Tuesday’s CNN Newsroom acknowledged Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann as a “rising star” in the GOP, but moved quickly to write her off as a far-right extremist. “As far as the general election goes, [CNN analyst John] Avlon says Bachmann doesn’t stand a chance. She needs independents to win and despite her charm last night, Bachmann’s views are too conservative to many Americans.” said CNN’s Carol Costello.
Among these views that make Bachmann an unelectable radical is her belief in the Constitution. “She has said God encouraged her to run for higher office, and that government should be limited only to what is in the Constitution.” said Costello.. Who but the media, after all, would construe the Constitution as being optional. To reporters, it appears, the rule of law is now a quaint and outmoded notion entertained only by those who believe in accountable government.
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If the media’s view of Republicans and conservatives were not already painfully obvious, Costello again decided to remind us. “The other thing interesting out of the debate, she is a female candidate in the Republican Party running for the president and nobody is making a big deal of that. That’s amazing. Isn't that amazing?” Only a bona fide leftist would assume sexism in the GOP, and then be shocked by its absence.
Were it not for their obsessive fixation on all things Palin, one would almost suspect they were completely unaware that this supposedly sexist party had put a woman on their ticket in the last presidential election. Costello is also likely unaware that the first woman to run for a major party nomination was Senator Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican, who ran for president in 1964, eight years before the first female Democrat, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, ran in 1972. The only rampant sexism in Republican politics is that which roams free in the overactive imagination of the left wing press.
To CNN’s credit, Costello and Newsroom anchor Kyra Phillips did call attention to Bachmann’s history of raising a total of twenty-three foster children in addition to her own, note her status as a rising star in the GOP, and all but praised her debate performance. They can afford to be generous, however, because they have already determined that is unelectable, and their shock that nobody has called attention to Bachmann’s gender says more about the media than it does about the Republican primary electorate.
A transcript of the broadcast, which aired on the June 14 edition of CNN's Newsroom at 9:26 am EDT, follows below.
KYRA PHILLIPS: You're going to hear a lot more from Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann in the coming months. She went in last night's debate a Congresswoman from Minnesota, and some analysts think she came out a rising star.
MICHELE BACHMANN: I just want to make an announcement for you, John, on CNN. I filed my paperwork to seek the office of the presidency of the United States today and I'll very soon be making my formal announcement, so I wanted you to be the first to know.
JOHN KING Appreciate that. Welcome.
PHILIPS: Her performance had some of our analysts declaring her the debate winner. Carol Costello is here. So, tell us more about her. We were talking about her this morning, Carol, and all of these children. It's amazing that she is doing both!
CAROL COSTELLO: She is doing both. Five children of her own and 23 foster children, we’ll get into that in a minute, but let's talk about the political pundits, because they are saying more than they won the debate, Kyra. Political pundits have a crush on Michelle Bachmann. The adjectives they are using you would not believe it. She gave a star performance and top tier and called her pithy, and if you don’t know what pithy means, I’ll tell you. It means having substance and to the point. Seriously, though, Michelle Bachmann found her footing last night with one zinger after another.
BACHMANN: As President of the United States, I will not rest until I repeal Obamacare. It's a promise. Take it to bank. Cash the check. I'll make sure that that happens. We need everybody to come together because we're going to win. Just make no mistake about it. I want to announce tonight, President Obama is a one-term president! We’ll win!
COSTELLO: And the crowd went wild. She made Herman Cain fade into the woodwork, bu tthe bigger questions are, number one, can she win the primary and, number two, can very win the general election. Independent CNN analyst John Avlon says the Republican establishment doesn't exactly love Michelle Bachmann. And despite a large campaign warchest, she needs the Republican establishment to win the nomination. As far as the general election goes, Avlon says Bachmann doesn’t stand a chance. She needs independents to win and despite her charm last night, Bachmann’s views are too conservative to many Americans. She has said god encouraged her to run for higher office, and that government should be limited only to what is in the Constitution, and I know, Kyra, you are intrigued by her foster children. I know you are.
PHILLIPS: I know that everybody is talking about, you know, how she came out, this fascinating star last night. But I’m telling you, what caught my attention, I had no idea, we knew she had five kids, but 23 foster kids. And it's all of this that actually inspired her to get into politics.
COSTELLO: That's right. She actually mentioned that fact three times during the debate last night and those 23 foster kids did inspire her to get into politics. She sent them to public schools, wasn't satisfied with the quality of that I that education. She then ran for the school board. She failed, but that inspired her to run for other offices. And she became, you know, a congressperson in the state of Minnesota. Now look at her. The other thing interesting out of the debate, she is a female candidate in the Republican Party running for the president and nobody is making a big deal of that. That’s amazing. Isn't that amazing?
