I, and as an extension Save Jersey, have not been a friend to Michele Bachmann.
We have poked fun at her, subtly and not so subtly, about how her candidacy is an utter joke and that the mere idea of her running as the actual nominee for President would be the undoing of any gains made by the Republican Party since the election of President Obama.
I find my criticism of the congresswoman to be fair and true, and in the spirit of that fairness I am going to stick up for her where few others are. The internet exploded yesterday afternoon when Bachmann said at a rally in Florida that the recent natural disasters on the east coast, namely Hurricane Irene and the little earthquake that occurred a few days prior, were signs from God that Washington had better get its act together, start listening to the American people, and cut spending. Is this a stupid thing to say? Yes. It is. But not even Michele Bachmann is that dumb, and to believe otherwise is just intellectually dishonest.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2miHtbSdvI
Watch the video. Look and listen to the reaction of the crowd. Look at her face and listen to the tone of her voice. I do not claim to be a body language expert, but Bachmann is clearly telling what she thought was a timely joke. She was trying to use humor to make a point. Was it in poor taste? Sure! Thousands of people lost valuable property and even their lives in Hurricane Irene, and that really should not be made fun of by a person attempting to become President of the United States. But just because it was a bad joke does not make it any less of a joke.
The media jumped all over Bachmann for this obvious attempt at humor, they gave her the Sarah Palin treatment and pulled her through the mud. Anyone who did not see this for what it is either has no concept of social interaction, or has a clear agenda.
It was unfair, and it was wrong.
