Michele Bachmann would only serve one term as president

By Nick Pinto Mon., Apr. 11 2011 at 1:47 PM

Bachmann would only serve four years. Probably. Maybe. We'll see.

Critics of Michele Bachmann sometimes suggest that her personal ambition and capacity for delusions of grandeur are without limit.

Not so!

Bachmann, in Iowa to further her fledgling presidential campaign, demonstrated her humility and selflessness, telling reporters on Friday she's "committed to being a one-term president."

If Bachmann were to somehow be elected president, we're fairly certain that American voters would help her keep her commitment in 2016.

But it's worth reading the rest of her quote -- for all her humble response to America's call to service, she's still not one to box herself in.

She's "committed to being a one-term president if that's what it takes in order to turn things around, because this is not about a personal ambition."

So if what it takes in order to turn things around is for her to serve two terms, or even to reign in perpetuity as a benign and enlightened monarch, that's still on the table too, because this is not about personal ambition.

There are some other great moments in the Des Moines Register piece today -- they quote an Iowa State politics professor who notes that Bachmann's critics "want to even start using insults about her being a suburban ditz head."

The professor, Steffen Schmidt, doesn't do that. He calls Bachmann "the Joan of Arc of the Republican party."

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Tags:

2012, Iowa, Joan of Arc, Michele Bachmann

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Kirk the Conservative Jerk

Ya sure! I love the thought of people coming to Washington (or our State Capital) with aspirations of making serious reform knowing that their future actions may be construed as extreme and might cost them future elections. Unfortunately many times the person becomes addicted to the power and this promise of "one term" go by the wayside.

Take Paul Wellstone for example. He Made it very clear in a 1996 campaign pledge for a second term, he would only serve two terms, but yet ran for a third term in 2002. Was he a liar, or did the little guy like feeling powerful?Once a person has become addicted to power, it takes patriots with pitchforks or an act of God to remove the addict from power. Sometimes when being ousted from power the person finds themselves in a new mix.In Paul Welfare's case, his mix was him being mixed up in the tall pines...

Sadly, most politicians are always sizing and polling for how they address each topic. Michele puts her foot in her mouth, more often than most others in the spotlight. I see this as a sign of sincerity and being unscripted. A puppet master would not allow such gaffes. You will never end up with your foot in mouth if you speak from the teleprompter or talking point. Think of it this way; if you were the financial muscle, would you allow off script speeches potentially flushing away your money? I say remember that, and you will see who has strings attached to them.

Zorromcgee

Only the jerk would equate stupidity/dihonesty/hypocracy(take your pick) with sincerity. So the more she lies, shows her ignorance or makes stuff up the more sincere she is? WOW, thats bizarre even for the Jerk!

green23

Kirk wrote:"I see this as a sign of sincerity and being unscripted."

It's entirely possible to be both sincere and wrong. Or sincere and crazy.

Her JOB, however, is to make policy and cast votes on issues. "Wrong" and "crazy" do not lend themselves to good policy or good representation.

BTW, Bachmann is into her THIRD term. Is she "addicted to power"?

Still, I'll have to remember that sincerity is so important to you. When you criticise Obama, I can always just say that he's sincere, and you'll naturally admit that you were wrong to criticise him.

Strugling Middleclass

Obama was sincere when he said he would bring the troops home. Now there have been more deaths in Afghanastan than under bush! Obama was sincere in closing Gitmo. He campaigned for two years on this closing, he won and first act of Obama administration was to close Gitmo. Now Obama is seeking re-election and Gitmo is still there. Of course Obama said that gasoline prices had to go up and Obama has delivered $5 a gallon on gasoline as promised. Next time you fill your tank thank Obama.

Zorromcgee

So did you thank bush when gas prices were even higher a couple years ago? And Obama,not being a king but a president, has made a start at closing gitmo-would you have preferred that he just free all gitmo detainees? He has also set withdrawal dates for Iraq and Afganistan,something bush refused to do. So because he did not get everything done in a day you are upset?

Donavon Cawley

In your characterization of Wellstone, you create a false dichatomy - he is either 1) a liar, or 2) power hungry. However, when someone says something, and later changes their mind, it is not necessarily for nefarious reasons. Sometimes - and this is crucial - they just change their mind.

Have you never changed your mind, my friend? Have the circumstances surrounding a situation changed so drastically that you just pulled a 180, and decided to do something you never imagined that you'd ever do? Does that make you deceitful? Or cynical? I think not.