UNLIMITED MICHELLE BACHMANN APPRECIATION THREAD

[Doktor Howl]

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/08/bachmann-irne-was-political-message-from-god/ACJ4zJCjJoqxfDK6RT4ETN/index.html

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said yesterday that Hurricane Irene was a political message from God, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians," the newspaper quoted her as telling voters during a rally in Sarasota. "We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

Apparently, God sends messages ten times a year or so, but we don't speak "120 MPH wind", so we miss out on a lot.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/08/bachmann-irne-was-political-message-from-god/ACJ4zJCjJoqxfDK6RT4ETN/index.html

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said yesterday that Hurricane Irene was a political message from God, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians," the newspaper quoted her as telling voters during a rally in Sarasota. "We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

Apparently, God sends messages ten times a year or so, but we don't speak "120 MPH wind", so we miss out on a lot.

I was just thinking isn't it odd that god only seems to talk to people I have zero respect for and even less desire to listen to. 

How hard would it be for god to talk to someone who has a brain and can actually communicate?  Because somehow I don't think the natural disasters and such that god is sending messages in can have so many different messages in the same disaster.

[Phox]

I like how the phrase "morbid obesity diet" rolls off the tongue. It feels so weird to say. One would imagine that "morbidly obese diet" would make more sense, but even in context it does not at all. Why this particular phrase tickled me, I have no idea.  

[Phox]

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/08/bachmann-irne-was-political-message-from-god/ACJ4zJCjJoqxfDK6RT4ETN/index.html

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said yesterday that Hurricane Irene was a political message from God, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians," the newspaper quoted her as telling voters during a rally in Sarasota. "We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

Apparently, God sends messages ten times a year or so, but we don't speak "120 MPH wind", so we miss out on a lot.

I was just thinking isn't it odd that god only seems to talk to people I have zero respect for and even less desire to listen to. 

How hard would it be for god to talk to someone who has a brain and can actually communicate?  Because somehow I don't think the natural disasters and such that god is sending messages in can have so many different messages in the same disaster.

No, no. I think the message is pretty clear. "Get off my planet, assholes."

See, God wanted Earth for a dinosaur farm. And as any good Christian will tell you, humans hunted dinosaurs to extinction. Obviously, he was on vacation for a couple thousand years, and just now got around to noticing that his favorite pets are gone.

[Igor]

Would anyone like to see a video of her shouting "Who likes white people?!" at a crowd?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE4OPMmdPsg

Apparently the warmup band were called White People Soul Band, but somehow that doesn't make it better.

[Triple Zero]

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians," the newspaper quoted whoever as telling voters during a rally in general. "We've had a Sarah Palin; we've had a Michelle Bachmann. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know shitfuck about fart and we've got to un-herp the derp."

[Juana]

I don't think the Tea Baggers, et al. really want their god to come back Old Testament style with plagues and natural disasters as much as they think they do.

[Fast Eddy]

I know for a fact that if Bachmann becomes President, it will be terribly bad for me and everyone I love. But why can't I shake the feeling, in the back of my head, that wants her to win, just for the show?

Is there a term for that feeling that doesn't give a fuck about personal safety, as long as the show is good?

[Epimetheus]

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/08/bachmann-irne-was-political-message-from-god/ACJ4zJCjJoqxfDK6RT4ETN/index.html

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said yesterday that Hurricane Irene was a political message from God, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians," the newspaper quoted her as telling voters during a rally in Sarasota. "We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

It took me a moment to really get it, but  fuck, she actually thinks that way! Nevermind that hurricanes have been happening since before government even fucking existed*.

It burns to explore the mindset of someone like that.

*Or does her religion say otherwise?

[PopeTom]

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/08/bachmann-irne-was-political-message-from-god/ACJ4zJCjJoqxfDK6RT4ETN/index.html

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said yesterday that Hurricane Irene was a political message from God, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians," the newspaper quoted her as telling voters during a rally in Sarasota. "We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

It took me a moment to really get it, but  fuck, she actually thinks that way! Nevermind that hurricanes have been happening since before government even fucking existed*.

It burns to explore the mindset of someone like that.

*Or does her religion say otherwise?

God has hated the infidels longer than there has been government.

