The day after her big announcement in Iowa, Ron Carey, a former Chief of Staff to Michele Bachman and former head of the Minnesota Republican Party, has an Op-Ed in the Des Moines Register, Iowa’s largest and most influential newspaper, saying that she isn’t ready to be President:
As the former chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party during the tenure of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, as well as the former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, I have watched both candidates from behind the public scene. I’ve seen how they handle the pressures of the job; I’ve seen how they lead a staff; and I’ve seen how they would govern if elected to the most powerful office in the world.
Having seen the two of them, up close and over a long period of time, it is clear to me that while Tim Pawlenty possesses the judgment, the demeanor, and the readiness to serve as president, Michele Bachmann decidedly does not.
The Bachmann campaign and congressional offices I inherited were wildly out of control. Stacks upon stacks of unopened contributions filled the campaign office while thousands of communications from citizens waited for an answer. If she is unable, or unwilling, to handle the basic duties of a campaign or congressional office, how could she possibly manage the magnitude of the presidency?
(…)
It would be easy to support my former boss and even easier to sit by and watch from the sidelines, but the stakes are too great. Our party is too important to entrust its nomination to a candidate not seasoned and ready to lead. Conservatives rightly state that our current president appears unprepared and inexperienced when facing difficult challenges. Let’s not make the same mistake again.I find myself agreeing with Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann on 99 percent of the issues, but the similarities end there. We need to look at the experience and accomplishments of the candidates and make sure we support someone who can not only defeat President Obama, but someone who also has the proven experience and leadership to handle the difficult challenges of the presidency.
Carey is clearly a Pawlenty backer, but nonetheless it’s hard to understate the impact of something like this. The negative ads pretty much write themselves, don’t they?
No comment yet from the Bachmann campaign, if there is one I’ll post it in an update.
