reason. She’s got some…interesting legal challenges ahead wrt her campaign finances and really, it’s time to hit the gravy train before age dulls those crazy eyes.
piratedan
@Mr Stagger Lee: you keep an eye on ol’ Ginny, she’s not only delusional she’s a biotch too! I can remember her fondly speaking out against the Matthew Sheppard law because after all, he was asking for it because he was gay after all. She’s also part of that Muslim spies in the capitol crew with the Congressional Page program teaching outreach with American Muslims and the political process.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@NonyNony: I think it’s more about a Republican primary rival than it is about the Democrat. Almost as insane, yet scandal free may be enough for another Republican to replace her. But as the DK story was noting, it’s more about the timing than the content.
catclub
@piratedan: I agree. I no longer live in NC, but still noticed her. Wow.
Suzanne
@NonyNony: Concur. Something is up, and I’m betting it’s in her personal life. Maybe Marcus was caught tapping his foot in an airport restroom, or one of her daughters got pregnant. Something embarrassing.
the Conster
But but but David Gregory told me that her win at the Ames dumbass teatard beauty pageant meant that she was most in synch with the country now! Don’t tell me he was wrong – that would be unpossible!
NonyNony
@Mr Stagger Lee:
I was kind of thinking that Gohmert had already surpassed Bachmann for sheer craziness level, and that Bachmann only held the title because she ran in the GOP primary and got more national attention than Gohmert. She is also, let’s be honest, a lot more … photogenic? (so not the right word, but I’ll go with it) than Gohmert. Gohmert on TV comes across as crazy-angry conservative bald white guy – which lets face it is not really a commodity in short supply. Bachmann is crazy-angry conservative woman who looks and acts like she’d shiv you in the chest for looking at her funny – if not unique it isn’t like the House isn’t full of people who exactly fit her type. So she’s going to get more attention that Gohmert just based on that no matter how nutty he gets.
But in terms of sheer nuttiness, I really think Gohmert already owns that title in the House. It will be hard for others to rise to the challenge, but I’m sure they will. I’m sure they will.
SFAW
WTF is wrong with all you hemophobes and your Markos comments? Michele said God called her, leave it at that! Because she needs all the support to ….
ah, fuck it, I can’t even type that shit with a straight face.
Violet
@NonyNony: I agree. I think Gohmert already has the title. He of the asparagus with aspersions cast upon it.
David Hunt
@Violet: She wasn’t talking to the wrong camera. She was talking to the webcam that the hardcore Tea Partiers were going to watch instead of the TV camera that was maybe going to be watched by people that didn’t like/respect her anyway. Of course the TV people said she was looking at the wrong camera because it wasn’t their camera.
There’s lots of reasons to call her an out-of-touch wacko, but that isn’t one of them.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@NonyNony: No question Bachmann’s looks play(ed) a part in her success as a public figure/fundraiser in a way that Goehmert and Foxx will probably never replicate. I think King brings the hate in a way that appeals to the Bachmann/Palin crowd, but he doesn’t have the ‘glamour’ that those two have, and he’ll be overshadowed by Cruz and Paul. Anne Laurie posted a quote from a professor who had found that conservative women like Palin and Bachmann because they’re very political but still “ladylike”, I suspect that word means, to the people who used it, they are attractive and groomed the way those women would like to be, and the way a lot of ‘winger men would like their wives to look, Bachmann a bit more upscale and suburban than Palin, IMO.
I think a lot of Romney’s support came from similar aspirational notions, a lot of small business owners who will never make $250K see themselves as MOU job-creators, just like Mitt!
SatanicPanic
@SFAW: I admit to being a hemophobe. One time I looked while my nurse was drawing blood and I almost passed out.
red dog
Betcha she was offered a deal by FOX and the GOP told her how much good she could do with an all agreeing cast and audience. Her hubby would enjoy the clubs in NYC too.
Seanly
Silly Graves! He thinks that the role of government is supposed to be by the people for the people! Hahahahahaha
/unfortunate snark
gbear
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
My bet is that her district picks someone like John Grundseth as the GOP candidate.
Elizabelle
Time to drop in The Many Eyes of Michele Bachmann slideshow.
Hers look good on Hannibal Lechter.
I wonder why.
NonyNony
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
That I’d believe. I don’t think she’s the Tea Party Darling that she used to be – her presidential run improved her national name recognition but also made her (more of) a laughingstock (I’m still trying to decide if her or Rick Perry came out the worst by the end of the Reality Show that was the GOP 2012 Presidential Primary Race). So having another teabagger run against her from the right while worrying about Graves attacking her from the center while she was in the midst of a big campaign finance scandal may have been enough to get someone to convince her that all of this was a bad idea.
(But to be honest – all of that sounds a bit too rational for Bachmann. So I’m still wondering if she’s got an offer for a TV or radio show somewhere in exchange for dropping out and has decided to take it. It feels like there has to be either money or more embarrassment than just losing a primary election to force her hand at this point. Or maybe she just got a diagnosis of a major illness – that would also explain the suddenness of the timing)
Violet
@David Hunt: I didn’t call her an out-of-touch wacko. I still think that was hilarious. The TV people didn’t have to say “she was talking to the wrong camera” because anyone who tuned in out of curiosity could see that. It was a failure on her part, because she or her underlings should have made sure that she wouldn’t be in that position–if there was going to be more than one camera, then they needed to fix that situation so she didn’t look like that. They didn’t. She didn’t. She ended up looking goofy, like an inexperienced politician who didn’t know how cameras worked.
Trollhattan
@SatanicPanic:
The würst!
VOR
Bachmann barely won in 2012, it was close. And the district tilted hard in favor of Romney, something like 15 points. Bachmann’s high profile also aids his fundraising. So yes, Graves has a better chance against Bachmann than generic Republican.
SFAW
@SatanicPanic:
What, no riff on Markos? Or is he as hated (as opposed to “asshatted,” I guess) here as the firebaggers are?
rikyrah
this is a punk ass bitch move.
SatanicPanic
@SFAW: he’s a bit harder to mock than his commentors
Bob In Portland
Too, John.
Xecky Gilchrist
There’s no way anyone could run and win who would be worse than Michele Bachmann.
In this day and age in this country, this is an idiotic thing to say. Don’t tempt fate.
joe gamba
@TenguPhule:
I’m going on a hunch – with absolutely no basis in reality! – that she was informed by one of the entities investigating her, that it “would be in her best interests” were she not to run again.
……just saying………?
lojasmo
This was a bitch move.
My guess: He polled much worse against generic republican than against Bachmann.
and FOR SURE his fundraising will dry up without her in the race.