Another reason I dig Rep. Michele Bachmann
Her ability to handle “controversies” with grace and wit:
Vin Weber, a staffer for Tim Pawlenty’s campaign, started a media tizzy by saying that Rep. Michele Bachmann, Pawlenty’s rival in the 2012 presidential field, had “sex appeal” and that was why she was gaining in the polls.
Weber has since apologized, but when Scott Hennen asked Bachmann about it today she laughed it off saying that at 53 years old, and after multiple pregnancies, having sex appeal “sounds like good news.”
You can listen to the audio of her remarks at the SayAnything link above.
In addition to Bachmann, I’m a big Palin fan, but this is one thing that I think distinguishes between the two. For all my admiration of Palin and how she sticks it establishment types on a routine basis, I don’t think she always chooses her battles well (in particular, her battles with the MSM) and as a result comes off as playing a victim card – even though that may not be her intent. Sometimes the best way to fend off bogus criticisms is to kill critics with kindness, so to speak – or, in some cases, not respond at all.
Bachmann and Palin have both faced similar criticisms from the MSM and other opponents over the years, but I’d give the edge to Bachmann in terms of how she handles them. Either way, I wouldn’t mind seeing either of these ladies in the WH – no matter how much of a long shot it may seem to be at this point in the campaign season.
Your thoughts?
Update – 9:36 AM: Ed Morrissey is on a similar page:
Weber’s unfortunate comment is hardly an anomaly, although Weber is hardly a greenhorn in politics and should have known better. Women who enter the political ring tend to get judged more on appearances than men do, especially conservative women like Bachmann and Sarah Palin, but to some extent it’s true for all women in politics. One can choose to respond to it with either a sense of victimization or a sense of humor, and the latter is a lot more charming, especially when it’s done with such self-effacing humor as Bachmann handled it yesterday.
Absolutely.