Bachmann's political spouse double standard
OPINION - If a politician plans to trot out his or her spouse and kids as a part of their campaign, they should plan for whatever criticism their spouses leave themselves susceptible to...
I’m undecided on what irritates me most about Michele Bachmann. There’s her already well-documented history of saying all things senseless and superfluous. Then there’s the addendum to that fun fact about the Minnesota congresswoman: She can’t seem to keep up with much of what she says, leading her to consistently contradict herself.
While the debate on what’s the greater irritant continues, it’s clear which bad habit might be more devastating to someone with presidential ambitions. Of course, a hypocritical politician is about as great a rarity as an attention-craving reality star; but the more attention Michele attracts to her campaign the more it’s in her best interest to stay on message. Or at the very least make an effort to add clarity and/or nuance to previous stances made.
Unfortunately, Bachmann teasing the Tea Partiers that have made her a viable contender for the Republican presidential nomination with nuance and clarity would be like trying to impress a Muslim at dinner with a hefty serving of scrapple.
WATCH REV. AL SHARPTON’S COVERAGE OF BACHMANN AND HER HUSBAND:
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I get it: You’ve got to play to your base. Still, what Michele ought to understand is that the rest of the nation operates differently from her and her ilk’s ridiculous way of thinking. So, when she demands that the big bad media lay off her husband given he’s not gunning for the presidency she deservingly gets rebuffed with “pot meet kettle.”
Amid scrutiny that her husband, Marcus Bachmann, employs use of “reparative therapy” to “cure” gays of their homosexuality at a clinic he runs, Michele sharply dismissed the questioning as inappropriate.
She said: “I’m running for the presidency of the United States. My husband is not running for the presidency, neither are my children, neither is our business, neither is our foster children and I’m more than happy to stand for questions on running for the presidency of the United States.”
She also refused to answer whether she believed in such therapy. It’s an interesting turn of events considering nearly three years ago Michele had no qualms about going after then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle.
She notoriously said on MSNBC’s Hardball, “Remember, it was Michelle Obama who said she’s only recently proud of her country. And so these are very anti-American views.” She also targeted Obama’s then-pastor, Jeremiah Wright along with educator and former Weathermen member, Bill Ayers. Bachmann would later go on to say she made a “misstatement.”
Whatever she’ll go on to call this latest spiel remains to be seen, but her point-of-view will always be as hypocritical as it is delusional. Like it or not, political spouses are fair game. If a politician plans to trot out his or her spouse and kids as a part of their campaign, they should plan for whatever criticism their spouses leave themselves susceptible to.
In a profile of Michele’s husband, Politico noted that Marcus had “enthusiastically embraced his wife’s run, sketching out a new kind of role for himself: Equal parts confidant, body man, image consultant and political strategist — while also proving a potential liability.”
The first liability was her husband accepting Medicaid money despite her blasts of the program. If her partner benefits from such funds so does she. Now there are reports about just what goes on at Bachmann and Associates, Incorporated. If her husband is indeed promoting a program to gay youth that the American Psychological Association has rendered ineffective and potentially damaging, the public has a right to know.
Regardless about the rumors floating around about her husband, in the end, the likes of Marcus Bachmann entering the White House would pose a huge step back for the gay rights movement. President Obama has made remarkable strides in advancing the legal rights of gays — to the applause of a growing number of Americans. Voters deserve to know what Bachmann’s husband’s beliefs are, whether or not she shares them, and if they will affect policy should she become president.
If anything, we’re only following her lead as Michele Bachmann is still taking political spouses to task. Earlier this year she accused Michelle Obama of trying to implement a “nanny state” because the first lady advocated more women breastfeed in order to combat childhood obesity.
Much of her attacks against Michelle Obama have been baseless and transparent. Now that her husband is on the receiving end of similar flack — over matters far more credible than those she’s ever brought up — suddenly she wants people to back off the spouses. It’s too little, too late for that, Michele.
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