As for Bachmann, who can forget her appearance on Chris Matthews' MSNBC program "Hardball" during the 2008 fall campaign season. She boldly advocated a House investigation into what she perceived as anti-American and treasonous conduct.
In that same context Bachmann has sharply attacked President Obama and his administration in the same manner. She has contended that Obama is seeking to turn America into a collectivist dictatorship.
Bachmann is the most frequent face among congressional insiders at Tea Party gatherings. With her standing front and center as a presidential candidate the Tea Party and its positions will be there to scrutinize through the prism of her candidacy, a lightning rod generating debate.
In California during the sixties the John Birch Society occupied a comparable position to today's Tea Party as a right wing lightning rod. It and other far right elements infiltrated the 1964 presidential campaign of Republican nominee Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona.
The far right infiltration demolished Goldwater in the same manner as a comparable effort by the far left in the 1948 presidential campaign of Progressive Party nominee and former Vice President Henry Wallace had generated the same result.
Ironically Goldwater later in his long senatorial career had become primarily a libertarian and an outspoken supporter of gays serving in the military, a position that would have been totally repugnant to John Birch Society types.
It is time to zero in on the Tea Party by debating its positions and demonstrating to the American people its dangerous extremist roots. A Bachmann presidential campaign would provide such a focused opportunity.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
