Michele Bachmann Under Fire For Saying America is Not Ready For Female President, Obama Got Elected Because of White Guilt
Conservative Minnesota congresswoman and former U.S. Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has drawn the ire of the Internet for declaring that America is not ready for a woman president and Barack Obama only became president because of white guilt.
With less than a year left in her fourth and last term in Congress, the woman described as the "founding mother" of the Tea Party suggested to syndicated columnist Cal Thomas in an interview last week that if Hillary Clinton runs for the White House in 2016, her sex will play a huge role in her electability.
A lot of people, says Bachmann, "aren't ready" for a female president.
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"I think there was a cachet about having an African-American president because of [white] guilt [presumably over slavery]," she told Thomas. "People don't hold guilt for a woman…I don't think there is a pent-up desire" for a woman president.
She also explained that if a male GOP presidential nominee were to face Clinton in a presidential race in 2016 he must do two things.
"Remind people (Clinton) is seeking to become commander in chief (and) how she has operated in the past with these types of responsibilities. She was in charge during the Benghazi debacle. If a person reads the Senate Intelligence (Committee) report and the House Foreign Affairs (Committee) report released (last) week, it is damning for Hillary Clinton," she said.
Bachman's comments have since gone viral and many of her critics are now attacking her Facebook page and other social media with withering comments.
"Don't mistake the public's distaste for you as being unready for a female president. Your googly eyed robot appearance on the news hardly represents experienced and educated women across the country. Whatever drugs you are taking, we noticed," wrote critic Mist Stilipec.
"I don't know if you are acting stupid for shock value, but please stop it, it's embarrassing," said Kendra Gaffin.
"Barack Obama won because America felt better with him as president and not Mitt Romney. Why can't you just shut the hell up? I'm so glad you are 'retiring' this year," noted Maurice Robertson.
Some critics like Benjamin Livengood, however were a bit more measured in their comments.
"I completely agree with you Miss Bachmann … The U.S needs a strong woman like Margaret Thatcher, not an old dying woman like Billary Clinton ... We are not ready for a woman. When the U.S wants a female leader with good morals and views and not just because of her gender than we are ready .... I love you as a Representative Miss Bachmann, but I still don't think you would make a strong president," he said.
