Last summer, I went to a rally for Israel outside the Jewish Federation on Wilshire Blvd.
Off to the side, I saw television cameras and Michelle Bachmann coming through. She was shaking hands and introducing herself to people before joining the big shots behind the microphone.
I think I edged out of the way. I don’t like politicians. I don’t like getting sold. I like to think of myself as above it all. I’m an observer. I like to be neutral. Don’t draw me into the dance.
I thought of Michelle as this flaky right-winger. I heard she was planning to run for president but I thought that was a joke. What had she ever accomplished?
Just looking at her, she seemed extreme.
She had presence. I’ll give her that. The air changed when she moved close to you. People responded to her. She had energy and she conveyed excitement.
I didn’t bother to blog about her.
I didn’t think much about her. I had no idea that a year later she’d be a presidential contender.
As I see her on TV and read reports on her, I’m impressed. She no longer comes across as flaky. She doesn’t nurse wounds and resentment like Sarah Palin. She learns from her mistakes. She seems much more intellectually serious than Sarah Palin. Michelle has her eye on the prize and has turned into a formidable campaigner.
About a month ago, I predicted that Bachmann would be the next president of the United States.
With Rick Perry’s entrance into the race, I now expect him to win the Republican nomination and then to go on to beat Barack Obama.
