WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Rep. Michele Bachmann’s decision to drop out of the GOP race for the presidency could help former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum consolidate the votes of Tea Party conservatives and evangelical Christians — and emerge as the sole alternative to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Bachmann received only 5 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses, while Perry, who skipped a planned trip to South Carolina in a sign of his waning campaign, earned 10 percent. But those supporters of those candidates, particularly Bachmann, may have views more close to the more conservative Santorum than Romney.
Santorum lost by only eight votes to Romney, who dominated the vote among Republicans who wanted the most electable Republican, but lost to Santorum among self-described conservatives.
WATCH BACHMANN’S CAMPAIGN WITHDRAWAL SPEECH HERE:
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Bachmann, in her speech here, continued the intense attacks on President Obama that have defined both her campaign and her tenure in Congress.
“This might be the last election to turn this country around before we go down a road to socialism,” she told supporters in a hotel ballroom.
But referring to her own campaign, she stated that Tuesday’s results said “the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice and I have decided to stand aside.”
“I will continue to be a strong voice, I will continue to stand and fight,” she said.
Follow Perry Bacon Jr. on Twitter at @perrybaconjr