[Doktor Howl]

I know for a fact that if Bachmann becomes President, it will be terribly bad for me and everyone I love. But why can't I shake the feeling, in the back of my head, that wants her to win, just for the show?

Is there a term for that feeling that doesn't give a fuck about personal safety, as long as the show is good?

Yes.

*ahem*

SCIENCE!

[Nephew Twiddleton]

:Blinkblink:

Oh, right, people still think Jesus Wrath is what makes weather go.

I know this because I had to use logical points to nicely point out that someone was musing about stupid ideas the other day.

Like the idea that god is telling us something with a minor earthquake and a tropical storm.

:stewing:

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

He was.

It was his way of saying he had gas and explosive diarrhea.

[Jenne]

...but-but-SHE WAS ONLY KIDDING!

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/08/29/michele_bachmann_on_irene_earthquake_natural_disasters_were_mess.html

UPDATE: Michele Bachmann told supporters Monday that her weekend comments about Hurricane Irene and the East Coast earthquake being messages from God were all in good fun.


"I have a great sense of humor and I think it's important to exhibit that humor sometimes when you are talking to people as well," she said at a campaign event in Miami, CNN reports. "Of course I was being humorous when I said that."

UPDATE Monday at 4:43 p.m.: One more note on this: It looks like Michele Bachmann used her Hurricane Irene laugh line at least twice this weekend. The CNN clip mentioned below appears to be from a different location than this clip, also making the rounds Monday (from an NBC affiliate via Mediaite).

Bachmann's words are pretty much the same, but her delivery and the crowd's reaction are slightly different. (For what it's worth, based on the exact wording of the remarks, the NBC clip appears to be the one quoted in the original St. Petersburg Times article that started this whole thing.)


UPDATE at 1:32 p.m. The video is now making the rounds on the Internet and cable news, and it is pretty clear that Bachmann was indeed having some fun when she made her comments.

CNN American Morning has the clip, and the trio of anchors seem in agreement that not only was Bachmann joking, but that the joke was funny. (We'll reserve judgment on the latter part.) You can watch for yourself here.

Given that Bachmann made her comments Sunday afternoon, while what was left of Hurricane Irene was still battering the Northeast—doing billions of dollars in damages and killing at least 25 people—the GOP hopeful is likely to continue to catch some flack for her comments. Still, her backers certainly have grounds to complain that the media and her critics were quick to jump on the comments without checking the tape first.

UPDATE at 12:04 p.m.: Michele Bachmann's campaign said Monday that the White House hopeful was only joking when she suggested over the weekend that Hurricane Irene and last week's East Coast earthquake were messages from God.

"Of course she was saying it in jest," campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart told Reuters. Stewart delivered a similar quote to other media outlets, but does not appear to have elaborated further on the issue. Talking Points Memo notes that while Bachmann appeared to draw "some titters of laughter from the crowd" when she made her comments, the local media didn't judge her to be joking.


Team Bachmann's attempt to downplay the controversial comments are likely to do little to push them from the headlines and political talk shows, however. The likely best-case scenario for the campaign is that they are merely labeled a political gaffe, the latest in a string from the Minnesota congresswoman.


POST at 10:08 a.m.: The East Coast was rocked by an earthquake last week and then battered by Hurricane Irene days later. Michele Bachman has a theory on why: It was God's way of telling the political class to embrace small government.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of politicians," the GOP presidential hopeful said over the weekend at a campaign event in Florida, the St. Petersburg Times reports. "We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

Politico notes that Bachmann isn't the first to venture into the "risky territory of attributing political motive to natural disasters": John Hagee suggested that New Orleans' gay pride parade may have triggered Hurricane Katrina, while Pat Robertson speculated that Katrina may have been tied to the debate over abortion.

There's also a more practical issue at hand: If Bachmann was implying that the "message" was directed at Washington, D.C., in specific, it may have been lost amid summer vacations. Congress is currently in the middle of August recess, so most lawmakers weren't in town for either the quake or the storm. Likewise, President Obama was in Martha's Vineyard for the earthquake, although he did return to D.C. early to be at the White House during Hurricane Irene.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

So in other words.....

"I have once again shown myself to be a complete idiot and I can make it all better by saying.... 'It was a joke' right"?