Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bachmann Wins, Pawlenty Quits, And Texas Gov. Rick Perry Says "Howdy"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 14, 2011
Modified Aug 15, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 14, 2011
Modified Aug 15, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Just in time for President Obama's lowest approval rating since taking office (39 percent according to Gallup) the Republican presidential race is beginning to heat up! And by "heat up" we mean "crowd the field with über-conservative candidates that think evolution has 'never been proven' and who believe states can just secede from the Union."
After Michele Bachmann beat Ron Paul in a squeaker at yesterday's Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, Tim Pawlenty announced that he is dropping out of the race. Pawlenty needed a strong showing at the straw poll to stay alive. The Times' Nate Silver notes that data backs the assumption that the straw poll is a bellwether in projecting the Iowa caucus numbers, and Pawlenty just didn't make the cut. Bachmann was the first woman to ever win the straw poll, as well as the first woman to be caught on film experiencing a trance from eating a pyschotropic corn dog.
That inescapable urge you had yesterday to order your steak "country fried" was Texas Governor Rick Perry entering the race, claiming that it was "time to get America working again." Perry's entry spells trouble for Mitt Romney, who was hoping to claim the "job creator" mantle all to himself, but now must compete with Perry's (remarkably dismal) 10-year tenure in Texas. But hell, lets give the Lone Star State a chance. What could go wrong?
As the Times notes, these "rapid-fire developments are helping to push the Republican race toward a three-way contest" between Bachmann, Romney, and Perry. As part of this renewed frenzy, Bachmann appeared on all five political talk shows this morning, where she was asked repeatedly about her reactionary views.
When asked if she still believed her statement that being gay was akin to "personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement," Bachmann told ABC's This Week, “I am not running to be any person’s judge. And I give—I ascribe dignity and honor to all people, no matter who they are. And that’s how I view people.”
She batted away criticism that her debt-ceiling antics in part caused the downgrade by blaming the president for it: “No wonder the markets would be roiled if we didn’t have a plan. I had one, unlike President Obama.” And to all the pointed questions about her social views: "All of these kind of questions aren’t what people are concerned about right now."
She should let Perry borrow that last line; the two will be at the same fundraiser this evening.
Tagged
2012
George Bush
Iowa
iowa straw poll
michele bachmann
obama
Politics
rick perry
texas
tim pawlenty
White House
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Person found dead with stab wounds in Queens building, NYPD says
Police hadn't yet named and suspects or identified the victim Friday.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Nov 6, 2026 at 8:34 p.m. ET
Amtrak's Penn Station plan could funnel taxpayer money to new venue for James Dolan
The federal government's plan to rebuild Penn Station would require the purchase of a theater attached to the west side of Madison Square Garden.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Amtrak's Penn Station plan could funnel taxpayer money to new venue for James Dolan
The federal government's plan to rebuild Penn Station would require the purchase of a theater attached to the west side of Madison Square Garden.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Intoxicated Queens driver killed baby after running stop sign, indictment says
By
Giulia Heyward
Man arrested in NYC on accusations of sexual assault, rape on Cape Cod, officials said
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Service upgrade coming to On The Way: An hour-long radio show on all things NYC transit
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .