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Look Who’s Sexist Now: Michele Bachmann Under Fire For Staffer’s Anti-Palin Remarks

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by Frances Martel | 5:51 pm, June 8th, 2011

» 27 comments

It’s an uphill battle for most 2012 Republican contenders, but no one has as big as monkey on their back as Rep. Michele Bachmann. The firebrand Congresswoman, de jure leader of the Tea Party, and conservative icon has the strongest resume and rhetorical skills of any woman in the running, and yet still can’t shake the spectre of Sarah Palin. And now her strategist Ed Rollins is under fire for employing the gravest of slurs against the polemical reality TV star: “not serious.”

Rep. Bachmann recently hired Rollins, who ran Mike Huckabee‘s 2008 campaign, to work her ground strategy. His first splash was to attack Sarah Palin on Fox and Friends’ Friend Brian Kilmeade‘s radio show, arguing that Palin “has not been serious” and “didn’t go to work,” which “Michele Bachmann and others who work hard” can’t possibly relate to. These comments come after Rollins made the same comparison to Politico and said that Rep. Bachmann was “so much more substantive,” and that “people are going to say, ‘I gotta make a choice and go with the intelligent woman who’s every bit as attractive.’”

Needless to say, the conservative blogosphere did not go over particularly well. Twitter went abuzz with calls for Rep. Bachmann to drop Rollins, citing “campaign consultant malpractice,” calling him a “clown.” Greta van Susteren, who emphasized that the comments were “not the worst,” still saw the strategy as unfortunate. Some international press is salivating at the potential of a “cat fight,” because politicians of the same sex taking jabs at each other is so uncommon. Men, obviously, never attack other men in the press.

But reaction to any sort of tension between Palin and Bachmann has highlighted in the former’s followers a blind faith that sparks the suspicion of many who would otherwise view Palin more favorable as much as it reveals the sexist underbelly of the political system. Yes, many view the potential conflict as particularly notable as a sort of “instinctual” reaction to the two running. Few would put the same amount of attention into Tim Pawlenty bashing Mitt Romney, or even more exciting folk like Herman Cain and Ron Paul taking stabs at each other. Given Rep. Bachmann’s record and Palin’s addiction to publicity stunts– not to mention the fact that both may be running for the same position against each other– a little tough talk is to be expected, not due to their anatomy but due to their backgrounds and careers. The only reason their female condition unites them is because the political sphere is still a place where genitalia supersedes ideology as an identity marker– a lamentable hurdle similar to that of ethnicity, which has been eroding at a far more rapid pace.

But we knew that before Rep. Bachmann’s people were at Sarah Palin’s throat. Far more timely is the latter revelation: how far Palin’s supporters will go in defending her. Like any populist, her followers don’t ascribe to any true ideology so much as to her cult of personality. That they would go after a true “maverick” like Rollins is proof of this.

For a conservative staple, Rollins is an iconoclast, the kind of thinker Palin’s publicity team likes to bill her as. Rep. Bachmann could not have been ignorant of Rollins’ opinion of Palin– he has been a vocal detractor of hers for some time, famously telling her “you’re not Ronald Reagan” on CNN. But he has also gone after (one could argue) even bigger sacred cows in the Party like Chris Christie, calling his Disney Land trip during last year’s blizzard “inexcusable.” What’s more, calling Palin “not serious” following her myriad forays into pop culture and her status as a private citizen after only two years as the governor of a barely-populated state is not a particularly controversial thing to say here in the real world– only those in the Palin fanatic bubble would be shocked that someone who has worked with credentialed, well-read, and experienced public servants would have misgivings about her.

So yes, the Bachmann/Palin showdown does bring out some of the worst in their opponents, but they are not exclusively at fault. Their supporters, especially the more rabid elements of the Palinist cult, only encourage such social perceptions with their blind decrees that conservative women cannot disagree on policy issues ever, or that an accomplished stateswoman with a proven dedication to her craft does not have the right to hire political professionals who have a hard time respecting a walking media circus with two years of work to her name. Rep. Bachmann caving to that pressure should she reprimand Rollins would only serve to perpetuate the vicious cycle.

