Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann (Dakota, Peterson: construction, move to, business)

[Voyageur]

Originally Posted by marmac

There was a time ( shortly before the 08 election ) when it appeared that Tinklemberg would win.

I recall a poster in a newspaper proclaiming at that time----" I just made a substantial donation to Tinklenberg"

That poster was an ex mayor of a city of about 70,000 people and once referred to as --" a rising star"--in the DFL.

Yup, the same guy who was a liberal , boasting about his big contribution, and had his name on the deliquint property tax list.

Kinda the poster boy for the anti-Bachmann crowd.

Really? What's the name of this ex-mayor?

Sounds like Michelle Bachmann, who never tires of plaintively bleating about "government handouts", all the while personally profiting from agricultural subsidies.

Michele Bachmann's Farm Received Over $250,000 in Federal Subsidies

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Voyageur

What a laughable claim...

In 2008, 172 Republicans in the House ran for re-election. 158 of those incumbents won, versus 14 defeats. In other words, 92% of GOP House incumbents who ran for another term won.

Yeah, I'd say in general if you're an incumbent running for any office unless you've screwed something up really bad or a superstar squeaky clean candidate jumps in to oppose you that your re-election is pretty much automatic.

[Voyageur]

Originally Posted by Slig

Yeah, I'd say in general if you're an incumbent running for any office unless you've screwed something up really bad or a superstar squeaky clean candidate jumps in to oppose you that your re-election is pretty much automatic.

Or, alternately, you're an ill fit in your district due to shifting demographics or one of the things you cited above allowing you to win the last time around against major odds.

Example - Joseph Cao (R-LA2), who defeated scandal-mired William Jefferson in 2008 in a district with a massive Cook PVI of D+28. By comparison, the next most Democratic House district held by a Republican in DE-AL at D+7. Anyway, Cao is almost certainly doomed this time around, not because he's veered to the right from his campaign tenets but because he won't get to run against William Jefferson this time around.

Conversely, MN6 is an R+7 district. Pulling 46% of the vote and winning by a 3% margin in 2008 was hardly impressive. After all, John Kline (MN-2) and Erik Paulsen (MN-3) both performed significantly better than Bachmann in 2008 in districts that are not as conservative as MN-6.

Bachmann appears very safe in 2010. 2012 will be interesting, though.

[marmac]

Every time Bachmann has run has been interesting.

Seems there always is some point before the elections when the polls show Bachmann behind.

This gets the Bachmann bashers in a frenzy as they are sure this time she will be defeated.

It is at this point that people come forward bragging about their substantial donation to her opponent ( previous post of mine) and realize election night they placed their money on the " losing pony".

[Voyageur]

Originally Posted by marmac

Every time Bachmann has run has been interesting.

Seems there always is some point before the elections when the polls show Bachmann behind.

This gets the Bachmann bashers in a frenzy as they are sure this time she will be defeated.

It is at this point that people come forward bragging about their substantial donation to her opponent ( previous post of mine) and realize election night they placed their money on the " losing pony".

Who was that ex-mayor again? (previous post of yours)

[marmac]

I won't mention the city, but the newspaper he was constantly posting on, bashing Bachmann, was the St Cloud Times.

[Voyageur]

Originally Posted by marmac

I won't mention the city, but the newspaper he was constantly posting on, bashing Bachmann, was the St Cloud Times.

I'm just wondering who this "rising star" might have been.

But clearly (and strangely) you refuse to tell us.

[marmac]

ex-mayor of a city of 70,000 and constantly posting on St Cloud Times .

Do a search on John Ellenbecker and it will mention when he was first elected mayor hre was referred to as a "rising star" in the DFL.

I think that star has burned out and is a falling star.

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by marmac

--IF--the Democrats had endorsed Tinklenberg in 06 rather than Patty Wetterling, I think Tinklenberg could have won.

By 08, it was too late for Tinklenberg.

I agree 100%. I never understood the Wetterling endorsement.

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by marmac

I won't mention the city, but the newspaper he was constantly posting on, bashing Bachmann, was the St Cloud Times.

I thought he was foolish for posting so frequently on Times chat. He didn't even care about his anonymity.