2012 elections, CNN, Congress, Ed Rollins, Michele Bachmann, Republicans, Sarah Palin

Jackyboy

Frances it’s not that I don’t agree with you that there is nothing wrong with Rollins’s comment, but it would seem like to some people Rollins is just attacking Palin because she’s an easy target and to attack someone who hasn’t even announced she is running seems a little sketchy so early in the game.

It can also be seen as a little bit of jealousy since Palin is a frontrunner in the primary at the moment by being herself and Bachmann will have quite an uphill battle to fight in the primary against people with much higher name recognition. But that’s just my opinion.
Skippy

You cannot hire good help anymore.

Aside from gossip about the intelligence, the help goes low road and talks about the good, or not so good, looks.
puck30

It’s always been a head scratcher why Bachman hired Rollins in the first place. Why is he going after Palin? Did I miss the anouncement?

Rollins, Weiner’s PR staff, who’s running DC these days?
TfT

What a snark piece by Farnces – no surprises there, she is a Palin hater.

Rollins has a reputation in conservative circles, and it isn’t a pretty one. the libs love him because he attacks other conservatives.

Bad move on Bachman’s part to hire this guy.
TangledThorns

I expect Rollins to look for new work soon. That aside I am disappointed that Michele hired him and is trying to lay claim as the leader of the Tea Party.
Nacho

It’s going to be fun to watch the Palin Mafia go after Bachmann.

Palin’s supporters are as thin skinned nutjobs as her.
TerryDo

Why is Rollins attaching Sarah Palin if Mitt Romney is the front runner. Could it be that anything attached to Sarah Palin gets more attention than anyone else.

Why can’t he speak to Michele Bachmann’s policies, experience and leadership qualities?
WCinWI

Bachmann just cost herself her seat and her credibility.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

“salivating at the potential of a “cat fight” – and that is exactly why they should NOT going after each other, but campaign AGAINST Obama. (if Palin even decides to run, which i don’t know if she will)

Any GOP candidate that runs against another GOPer at this point is ridiculous. They have MORE than enough material to run against Obama and on what THEY would do. Don’t rip each other apart.

And don’t give the feral media the cat fight they so desperately crave.

“with their blind decrees that conservative women cannot disagree on policy issues ever” – *eyeroll*

everyone was trashing her for picking him. he was even kind of dissing her back in January and April.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

and didn’t palin help campaign for bachmann, help to get her elected?
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

BACHMANN VS. PALIN: DOES THE ‘CATFIGHT NARRATIVE’ HELP ANYONE?

http://powerwall.msnbc.msn.com/politics/bachmann-vs-palin-does-the-catfight-narrative-help-anyone-1691261.story
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

“The Congresswoman has nothing but admiration and respect for Governor Palin. The two enjoy a good friendship, and Rep. Bachmann looks forward to working with the Governor for the common goal of making sure President Obama is a one-term President.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56523.html#ixzz1OjdtzD46
mtjade4

Did Palin announce her run for President?
Sam M.

What Rollins did was take the half-term nit wit over his knee and give her a good spanking. Whether the nit wit liked or not is a separate question.
Nature Freak

Henry Rollins is such a hothead. Look at his Black Flag days. Bachmann, what were you thinking appointing a spoken word artist as an advisor?
Nacho

WCinWI said:
Bachmann just cost herself her seat and her credibility.

That’s the spirit!
Nacho

sarainitaly said:
and didn’t palin help campaign for bachmann, help to get her elected?

Bachmann didn’t need Palin’s help, she was the incumbent, she won by 13%.

Palin latched onto Bachmann because Bachmann is the head of the Tea Party Caucus.

Like FoxNews is letting go of Beck, Bachmann is letting go of Palin. She’s a bigger detriment than an asset.
Just4thefax

Fact: Lefties writing about two conservative women and the perceived happenings around them are just as dishonest as Obama cutting out entitlements to control spending. Hahahahahahaha………
reader3

Just4thefax said:
Fact: Lefties writing about two conservative women and the perceived happenings around them are just as dishonest as Obama cutting out entitlements to control spending. Hahahahahahaha………

So you’re saying that “Lefties” writing about conservatives is dishonest? Does that apply to the “Righties” ripping into Weiner? How about the “Righties” beating the birther issue to death? Kind of a double standard isn’t it?
reader3

WCinWI said:
Bachmann just cost herself her seat and her credibility.

I would disagree. First of all, pointing out Palin’s lack of substance probably INCREASES her credibility. And the fact that a surrogate made these statements – and a known “loose cannon” surrogate at that – gives her a degree of separation from their impact. I think this is exactly how Bachmann should have handled it. Rollins attacks Palin’s substance while acknowledging that they’re both attractive. He even explained why he felt that way, i.e. Sarah didn’t take the time to school herself. She’s still complaining about “gotcha” questions! And even if she doesn’t eventually declare, she’s driving around in a big ass bus with the flag and the constitution pasted on the side. And her name in big bold script. Even when the rest of her hillbilly family emerges in shorts and flip flops, Palin appears in her pant suit, all packaged up for the cameras. By the way, who’s paying for this trip? Her PAC? Isn’t that dishonest,if not illegal if she DOESN’T run? Bachmann should be attacking her hubris and her arrogance.
reader3

sarainitaly said:
“salivating at the potential of a “cat fight” – and that is exactly why they should NOT going after each other, but campaign AGAINST Obama. (if Palin even decides to run, which i don’t know if she will)

You see Sarah, here in the USA, we have these things called primary elections. Bachmann will have to beat out all the other Republican candidates before she can even “get to the plate” against Obama. Or “get on the pitch”, if you prefer. Yes, that was a gratuitous slap at soccer, the dumbest sport in history.
Glackin

reader3 said:
You see Sarah, here in the USA, we have these things called primary elections. Bachmann will have to beat out all the other Republican candidates before she can even “get to the plate” against Obama. Or “get on the pitch”, if you prefer. Yes, that was a gratuitous slap at soccer, the dumbest sport in history.

You forgot cricket.
dougx

Obama and Palin use the same defense, except for Obama everything is racism and for Sarah, everything is sexist. I’ll be glad when both of those celebrities have moved on so the serious people can take the helm.
dougx

puck30 said:
It’s always been a head scratcher why Bachman hired Rollins in the first place. Why is he going after Palin? Did I miss the anouncement?

Rollins, Weiner’s PR staff, who’s running DC these days?

I guess she’s going after Sarah because she is in Michelle’s way. They are natural adversaries since this is the primary season.
Just4thefax

reader3 said:
So you’re saying that “Lefties” writing about conservatives is dishonest? Does that apply to the “Righties” ripping into Weiner? How about the “Righties” beating the birther issue to death? Kind of a double standard isn’t it?

Fact: There is no birter issue just a guy not vetted to be in the position he holds. Latest live birth cert has issues.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-Kennedy/1439463341 Bruce Kennedy

OMG, trouble brewing in “Conservativeville”. Two “American History” challenged women going ai it. “Mama Grizzly” and “Tea Party ‘Chelle’ ” locked in mortal combat. My money’s on “Mama Grizzly”. In the end which one will get to rewrite “Wikipedia”?
Michael_T

I think I figured out why Mediaite articles by Frances Martel are sometimes difficult to digest. I don’t think it is butchered syntax, but rather run-on sentences like this 68 word gem.

To wit:
“Their supporters, especially the more rabid elements of the Palinist cult, only encourage such social perceptions with their blind decrees that conservative women cannot disagree on policy issues ever, or that an accomplished stateswoman with a proven dedication to her craft does not have the right to hire political professionals who have a hard time respecting a walking media circus with two years of work to her name.”